Tag Archives: Inkonova

Skeye is not the limit for Terra Drone as it continues globalisation drive

Automation, Base metals, Coal technology, Communications in mining, Energy minerals, Environmental, Gem stone mining, High tech minerals, Industrial minerals, IoT, Mine surveying, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Terra Drone has continued its acquisition drive with the purchase of a majority stake in leading European drone service provider Skeye.

With this acquisition, Terra Drone has become one of the largest drone service companies with more than 250 employees and a presence in all continents. As part of the acquisition, Skeye will become the European headquarters of Terra Drone.

This is Terra Drone’s second acquisition in a matter of months. Back in October, it invested in Inkonova AB, a Swedish startup developing aerial robotics for underground mining and, earlier this month, it opened a branch in South Africa.

Terra Drone serves its clients with safer, better and more efficient surveys and inspections by using and developing cutting-edge technologies in the fields of unmanned aerial vehicles, better known as drones, the company says. It has 10 subsidiaries in Japan, APAC, EU, Africa, North America, and South America and focuses on mining, construction, energy utilities, and oil and gas applications.

Skeye, meanwhile, is an aerial survey and inspection company with a focus on drones in the oil and gas market. It has headquarters in the Netherlands and offices in the UK and Belgium.

Toru Tokushige, CEO of Terra Drone, said the company had discussions with many drone operators in Europe but were especially impressed with the track record and professionalism of Skeye.

“Skeye has an excellent track record and vast professional experience in the on- and offshore oil and gas market, in both inspections and 3D surveys using drones. We consider Skeye to be the best partner to bring our technologies to the European and African market.”

Pieter Franken, managing director of Skeye, said: “Terra Drone will bring a wealth of new technologies and a global network that we can use to better serve our international clients. This will ensure we can keep on providing our customers with the most cutting-edge technologies, now and in the future.

“The TerraUTM operating platform, 4G capabilities for guiding drones over large distances, in-house developed Terra-LiDAR, smart learning inspection software, and their proprietary mapping software, Terra-Mapper, are but a few of examples of technologies that this partnership will bring.”

Japan’s Terra Drone invests in underground aerial robotics startup Inkonova

Automation, Base metals, Coal technology, Energy minerals, IoT, Mine surveying, Mining safety, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Terra Drone, a leading global commercial drone technology company, has acquired a significant stake in Inkonova AB, a Swedish startup developing aerial robotics for underground mining.

The deal, comprised of a cash injection, will see changes to the management team, as well as technical, business development, and operational collaborations, Inkonova said.

Terra Drone’s UAV inspection, survey, and other service provisions cover various industries globally including mining, which just happens to be Inkonova’s main market.

Ahmed AlNomany, Inkonova AB Co-Founder and CEO, said: “Terra Drone’s global network of clients, post-processing domain, service-based business model, customer experience, technical personnel, and human and financial resources, will help us dramatically ramp up our business development and commercial-readiness efforts, taking our technology to the next level.”

Under the deal, Inkonova will supply Terra Drone with its UAV core technology, including anti-dust and waterproof platforms (as in the TILT Ranger, pictured) and infrastructure-denied autonomous navigation (as in the Batonomous technology), while Terra Drone – apart from providing finance – will employ its global clients, local offices, pilots, post-processing capacity, and broader commercial and technical domain expertise.

Toru Tokushige, Founder and CEO of Terra Motors Corp and Terra Drone Corp, who will be appointed as an Inkonova board member, said the company had been looking to partner with other companies in the mining field in order to expand.

“Underground mining still has huge issues. According to the statistics from The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the number of lost-time injuries in 2015 was 4,517 in America, and those of other developing counties were incomparably high.

“So, I hope the cooperation between Terra Drone, with its broad network and innovative technologies, and Inkonova, the eminent company for mining drone services, contributes to the rapid and further technical improvements for underground safety and productivity.”

In line with the partnership, Inkonova’s products will undergo rebranding to streamline with Terra Drone products, details of which will be announced later this month.

Inkonova’s products include aerial platforms, and aerial autonomous navigation/mapping solutions customised to the constraints of underground mines, and subterranean or constricted industrial spaces.

Earlier this year, Inkonova demoed the Batonomous navigation system for its TILT Ranger and TILT Scout underground drones in Gällivare with LKAB. It has since also worked with Barrick Gold on the Golden Sunlight mine in Nevada.