By: Dawn Zoldi
Sentinel Robotic Solutions (SRS) doesn’t treat utility inspections as a one-off drone service. It has built a BVLOS-enabled inspection and training ecosystem designed to scale across some of the most demanding infrastructure in the United States. From long linear corridors to post-storm damage assessments, this woman-owned, HUBZone-based small business uses advanced unmanned aircraft, disciplined data workflows and workforce development to help utilities move from sporadic checks to sustained, data-driven infrastructure management.
From Hard-To-Reach Lines To Scalable Routes
Transmission and distribution networks often run through remote, heavily vegetated or otherwise inaccessible terrain. In those places, traditional ground patrols and helicopter flights are expensive, slow to schedule and difficult to repeat at the cadence utilities want. SRS starts with that access problem and works backwards. It designs operations that combine multirotor and fixed-wing UAS in a unified model so each mission pairs the right aircraft and sensor with the right segment of the grid.
High-resolution visual and thermal data collection tailored to both transmission and distribution structures form the core of these missions. Detailed imagery supports structural assessments, while thermal sensors reveal heat signatures from failing components, overloaded connections and other anomalies that may not yet be visible to the naked eye. Those datasets form the backbone of routine inspection programs that can be repeated and extended, rather than executed as isolated events.
“Utilities don’t have a data problem. They have an access and scalability problem,” said Jason Taylor, Director of UAS Programs at Sentinel Robotic Solutions. “Visual and thermal data give us the ability to quickly identify real issues in the field. But without the ability to scale those operations, you’re only seeing part of the picture. BVLOS changes that.”
BVLOS Waiver: Turns Range Into Routine
The FAA has formalized the company’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capabilities with a waiver. This regulatory milestone allows SRS to extend inspections well beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight while remaining within the National Airspace System framework. The authorization enables extended linear operations along long-distance corridors. This opens up remote and hard-to-reach sections of transmission and distribution infrastructure that are ill-suited to standard Part 107 operations.
Operationally, BVLOS shifts the model from short, hopscotch flights to longer, more continuous runs. Through BVLOS, SRS can:
- Increase inspection efficiency along long linear assets.
- Cut down on repositioning of crews, vehicles, and equipment.
- Reduce exposure in hazardous, post-storm or difficult-access environments.
- Deliver faster turnaround for inspections of critical infrastructure.
More importantly for utilities, BVLOS supports a transition from reactive inspections to proactive asset management. “This isn’t just about flying farther,” Taylor explained. “It’s about fundamentally changing how utilities think about inspections. With BVLOS, we can move toward persistent coverage where data is collected more regularly, analyzed faster and used to make more informed decisions before issues become outages.”
Data-First Inspections, Not Just Drone Flights
For SRS, visual and thermal data form the backbone of the inspection program. High-resolution imagery allows utilities to see structural defects, damaged components and other visible issues. Thermal data highlights problems such as heat build-up, imbalanced loads and emerging failures, that might otherwise go undetected until they become service interruptions.
The company has built its workflow around a single, dedicated processing partner, VOLT Inspections, rather than distributing data across multiple processors. By using VOLT as the primary platform for transforming raw collection into structured outputs, SRS ensures consistent quality and repeatable turn times across projects.
Through this integrated pipeline, SRS delivers:
- Targeted defect identification and advisories.
- Thermal anomaly detection and analysis.
- High-resolution imagery for engineering review.
- Precision GIS layers for mapping and planning.
- Reporting and visualization tailored to each client.
“Collecting data is the easy part,” Taylor said. “The real value comes from turning that data into something utilities can act on, quickly and consistently. Our partnership with VOLT is a critical part of making that happen at scale.”
LiDAR and Vegetation: Zooming Out To The Corridor
While visual and thermal sensors carry most of the day-to-day inspection workload, SRS selectively deploys LiDAR when utilities need a full corridor picture for vegetation management and clearance analysis. In partnership with Censys Technologies, the company is integrating the Sentaero 6 fixed-wing VTOL platform to capture LiDAR data efficiently over extended runs, particularly where vegetation encroachment threatens reliability.
Paired with BVLOS, the Sentaero 6 enables wide-area, vegetation-focused LiDAR surveys over expansive and remote infrastructure networks. This results in consistent, survey-grade datasets that support long-term vegetation management strategies while minimizing disruption to routine operations.
“Visual and thermal data help us identify real-time issues on the system, but LiDAR allows us to step back and understand the full corridor,” Taylor said. “By integrating platforms like the Sentaero 6 into BVLOS operations, we can give utilities both the detail and the scale they need to manage vegetation proactively.”
Partnerships That Extend Beyond The Flight Line
SRS’s utility work is built around partnerships that combine operational services with training and support. Through its collaboration with the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC), SRS helps member utilities adopt unmanned systems while simultaneously building the internal workforce needed to sustain those programs. Alignment between technology and training provides the crux of the company’s approach.
On the response side, SRS maintains the ability to quickly mobilize for post-storm assessments through partnerships such as One Source Restoration. The dual focus of planned inspections during normal operations and rapid mobilization in emergencies positions SRS not just as a vendor but as a long-term operational partner for its clients.
Training A Workforce That Can Scale
For all the emphasis on BVLOS and data workflows, SRS repeatedly comes back to people. To date, the company has trained more than 300 utility linemen across the United States, including programs in Texas. It has equipped them with FAA Part 107 certification and hands-on flight experience specific to utility environments.
Beyond the utility sector, SRS has trained more than 2,000 operators across fire service, EMS, law enforcement and the general public, often in partnership with community college workforce development programs. The company’s partnership with Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC), now part of the FAA’s UAS Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI), is a cornerstone of that effort. Through that collaboration, SRS helps to build a pipeline of UAS professionals ready to support industry, public safety, and government operations.
SRS also holds a Section 44807 exemption, which allows training and operations with unmanned aircraft weighing more than 55 pounds. This exemption lets the team deliver advanced, hands-on instruction on larger, more capable platforms and helps bridge the gap between small UAS operations and the heavier-lift systems increasingly used in industrial missions.
“You can have the best technology in the world, but without trained personnel, it doesn’t scale,” Taylor noted. “Our goal has always been to build programs that empower utilities and agencies to not just adopt drones, but to fully operationalize them.
A National Footprint, Local Lessons
SRS’s inspection and training operations now span a growing list of states, including Texas, Utah and Kentucky, alongside ongoing work across the East Coast. That geographic spread gives the team experience in dense vegetation corridors, mountainous terrain and post-disaster environments. In turn, it also informs how they design procedures, safety cases and data workflows.
Whether operating in remote rights-of-way or congested, storm-affected areas, SRS has developed mission profiles that adapt to local conditions while keeping data products consistent for the utility’s asset management teams. That balance of flexible execution with standardized outputs helps utilities integrate drone-derived insights into planning, maintenance and investment decisions.
Integrating NDAA-Compliant Solutions for Critical Infrastructure
As concerns grow around the use of non-compliant systems in critical infrastructure environments, utilities and government agencies are placing increased emphasis on NDAA-compliant, U.S.-manufactured platforms. SRS addresses this with a flexible, mission-driven approach. In addition to providing scalable inspection services, SRS maintains the ability to transition operations to its domestically developed Magpie system when NDAA compliance is required. Designed and manufactured in the United States, Magpie allows SRS to meet evolving security and regulatory expectations without disrupting operations or data workflows.(See prior AG coverage of the Magpie)
“Customers aren’t just asking how data is collected. They’re asking what systems are being used,” Taylor emphasized. “With Magpie, we can provide a U.S.-manufactured, NDAA-compliant option that integrates seamlessly into our operations.”
This ability to adapt, while maintaining consistent data quality and delivery, positions SRS to support utilities and agencies navigating increasingly complex compliance requirements.
“As we continue to expand our services, our focus remains on delivering scalable, mission-ready solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and innovation,” explained Erika Bale, company CEO.
Toward Data-Driven, BVLOS-Enabled Grid Management
Utilities are under pressure to modernize aging infrastructure, improve reliability and manage vegetation risk in the face of more frequent and severe weather events. Against that backdrop, SRS is positioning its BVLOS authorization and expertise, data-centric inspection model, targeted LiDAR deployment, strategic partnerships, its NDAA-compliant drones and workforce development as a coherent way to scale unmanned operations rather than pilot them in isolation.
“Utilities are looking for solutions that go beyond one-time inspections,” Taylor noted. “They need consistent, repeatable data collection that integrates into how they plan, maintain and invest in their systems. That’s where BVLOS-enabled operations and integrated data workflows start to deliver real value.”
Taken together, SRS does not simply add range to existing drone programs. It uses BVLOS, disciplined data processing and a deep investment in training to help utilities move toward continuous, data-driven infrastructure management.