Cambridge based company Carbon 2050 had developed a system called Crocfast, a unique self-deploying bird diverter that could quickly and easily be deployed at 5M intervals along high-voltage cables. A bird diverter is a device that is attached to a power line or any type of wire suspended in the air to distract and divert birds away from the line, avoiding accidents and fatalities. These are particularly useful for power and communication lines that cross lakes or rivers, where bird's tend to flock together.
Carbon 2050 had developed a system whereby these bird diverters, which are usually deployed by helicopter, could quickly and efficiently be deployed using Drones.
Ely Aviation was commissioned by Carbon 2050 to put the finishing touches to the clamp release mechanism, test the aircraft (a Matrice 600 equipped with RTK GPS) and to optimise the operating procedures needed to ensure effective deployment of the solution.
Jonathan Say, Managing Director of Carbon 2050 said: "The team at Ely Aviation have been excellent both in terms of their service and technical resource. Whilst in Kosovo we deployed 7.5 KM of bird diverters in just 5 days. That's just shy of 1500 deployed more efficiently and far more eco-friendly than using standard methods."
Ian Titchener for Ely Aviation said: "This is just the type of job where all of our core skills come into play. Id like to say a big personal thank you to our Director of Photography and technical expert Harry Turner whose technical expertise and dedication made a lot of this work."
For more information on the Crocfast system contact Jonathan Say on 01954 488744, to reach the Ely Aviation team please call 01353 780766