sees.ai has been awarded Uncrewed Aircraft System Conditional Approval by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), placing the company among the first organisations to be cleared through this route and paving the way for the deployment of its centrally controlled, autonomous drone technology across the United States for close-range inspection of high-voltage electricity infrastructure.
The sees.ai platform has been developed and is operated as a fully integrated, end-to-end system, covering everything from the aircraft itself through to the management of data, and has been built specifically for deployment in critical national infrastructure environments where consistent, engineering-grade inspection data is essential.
This latest approval follows sees.ai’s application under the FCC’s Conditional Approval pathway, a route that was introduced in response to tightened controls introduced by U.S. government departments on drone supply chains, which placed restrictions on platforms originating from outside the United States operating within critical infrastructure settings. The pathway offers a means by which systems that are able to demonstrate the necessary levels of security, integrity and supply chain assurance can gain authorisation to operate in the U.S. market.
With Conditional Approval from the FCC now secured, sees.ai is positioned to deploy its centrally controlled, autonomous drones across the United States in support of close-quarter inspection of high-voltage electricity infrastructure, furnishing utilities with the data they require for assessing the condition of assets and planning the long-term development of their networks.
John McKenna, CEO of sees.ai, said: “This FCC conditional approval is an important step in providing U.S. grid operators with the reliable, engineering-grade inspection data they need, captured at scale. Regulatory alignment is now a defining factor in the widespread adoption of drone technology in the U.S., and we are ready to meet that demand.”
The electricity grid across the United States is under growing strain, driven by the combined pressures of ageing infrastructure, surging demand linked to the expansion of artificial intelligence, the decarbonisation of transport and heating systems, unpredictable power generation from renewable sources, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. In response, utility companies are placing ever greater importance on obtaining reliable insight into the condition of their assets and on working with technology providers that can demonstrate security and regulatory compliance.
Having secured FCC Conditional Approval, sees.ai is now well placed to engage directly with transmission and distribution operators across the U.S. as they look to modernise how they carry out inspections and build greater resilience into their networks.
