Taking Innovation to New Heights
PinnaclX is a New England-based Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) engineering and inspection practice specializing in high-voltage utility infrastructure inspection. It designs, manufactures, and operates its own proprietary UAS platforms, including the Chameleon multirotor aircraft, which is purpose-built for flight in high electromagnetic fields near energized 115KV and 345KV transmission lines. PinnaclX provides aerial inspection services for transmission structures, distribution lines, substations, solar fields, and cell towers, delivering high-resolution imagery, thermal infrared data, and 3D mapping through its proprietary sMAP data management platform. It has held funded R&D contracts with the U.S. Army, Navy, and NASA, and its research group is led by Dr. Alfred Gates, a professor of aeronautics at Central Connecticut State University.
FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification · FAA Part 107 Night Operations Waiver
Dr. Alfred GatesResearch Group Lead
sUAS-based inspection of transmission structures, distribution lines, substations, and solar fields using professional field inspection, data organization, remote review, and final report delivery.
Aerial thermal imaging using specialized FLIR systems to inspect energized lines, substations, and solar fields for hot spots and equipment anomalies.
High-resolution 3D mapping and LiDAR system integration, using Velodyne and DJI Livox sensors to model vegetation encroachment and terrain contours.
FAA Part 107 waiver authorized nighttime sUAS flight operations utilizing custom lighting systems generating up to 52,000 lumens.
Rapid post-storm deployment of drone crews to patrol utility rights-of-way, locate structural failure, and identify severe hazards.
Design, engineering, and flight testing of custom unmanned aircraft platforms and systems under federal contracts and research programs.
Development of specialized sUAS platforms, including the Chameleon multirotor, engineered to fly in high-voltage electromagnetic fields, wind gusts, and extreme weather.
Development of modular autopilot systems, adaptive self-healing control systems, and self-directed emergency landing software.
Proprietary software application overlaying utility structure icons on interactive satellite maps to organize, store, and quickly retrieve over 1.2 million high-resolution images, videos, and reports.
Integration of artificial intelligence databases to automatically scan inspection photos for damaged hardware, woodpecker holes, and structural issues.
Electric Utilities · Power Transmission & Distribution · Solar · Defense · Federal · Telecommunications · Utilities
Connecticut · Power Transmission & Distribution · 2014 · Client: Internal R&D / Utility Partners
Design, testing, and deployment of the proprietary Chameleon quadcopter. The aircraft was engineered specifically to hover near energized 115KV and 345KV transmission lines and withstand intense electromagnetic fields, wind gusts, and extreme weather.
Defense · Client: U.S. Army, Navy, and NASA
Research, platform design, software development, and flight testing of advanced fixed-wing unmanned systems, exploring self-healing adaptive flight controllers and self-directed emergency landing systems.