Percepto launches Axion, AI that reads inspection data from any drone

Axion is a subscription service. The industry calls that software as a service, or SaaS: you log in and use it, and you do not buy a box.

It takes in pictures and readings from supported third-party drones, fixed and mobile sensors, and old inspection archives. Then it sorts everything by asset, such as a tower, a pole or a tank. Percepto calls it a "hardware-agnostic" platform, which just means it does not care who made the device that collected the data.

Percepto says Axion runs more than 160 AI models. They were trained on more than 100,000 hours of autonomous inspection data collected over more than a decade.

The AI judges equipment in context, not just in a single photo. Percepto gives two examples:

• A downed wire: Axion spots it by where the wire sits compared with the parts around it.
• A thermal anomaly: a hot spot on a thermal image (a picture that shows heat) is checked against how that asset normally behaves and what the weather is doing.

Percepto says each finding comes with its inspection history and expert validation, so a team can see why something was flagged. DroneXL adds that the models work on regular photos, thermal data, gas-imaging video and stitched maps of a site.

In real life A hot spot on a power line can be harmless on a sunny afternoon and a real problem on a cool morning. Axion is meant to know the difference, so a crew only gets sent when it matters.

Yes. Axion has a plain-language assistant, a chat box where a worker types a question and gets an answer drawn from the platform's data.

The Robot Report says Percepto uses a large language model for this. That is the same kind of AI that powers chatbots. Percepto's examples are questions like what the last inspection found on a structure, or what else is open at a site.

DroneXL describes a demo where a utility worker about to send a lineman to a pole asks what else is wrong with it. Axion answers that it found a worn crossarm on June 3 and that a crew trimmed a nearby tree two months ago.

Percepto's new CEO, Julien Bellanger, wrote that the hard part has moved. Collecting data used to be the problem. Now most operators already fly drones, run sensors and hire inspection contractors.

He says the bottleneck is review: someone has to look through thousands of images, match them to the right asset and decide what needs a crew. With fewer experienced reviewers, he argues, that problem grows every year.

The big picture: until now, Percepto's growth depended on how many of its own drones and stations it could put in the field. Selling Axion to anyone with inspection data removes that limit. Bellanger says each new data source also gives the models more of the real world to learn from.

Percepto has done something similar before. DroneXL notes that its older AIM software accepted footage from DJI drones and fixed cameras back in 2021. This time, the software is the main product.

They stay. Percepto says it will keep selling and supporting its Ranger drones and Harbor stations. A Harbor is a docking station where a drone sits, charges and takes off by itself, often called a drone-in-a-box.

The plan is to let operators start with the data they already have, then add Percepto hardware and managed remote operations where they need more frequent coverage. The hardware, in Bellanger's words, is "one of several ways into the platform."

Percepto is also consolidating engineering, manufacturing and assembly in the United States. It ties that move to what it calls "American Drone Dominance," a phrase from the US administration's drone push, DroneXL reports.

Julien Bellanger has taken over as CEO. He is joined by a new chief revenue officer, Kurt Nantkes, and a new chief marketing officer, Amir Khoshniyati.

CTech reports that co-founder Dor Abuhasira, the previous CEO, is leaving after 12 years, and that co-founder Ariel Avitan left earlier. Percepto was founded in 2014, and CTech says it raised a $67 million round in June 2023.

Bellanger's own post thanks the founders for building the company. He says he joined to lead its next stage.

The catch: Percepto has not published pricing, and it has not said which third-party drones Axion supports. Axion is also brand new, so how well it works on other companies' data is still unproven.

Percepto says the target is operators of power grids, oil and gas facilities and industrial sites. World Oil, which covers the energy industry, reports the same list.

Percepto also announced a multi-year contract with a leading US energy company to inspect its transmission lines. The deal covers aerial data collection and AI inspection analytics across the network. The company did not name the customer or share the value.

Its flights run under a nationwide FAA waiver for flying beyond visual line of sight, often shortened to BVLOS. That means the drone can fly farther than a pilot can see it, which is what makes remote inspection practical.

Percepto was founded in 2014 in Israel and now has its US base in Austin, Texas. It builds drones that fly inspection missions on their own, with no pilot on site.

DroneXL notes that Florida Power & Light signed up for its drone-in-a-box systems in 2022. Percepto also partnered with Boston Dynamics in 2020 to bring inspection data from the Spot robot dog into its AIM software.

Its website lists the Ranger drone with a 61-megapixel camera and a heat-sensing camera. It says the Harbor station is tested for Category 5 hurricane winds, DroneXL reports.

Percepto's previous launch came on June 22, when it paired its AI with new Percepto Air drones. Axion is a new software-as-a-service offering, and the company calls it the foundation of its software-first plan.

• You will not buy this: Axion is for companies that run infrastructure, not for homes.
• Fewer surprises: the goal is to catch worn parts before they fail, which could mean fewer outages and repairs.
• Drones are becoming a software story: the value is moving from the aircraft to what the AI does with the pictures.
• Ask for the details: pricing and the list of supported drones are not public yet.