SOLIDWORKS Entrepreneur: SkyX Advances Aerial Surveillance on Oil and Gas Pipelines and More

SkyX takes data acquisition to the next level with its SkyOne drone. SkyOne uses a long-range aerial solution for infrastructure monitoring. This could include anything from oil and gas pipelines to hydroelectric lines or even railroads.

SkyOne’s VTOL ability means it can take off and land from virtually any location without a runway, pneumatic launcher, net, or other infrastructure. The SkyX System’s ability to transition to forward, fixed-wing flight gives SkyOne vast efficiency gains over other quadcopter-style drones and far greater range on a single mission. A distinguished feature is its ability to recharge remotely, even in hostile environments, via the xStation – which gives them truly long-range capabilities. The features comes together to form a strong integrated solution for the best long-range infrastructure monitoring system.

I had a chance to speak with communications lead Scott Simmie, and one of the structural designers, David Platt, about their experiences with SOLIDWORKS. Scott explained why SkyX chose the software: “When we founded the company, we knew we needed SOLIDWORKS, because it was the ideal tool for the job. We contacted the company to find out the best way to obtain a license, and wound up being introduced to this program.”

Adds David: “Working at SkyX is awesome. It’s an extremely dynamic and dedicated team which believes in the product. I’ve loved my time here and have learnt far more than I thought I would, both in my field as well as in other parts of the company. We also have a lot of fun.”

SkyX has plans to develop other acquisition platforms beyond UAVs.

Thank you to Scott Simmie, David Platt and SkyX for being SOLIDWORKS Entrepreneurs and sharing with our community.