Mobiles airborne sensors for maintaining electrical infrastructure
In the heart of Munich, a startup named Nomadic Drones is revolutionizing the power grid industry with its innovative approach to monitoring and data collection. Founded by Lauritz Weil and Andreas Moldskred in 2023, the company develops autonomous drones that station directly on power lines as flying sensor platforms, providing a continuous stream of live data to increase power grid transparency without the need for additional infrastructure.
The duo met during a study abroad year at UC Berkeley, where they shared a passion for robotics, energy, and autonomous systems. After conducting initial development, filing patents, and founding the US company, they completed a pre-seed funding round and moved their team to Munich. The city's strategic location, with direct flights to the whole world, has enabled Nomadic Drones to build an international team and address the American market.
The power grid, while often overlooked, is a complex and critical system. With the energy transition, increasing volatility in the grid, and growing risks from extreme weather or attacks on critical infrastructure, the importance of robust sensors and intelligent systems has never been greater. Nomadic Drones aims to address this need by providing a solution that is both innovative and practical.
Unlike classic inspection drones, Nomadic Drones' drones remain in operation continuously due to a self-developed charging system that enables charging directly on the line. This unique feature allows the drones to operate fully autonomously, a novel approach beyond traditional inspection drones.
Before starting technical development, the team conducted over 100 conversations with network operators, linemen, authorities, and other startups to gather feedback. The feedback was clear: if Nomadic Drones could really pull off their idea, they would be needed.
Europe, particularly Germany and Norway, has been easier in terms of regulation for Nomadic Drones, especially in the area of drones. Collaboration with power grid operators in these regions has been very pragmatic and uncomplicated.
Looking ahead, Nomadic Drones envisions its system as a fixed part of the infrastructure in five years, with a network of autonomous drone platforms regularly flying critical networks and preventing failures, damage, and forest fires. The company's goal is to scale into the US market with its combination of German engineering and product development, and start initial test flights in California soon.
In one year, Nomadic Drones aims to have successfully completed several pilot projects with autonomous flights, stable data collection, and relief for network operators. The company's solution brings real sensor technology to the field without building new infrastructure, as the drone docks directly onto the lines, flies predefined routes, delivers continuously usable data, and charges itself in the process.
Lauritz Weil, co-founder of Nomadic Drones, finds Munich to be an excellent location for the startup due to access to talent, strong industry partners, a deep tech ecosystem, and cost-effectiveness compared to the Bay Area. He describes Nomadic Drones as somewhere between a hidden champion and a shooting star, as the power grid may not be on everyone's radar, but it is one of the most complex and reliable systems out there.
As Nomadic Drones continues to develop and refine its technology, it promises to revolutionize the power grid industry, providing a more transparent, efficient, and resilient power grid for the future.
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