The use of pilotless drones at EDF’S hydraulic works

More often used in the military field, pilotless drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have extended their use to the civilian world, in particular in the civil engineering field. For example, they can be useful in replace human beings in remote or dangerous locations. Electricité de France (EDF) has been launching several experiments for hydraulic works over the past few years, which are described in this article, in particular, the current and future use of pilotless drones. Like underwater robots (ROV, remote operating vehicles) now used for almost every dam survey, EDF aims at surveying dams or canals more and more often using UAVs.