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U S I N G P A R R O T B E B O P - P R O T H E R M A L

Christopher Smith is a certified drone pilot who was looking for a thermal tool that was easy to use, and deploy in a domestic environment and that produced precise and instant results.

• Christopher Smith is a certified drone pilot who conducts commercial drone inspections of forestland, properties, solar panels and stock pond etc.

• As the inspection surveys can be hazardous, especially when trying to access hard to reach areas, Chris needed a compact solution that was easy and safe to use over cattle and domestic terrains.

• Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal is a solution that allows you to carry out thermal and visual aerial inspections safely and quickly, eliminating the vast majority of dangers that surround the conventional methods of inspection.

Tell us a bit about your background and your experience with drones.

My background is in inspection services in both Real Estate and Technical Aerospace. For 12 years, I worked at NASA as a Senior Quality Assurance Inspector in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory, which was great as aerospace technology is a huge passion of mine.

I enjoy the challenge drones present. I am an FAA certified drone pilot, moving towards commercial drone inspections. The versatility of drones offer extraordinary opportunities to serve many types of industry. Over the years, I have performed forestland surveys, property inspections, solar panel inspections, stock pond health analysis and many other aerial photography services.

Let me give you an example, temperature monitoring of livestock drinking water is very important here in Texas. The extremely high temperatures during the day cause livestock to drink only in the early morning hours when water is cool.

Animals need water more than food (cattle can go without food for 60 days, without water for only 7 days). Thanks to Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal, I can provide a in-depth explanation of how water temperatures affect livestock and production. It is a very interesting subject and one, which makes Parrot’s drone solution an extremely helpful and valuable tool.

C H R I S TO P H E R S M I T H , C E R T I F I E D D R O N E P I LOT

“I really like the thermal information Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal can record and the software’s implementation of data and media. Everything works smoothly and nothing is difficult to operate.”

Why did you opt for a Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal drone?

The Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal drone is a prefect mix of agility, stability and reliability for aerial thermography. It achieves results very quickly. I chose this solution because it meets my inspection service needs, while being very simple to transport in difficult and rugged environments. The ease of use and the results, places this solution above conventional inspection methods.

How do your clients feel about you using a drone?

My clients enjoy seeing me work with Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal and appreciate its ability to gather all the visual information they require. From aerial imagery to thermal analysis, my clients realize the benefits of employing drone technology and have noticed that it saves time and eliminates risks to human safety.

What drone feature is best adapted to your (your client’s) needs?

The best feature of Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal is that you can obtain the desired information safely and quickly. The reduced time to achieve results and eliminate risks to human inspectors that are otherwise performing the same tasks is an enormous benefit to the workflow. This un-manned aerial inspector can work harder and longer, without risking life or limb. I really like the thermal information it can record and the software’s implementation of data and media. Everything works smoothly and nothing is difficult to operate.

How has a drone solution helped you save time in comparison to traditional tools and methods?

The Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal solution offers a huge timesaving benefit in my line of work. The resulting thermal information is instantaneous and precise. The software offers media that allows a quick analysis, much faster than conventional methods of inspection. This system also saves time in preparation before an inspection and minimizes the need for additional bulky equipment that is difficult to transport and deploy to support human visual inspection methods. Overall, it is perfect for thermal inspection services of areas that are unsafe and difficult or impossible to access physically by human inspectors.

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What is the future of drones in the professional sector?

The future is now. Drones are a valuable method of inspection and the future will integrate more of this technology. Too many aspects of the inspection services are unsafe, which is why an aerial option is almost priceless. Drones are an option that will continue to offer a better solution than conventional inspection methods.

C H R I S TO P H E R S M I T H , C E R T I F I E D D R O N E P I LOT

“The Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal solution offers a huge timesaving benefit in my line of work. It is easy to transport and very quick to deploy. The resulting thermal information is instantaneous and precise.”