Nokia Drone Networks: Fully Automated Drone-In-A-Box Solution for Industrial Operations

Nokia Drone Networks (NDN) is a state-of-the-art fully automated drone-in-a-box solution designed to elevate and digitalize a wide variety of industrial and public safety use cases. Powered by cutting-edge cellular connectivity, this versatile BVLOS-capable solution offers real-time data collection and transmission with high bandwidth and ultra-low latency.

A unique turnkey solution for reliable data collection

Nokia Drone Networks is a standalone and network-agnostic solution utilizing European-made multirotor drones, automated docking stations, and 4G/LTE and 5G connectivity.

The industrial-grade Nokia drones are equipped with a dual EO/IR gimbal with thermal and HD visual cameras for comprehensive and high-quality data collection and surveillance, any time of day or night. A built-in automatic parachute deployment system ensures the utmost in safety when flying over people or in urban areas, and also helps protect the UAV and its payload from damage in case of an incident.

The automated docking stations allow the drones to take off, complete their mission, return home and recharge without any human intervention, making operations extremely efficient and cost-effective. They are ideal for deployment in remote areas, and can withstand harsh environmental conditions.

The scalable solution allows a fleet of drones to be commanded remotely from a single operations center. All payload data is streamed securely in real time over public or private networks and collected at our edge cloud platform, offering full data governance and easy access for further processing.

Fully-certified and BVLOS-ready

Unlike Wi-Fi or traditional radio links, 5G allows connected drones to potentially operate as far as network connectivity extends, providing true BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) capability. This allows the Nokia Drone Networks solution to cover greater areas and distances in a single flight and makes it especially suited for hazardous and hard-to-reach areas.

Nokia drones are equipped with dual modems to ensure critical redundancy, and can support up to four network connections. The system is both CE- and FCC-certified, and can be operated under EASA regulations under the SAIL II or SAIL III categories, depending on the mission.

Versatile purchase and Drone-as-a-Service options

Made in Finland, Nokia Drone Networks offers a complete solution from a single vendor with an extremely robust supply chain, including all hardware, software and service components. It can be purchased outright,  or leased for a limited period or even for a single flight, allowing you to take advantage of Nokia’s unique drone-in-a-box capabilities without significant capital expenditure.

Thanks to our open APIs, Nokia Drone Networks can be easily integrated with your existing software, systems and data analytics tools, allowing full automation to suit your specific operational requirements.

Watch the video below for a demonstration, conducted in conjunction with Deutsche Telecom, that highlights how network APIs can be used to optimize connectivity and tailor the Nokia Drone Networks solution to unique use cases.

Applications

First Responders & Public Safety

Nokia Drone Networks is ideal for supporting law enforcement, emergency response, search and rescue and other public safety and first responder services, providing a critical aerial ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capability that enables enhanced situational awareness and more effective decision-making. Applications include:

• Forward intelligence gathering for police officers ahead of arrival at the scene
• Location of missing persons with the help of thermal cameras
• Border and perimeter surveillance
• Hotspot location and monitoring for urban and forest fires

70 remotely-managed Nokia Drone Networks units are currently being deployed in Belgium to provide 24/7 support for police and fire brigades, improving situational awareness in the critical first minutes following an emergency call and allowing teams to prepare more effective responses.

Industrial Inspection & Monitoring

Nokia’s BVLOS drones can be used to enhance efficiency for a wide range of utilities and critical infrastructure inspections. Power lines, solar farms, refineries and wind turbines can all be remotely inspected from a safe distance without the need to shut down operations or put personnel at risk.

Oil & Gas

The Nokia Drone Networks solution is highly suited to the needs of both onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities, enabling remote inspection and surveillance without the need for expensive equipment or support vessels. Use cases include:

• Inspecting hard-to-reach areas such as cranes and derricks for potential damage, spotting minor problems before they become more serious
• Security patrolling and surveillance for gas refineries
• Gas and leakage detection for pipelines
• Inspection of remote offshore platforms such as oil rigs
• Oil spill detection

Mining

With long-range capabilities and secure connectivity, Nokia drones are ideal for supporting mining and quarrying operations, enabling efficient surveying and inspection as well as 24/7 automated monitoring and security over large areas.

The drones can also be fitted with LiDAR scanning payloads, enabling detailed 3D point cloud gathering for pit modelling as well as volumetric measurement such as accurate stockpile calculations.