SkipperDrone by Skipper NDT, Cap digital

Skipper NDT is developing a new generation of predictive maintenance services dedicated to energy infrastructures, addressing inspection challenges where traditional technologies reach their limits. At the core of this innovation lies SkipperDrone, an aerial inspection system designed to ensure the integrity of gas and oil pipelines through non-contact magnetic sensing, a method that is entirely safe for both humans and installations.

By combining high-precision magnetic sensors, embedded electronic systems, and advanced signal-processing algorithms, SkipperDrone enables accurate detection of pipeline anomalies without physical contact. This approach overcomes the constraints of existing inspection tools, which often require ground-based equipment manually guided along pipelines, resulting in slow operations and limited access to complex or obstructed terrains.

Today, more than 1.5 million kilometers of gas and oil pipelines worldwide cannot be inspected satisfactorily due to operational constraints, difficult geometries, or environmental obstacles. SkipperDrone offers a scalable alternative by taking inspection to the air, allowing large areas to be covered rapidly while maintaining a high level of measurement stability and data accuracy through automated correction algorithms.

By removing the dependency on ground conditions and manual intervention, Skipper NDT’s solution significantly improves inspection efficiency, enhances safety for operators, and reduces both environmental and financial risks. Recognized by Cap Digital as part of its innovation spotlight, SkipperDrone illustrates how aerial robotics and advanced sensing technologies can reshape the future of industrial inspection and predictive maintenance.