Italy, November 20, 2014: A drone aimed at detecting asbestos in the environment was presented last Sunday in Rome, by the Italian National Research Council (CNR), along with UAV manufactures Aermatica.
The initiative is promoted by the Counsellor for the Environment of Rome, together with Aci Consult, a company that is specialised in advanced services for traffic and the environment, and the Italian Association of the Exposed to Asbestos (Associazione Italiana Esposti all’Amianto – AIEA).
A hyperspectral sensor and a compact camera were integrated into the drone. During the flight the hyperspectral sensor detects the frequencies issued by the surface, identifies asbestos and establishes priorities for the removal. Aci Consult organises the overflight and mapping. The areas for mapping are determined by the city Council. Aermatica collects all the data acquired by the drone and delivers it to CNR, which then analyses the data and draws up the final report.
The drone is expected to start operations in Rome in the spring of 2015.
Source: Aermatica
