Common Ground Alliance 2022, CGA Industry Recognition

Following extensive R&D efforts supported by major utility and energy companies and leading research laboratories, Skipper NDT has developed an innovative UAV-based technology for the high-precision mapping of buried metallic pipelines. The solution leverages magnetic field physics combined with a powerful suite of patented algorithms to determine the three-dimensional position and depth of underground pipelines with inch-level accuracy.

The system is composed of UAV-agnostic hardware and advanced data-processing software capable of filtering magnetic noise, automatically acquiring and interpreting magnetic signals, and delivering precise geolocation of buried infrastructure. By analyzing multiple components of the magnetic spectrum along the pipeline right-of-way, the technology provides reliable results even in complex environments where traditional ground-based inspection is difficult or impossible, such as rivers, steep slopes, rocky terrain, and mountainous regions.

Field applications have demonstrated the system’s ability to detect abandoned facilities, identify compromised pipeline structures, and assess pipeline out-of-straightness following geohazard events. The technology has been extensively validated by major pipeline operators across a wide range of configurations, including pipeline diameters from 3 to 47 inches, various soil types, multiple products (water, oil, gas), and complex geometries involving bends and elbows.