The 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, the deadliest in the state’s history, was caused by a worn hook on a transmission tower—a faulty part that might have been caught had there been more frequent inspections. To prevent similar occurrences, the robotics manufacturer Percepto developed AIM, a software program that uses drones and robots to inspect and monitor infrastructure like power lines, industrial sites, power plants, refineries, and mines more efficiently and safely—and importantly, more frequently. The software automates a fleet of drones and robots on a routine, then takes the data and makes sense of it. “With better foresight, we might be able to prevent these environmental tragedies that seem to be happening on a monthly basis,” says Percepto CEO Dor Abuhasira. —Jesse Will
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