ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Utilities Commission is putting new technology to work, using drones to spot damage faster and keep crews safer.
What You Need To Know
OUC is using drones equipped with thermal imaging to inspect damage faster after storms
The drone program expanded after Hurricane Ian highlighted safety challenges for ground crews
Engineers say drone data leads to quicker decisions and safer power restoration
OUC currently has four drones in service, with more planned
Ever since Karen Keenan was a little girl, she wanted to take new heights.
“I’ve always had a fascination on how things worked. Power is the heart of everything and how everything functions,” she said.
Now, she’s taking that childhood fascination and turning it into a tool that helps restore power faster and safer. Keenan is a research engineer for OUC.
“We use this drone specifically to do thermal inspections. It has an IR camera on the top of it” Keenan said.
Her skill is part of a larger effort that started after Hurricane Ian, when OUC needed a safer way to inspect flooded neighborhoods and blocked roads. That’s when the drone program took off, changing the way the utility assesses damage.
Keenan says this technology makes people’s jobs a bit easier.
“I think it can yeah. In certain ways, we’re able to do a visual inspection before we’re sending the actual crews out to locations to do certain things,” Keenen said.
Things like downed trees, power lines on the road, and even seeing damage to homes.
“No guessing, no hoping, it’s just a fact and when you need to do it easiest,” said Maguire Mulligan.
Mulligan is also a research engineer with OUC. He says each flight gives engineers cleaner data, faster decisions, and a safer path forward for crews working to restore power.
“Safety and efficiency is the name of the game when it comes to the drone program,” said Mulligan.
With four drones already in service, with more on the way, pilots like Keenan continue helping crews pinpoint problems, fast.