Petrosea, an Indonesian company that has been in the mining industry for over 52 years, specializes in pit-to-port mining services. Petrosea originally contacted Arcsky back in late 2022, and was looking for a heavy lift drone solution to carry their YellowScan VX-15 LiDAR sensor, for a variety of different applications, including volumetric calculations and monitoring of mining sites.
With prior experience in UAV applications, Petrosea knew the type of system they were looking for, and it had to meet the following criteria:
Robust and reliable
Long flight time (more than 40 minutes)
Ease of maintenance
Access to support and customer service
Easy compatibility with the YellowScan VX-15 LiDAR system
Flexibility in supported payloads
Since Arcsky is a partner of YellowScan LiDAR, the process went quickly and smoothly. The VX-15 mounts easily to the M600 mounting bracket, which fits perfectly on the universal 12mm rail system of the X55. The antenna mount for the LiDAR sits atop the Battery Module or the Hybrid Module, providing unobstructed GPS reception.
For the power source of this system, Petrosea originally started out with the Battery Module option, and joined a growing list of our clients who are using the newer semi-solid state battery options that we have available. They opted to use a pair of 27Ah semi-solid state batteries, which offer flight times of more than 40 minutes for the YellowScan VX-15 package they are using, even in a hot and humid environment. Typical flight times for this setup can be seen in the table below.
As their mapping and flight time needs increased over time, Petrosea eventually decided to upgrade their power source for the X55 to the Hybrid Module.
“The flexibility to choose between using the Hybrid Module or the Battery Module allows adjustment according to different mission profiles.”
The Hybrid Module allows them to operate with extended flight time and ensures continuous operation without having to recharge the flight batteries in remote locations. This is an excellent example of the versatility of the X55 system, allowing different power sources to be used with the same base aircraft.
“The hybrid module is more efficient, and engine maintenance is easier due to fuel injection technology.”
Compared to some of the other carbureted systems in the market, the Hybrid Module provides an easier workflow that avoids having to tune the engine.
The compact design of the X55 when folded and packed, in addition to the rugged Mil-Standard travel case, make transportation easy.
“Its ease of use and compact size facilitate mobilization. The system requires minimal storage space and allows for easy transport.”
Overall, the X55 met Petrosea's requirements for this application and the system has been successfully deployed at different mining sites in the Kalimantan region, where it’s used for routine scans and volumetric analysis. As of May 2024, the system has done approximately 48 hours of flight time, which equates to a distance of about 1200km.
We look forward to highlighting more use cases like this, which demonstrate how the robustness and versatility of the X55 contribute to successful missions across the globe.