Utilities & ROW
MIR inspects transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure and maps rights-of-way — structures, conductors, hardware, and vegetation — combining high-resolution imagery with LiDAR to support reliability, clearance compliance, and vegetation management.
Purpose-Built Data for Utilities & ROW
Utility networks stretch across miles of varied, hard-to-reach terrain. MIR pairs high-resolution structure inspection with LiDAR corridor mapping to document poles, towers, insulators, arrestors, and conductor hardware; capture LiDAR data that supports conductor sag, ground clearance, and vegetation-encroachment analysis; and record existing and post-event conditions. Structure and thermal findings are boxed, classified, and severity-graded in Scopito and geolocated along the corridor, so reliability, vegetation-management, and engineering teams get the defect detail and clearance analytics they need to plan work, prioritize trimming, and support NERC and storm-response documentation.
From Flight Plan to Field Crew
Every utilities & row project runs the same repeatable pipeline: missions are planned in UgCS, flown autonomously by AMC (Auterion Mission Control) on American-made Freefly Astro aircraft, then offloaded to the right software — Pix4Dmatic for mapping and photogrammetry, Scopito for inspection findings, and Freefly Flow for in-field LiDAR point clouds.
- Step 01
Mission Planning
Circuits are programmed in UgCS with the corridor tool and terrain-aware paths at a fixed Ground Sampling Distance, structuring linear collection across structures and spans.
- Step 02
Field Capture
The UgCS mission is transferred by USB to the Herelink controller and uploaded to AMC (Auterion Mission Control), which flies the corridor autonomously on American-made Freefly Astro aircraft. The Sony LR1 payload captures 61MP RGB with clip-on radiometric thermal and laser-rangefinder modules; the Flux O1 LiDAR flies as a separate payload pass. Freefly Flow post-processes the LiDAR on-site to a rough point cloud in minutes to confirm corridor and clearance coverage before demobilizing.
- Step 03
Processing & Reporting
RGB imagery is processed into corridor orthomosaics and models in Pix4Dmatic, LiDAR point clouds are cleaned and analyzed for conductor clearance and vegetation encroachment in point-cloud software, and structure imagery is annotated and severity-graded in Scopito — producing defect registers, corridor maps, and vegetation reports.
Services MIR Provides
T&D Structure & Component Inspection
61MP full-frame imagery of poles, towers, insulators, arrestors, and conductor hardware — resolving fine cracks and corrosion, then severity-graded for condition review.
LiDAR Corridor Mapping
LiDAR acquisition for conductor sag, ground clearance, terrain, and encroachment analysis along the right-of-way.
Vegetation Management Documentation
Encroachment and corridor documentation to support trim planning, prioritization, and compliance.
Radiometric Thermal Inspection
Thermal capture to identify heat anomalies at connections, splices, and components.
Laser Rangefinder Measurement
On-board laser rangefinder for precise point-to-point distances — conductor-to-ground clearance, mid-span sag, and vegetation encroachment gaps measured directly from the air.
Existing-Condition & Storm Response
Rapid, repeatable documentation for baselines, damage assessment, and restoration support.
The Equipment We Bring To Your Site
Each project is scoped to the required collection method. RGB, radiometric thermal, and LiDAR are deployed in purpose-built acquisition passes based on the required deliverables — RTK-referenced so your data comes back well-documented and ready to use.
Freefly Astro
Blue UAS aircraft
Sony 61MP RGB
High-resolution imagery
Radiometric Thermal
Calibrated heat mapping
Laser Rangefinder
Direct distance & clearance
Freefly Flux O1
LiDAR acquisition
RTK Positioning
InCORS NTRIP · WGS 84
Every defect, located on the corridor
One corridor flight, one file. Structure findings severity-graded, LiDAR clearance measured, and encroachment mapped along the ROW.
61MP structure imaging
Poles, towers, insulators, and hardware captured on a 61MP full-frame sensor — resolving cracks, corrosion, and hardware wear, then severity-graded for condition review.
LiDAR clearance & vegetation
Conductor sag, ground clearance, and terrain derived from point clouds to support engineering review — with corridor encroachment flagged to prioritize trim planning.
Thermal anomalies
Radiometric thermal locates heat anomalies at connections, splices, and components before they fail.
Report Sample
Inside a Scopito Power-Line Report
ThermalThermal · Substation Scan
Substation transformer bank — hot bushings flagged
- Avg
- 34.51°
- Max
- 71.90°
- Δ Delta
- 53.24°
ThermalThermal · Tower Structure
Tower steel & suspension insulator — thermal scan
- Avg
- 28.74°
- Max
- 46.11°
- Δ Delta
- 34.68°
ThermalThermal · Insulator Strings
Twin suspension insulator strings — thermal scan
- Avg
- 31.62°
- Max
- 49.87°
- Δ Delta
- 38.05°
Sev 5 · WireWire · Lightning Strike
Lightning-strike conductor damage — frayed strands
Sev 5 · RGBRGB · Conductor Damage
Burned arrestor lead — repair remedy action
Sev 1 · RGBRGB · Potential Hazard
Clearance issues flagged as a potential hazard
Want a sample report for your fleet?
Blue UAS-aligned · American-made platform · mobile field deployment
Explore Other Industries MIR Serves
Wind Energy
Blade, tower, and nacelle inspection data that pinpoints leading-edge erosion and serial defects without prolonged downtime.
Telecom
Cell-site audits, structural documentation, and measurable digital twins that support colocation and close-out.
Solar & Renewables
Aerial thermography that locates hot spots, diode failures, and string outages down to the module.
Mining & Aggregates
RTK-referenced stockpile volumetrics, pit-progression models, and highwall documentation — captured with high-accuracy photogrammetry and LiDAR, without entering hazardous zones.
Rail & Transportation
RGB corridor mapping and LiDAR data along rail corridors — reducing time spent on or near live track.
Civil Engineering & Survey Support
RTK-enabled aerial LiDAR and 61MP RGB collection — orthomosaics, point clouds, terrain surfaces, and construction documentation for survey teams, civil engineers, developers, and contractors.
Start With the Project Objective
Have a Utilities & ROW Project?
Tell us what needs to be inspected, mapped, measured, or documented. We'll help determine the right collection method, payload, mission structure, and deliverables.