“The Manager of Transmission said, ‘This is a tool – a sensor called the Ohmstik. It measures electric resistance on power lines, and it’s a big pain in the butt to use on live power lines from a helicopter or a truck. So we want to find a way to do it with the drone.'”
This Week’s Key Question
“Can a Drone Become a Lineman’s Best Friend?”
This Week’s Guests
Michael Beiro is founder and CEO of Linebird, a Richmond, VA startup created in 2018 with a mission to make live-line work safer and more accessible with the power of unmanned systems. Linebird developed a patent-pending method for taking contact measurements of live transmission infrastructure using drones carrying modified linemen tools. Their solution drastically improves the safety and cost factors of utility inspection and maintenance, allowing existing manned utility crews to focus on higher value and lower risk operations. Michael holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He’s been working on Linebird for over 3 years and is a proud member of Richmond, VA’s startup ecosystem. As CEO, Michael leads research, development, and commercialization along with fundraising, IP strategy, and customer discovery efforts.
What We Learn
Michael talks about Linebird, its innovative method for using drones to measure live wire electric currents, and how the technology can dramatically improve safety and ROI.
Mentioned Links
- Linebird (www.linebird.com)
