Plowman Craven has launched Vogel Freedom, an Unmanned Aerial Automobile (UAV) based mostly survey system that brings a bunch of game-changing advantages for rail infrastructure surveying, together with effectivity, security and sustainability while sustaining Vogel’s class-leading Band 1 survey accuracy.
An business milestone, the launch marks the primary survey-grade answer that may survey tracks with out bodily entry. Primarily based on Plowman Craven’s distinctive IP, this accelerates the method of capturing information and changing it into shopper deliverables comparable to topographical surveys and, with 100% elimination of ‘boots on ballast’, gives superior flexibility for when surveying may be undertaken. In contrast with conventional strategies, Vogel Freedom is:
- 20% quicker, dramatically chopping the everyday labour and time intensive track-based duties such because the set up of floor management factors. Because of this mobilisation instances are actually quicker than ever, down from weeks to days, and the programme’s pace of supply enhances the shopper journey, delivering invaluable information faster;
- 30% cheaper, lowering the necessity for in depth hours of labor for security crucial employees, permitting work to happen throughout daytime (versus midweek nights and weekend possessions) and lowering the general time spent on website. This ends in main financial savings throughout undertaking lifecycles;
- 85% decrease carbon, as a consequence of a vastly decrease variety of employees wanted on website. In flip, much less website time means fewer shifts required throughout initiatives and decreased journey (and related emissions) to and from websites. That is aligned with the decarbonisation targets for the UK’s rail networks and wider internet zero ambitions within the UK.
Vogel Freedom permits complete surveying of even the busiest and most inaccessible areas from a working peak of 35 metres, without having for manned plane or on-track survey groups. Fast aerial information seize harnesses the development of the most recent drone, survey grade sensor and geospatial expertise to take care of the top quality of information required for any undertaking dimension. The system makes use of a state-of-the-art UAV platform and 100-megapixel digicam to seize overlapping aerial photos of a complete website, together with post-processed kinematic GNSS (International Navigation Satellite tv for pc System) observations and exact inertial measurement info. The platform may be operated off-track throughout site visitors hours, eradicating the necessity for possessions and line blocks and drastically lowering the publicity of employees to danger. Workers who would often be on-site have now been moved from a high-risk and time-critical setting to desktop-based actions, thereby retaining their experience.
This revolutionary new product is the subsequent era of the corporate’s Vogel R3D system, constructing on its capabilities with extra compelling options. The up to date platform can now precisely decide its location with out as many floor management factors, in order that floor management may be off-track and even exterior Community Rail’s boundaries. Since 2019, Plowman Craven has been one in all solely 4 permitted suppliers on a framework settlement with Community Rail for the supply of UAV providers. Community Rail manages over 32,000 km of monitor, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and lots of 1000’s of stations, alerts and degree crossings. By offering entry to extra correct and up-to-date information, Vogel Freedom boosts the administration of belongings and helps to de-risk the community, in addition to supporting Community Rail’s objectives to decrease the variety of “boots on ballast”. The system is totally permitted based on Community Rail Band 1 and three requirements and feeds into the Division for Transport’s railway plan in England and Wales for the interval to March 2029, often known as Management Interval 7 (CP7), which highlights the necessity for reform and the crucial position of rail infrastructure in assembly passengers’ expectations and driving financial progress.
“Having labored in surveying and rail for over 25 years, I’ve by no means been capable of conduct a survey fully off-track till now. We developed Vogel Freedom in response to ever-increasing business challenges and desires. It removes earlier limitations to surveying and may add substantial worth, notably within the present financial local weather, the place cost-effective options have by no means been extra vital, all whereas enhancing employees’ security and making certain a secure and environment friendly rail service for patrons. Since turning into the UK’s first adopter of survey-grade UAV, Plowman Craven has continued to put money into the evolution of cutting-edge applied sciences and, with Vogel Freedom, we enter the subsequent era, offering the identical high-quality information quicker, cheaper, extra sustainably and with no monitor entry. As ever, we seek the advice of with our shoppers to make sure deployment of the correct answer on the proper time and, as the necessity for surveys will increase, we will additionally scale up our skill to supply information to shoppers for CP7.”
Steve Jones, Head of New Enterprise, Plowman Craven.
“We utilised Plowman Craven’s Vogel Freedom to undertake UAV surveys on a undertaking, referred to as Victoria Section 3, initially for survey and sighting location areas and entry factors. We discovered that the info may very well be additionally used along side software program for Scheme Plans. The info proved invaluable for the Location Areas sighting types and saved ‘boots on ballast’ time as among the work was capable of be accomplished through desktop.”
Tony Roffey, Senior Venture Supervisor, Siemens Mobility Restricted.
