A V-TOL Aerospace RPAS Team operating a V-TOL Rota-Fix Hornet successfully completed its first of two contracts with Ausgrid.  The team installed Balmoral Engineering Rotamarkas along a 1km pole to pole 11kV feeder at Lake St Clair, NSW. As indicated in the attached photo, these relatively thin conductors are very difficult to see from any angle.

Utilising the colour, size, and movement of the Rotamarkas, the conductors can now be seen from above and below out to 100s of meters. The key beneficiary of this work are the members of the local para- and hang-gliding club that operate above and around these conductors, along with a family of inquisitive Wedge-Tailed Eagles. Visually marking this span has significantly increased human & avian safety at this location. Well done to Ausgrid for delivering on this necessary initiative.

As part of V-TOL’s QA and pre-commercial rollout program, V-TOL Engineer, Joe McGee, accompanied by EQL Linesman & Ergon Chief Remote Pilot, John Mordacz, inspected the Logan River Rotamarka installations conducted by V-TOL using the Rota-Fix aircraft for the SES in early September 2022. After 6 months of typical South-East Queensland summer weather, including some severe storms, both organizations are happy to report that none of the installed Rotamarkas have moved.

Attached to Balmoral Engineering's manufacturer specification, it is expected that these markers will remain in position for many years to come providing visual warnings, as intended, for anyone navigating the Logan River at night during high flood. To ensure this safety strategy remains effective, the SES and Energex QLD staff will inspect the Marker installations annually. This will be updated in the serviceability status of the markers on the V-TOL Digital Twin Energy IoT platform. At V-TOL it is: “Safety and Accountability First!”

V-TOL Rota-Fix® is a first-in-class robotic platform for the Energy Industry. Rota-Fix® allows for Rotamarka® & Rotaflag® hazard markers & My Digi-Twin smart devices to be installed directly on to live powerlines without the risk of death or power supply interruptions to the energy network. It also generates only a fraction of the CO2 emissions of its traditional helicopter competitors to complete the job.

The use of a robotic Rota-Fix® platform allows for previously unfeasible projects due to cost, difficult or dangerous site access, to be completed quickly & safely. This industry & field-tested V-TOL Rota-Fix® platform has been designed & developed over several years in collaboration with Australia’s largest network regulator, Energy Queensland.

The launch of V-TOL’s Digital Twin Energy (www.digitaltwin.energy) and Rota-Fix drone at IEEE PES 2022, New Orleans, hosted by the SICAME Group, was a timely and an amazing work & social experience. It was pleasing to see so much positivity going forward & discuss the emerging global opportunities in this critical sector. Congratulations to the team at SICAME for an impressive trade show outcome & to Balmoral Engineering for making this opportunity possible. V-TOL looks forward to delivering its unique technologies & services wherever the group may go. 

The Global Launch of Digital Twin Energy (www.digitaltwin.energy) by V-TOL Aerospace, will occur at IEEE PSE 2022 on 26 Apr in New Orleans, USA. V-TOL is honoured to be invited by partner company SICAME USA who will host this significant occasion.