The system aims to automate construction progress tracking, reduce personnel exposure to industrial hazards and provide regular updates to decision-makers.
Georgia-Pacific is testing an autonomous drone system at its Alabama River Cellulose mill to track construction progress on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
The company describes the trial as its first use of an autonomous drone for this type of work. Previously, image collection relied on an individual, with differences in routes, height and positioning introducing variability into the captures.
Georgia-Pacific began exploring an automated approach to reduce manual image collection and limit a pilot’s exposure to hazards within the industrial facility. The objective is to provide progress information to leaders and decision-makers while freeing up employees’ time.
The company reports conducting approximately 1,500 drone inspections across its operations, without specifying a timeframe in the video. Against a backdrop of increasingly constrained resources, it emphasizes that new technology must deliver value and justify its return on investment.
Alabama River Cellulose is a Georgia-Pacific pulp mill located in Perdue Hill, Alabama. Acquired in 2010, the facility produces bleached softwood kraft pulp, supplied as market pulp in bales and fluff pulp in rolls.
