Frequently Asked Questions

The word “drone” has taken on a few different meanings over the years. Some people think of a drone as a bee, others might think of those predator drones that the military uses. The drones that most people talk about today are simply radio-controlled aircraft that have some level of autonomous features. A drone can be a plane, a helicopter, a quadcopter, or any combination in-between. Most of the drones sold today are quadcopters. They have 4 rotors and a flight controller that is used to stabilize the lift from each propeller.

NextWave uses UAVs along with a certified surveyor to conduct 3D volumetric analysis and other land surveys which are equivalent and with better accuracy than traditional methods. UAV can gather data much faster minimizing time on location and is safer because it does not require a survey crew walking the site

This varies greatly with the area to be inspected and the type of NDT inspection that needs to be conducted. In some cases, robots can be faster than human inspection, but in general, robots are slower at completing the inspection task itself. However, factoring the time it takes to prepare, mobilize, and permit a confined space entry (CSE), robots will be faster. This means less downtime. Finally, while being faster considering the total scope, robots are safer. Eliminating CSE is a major reason to use unmanned drones.

NO. However, our aerial systems technology allows us to fit outside of classified boundaries while maintaining the ability to gather detailed inspection data.

YES. We have specific UAVs that can fly in challenging indoor environments such as tanks, vessel, boilers, and stacks

We use industry professionals, industry certified inspectors, and NDT technicians to analyze the data, create actionable reports, and follow up as needed. All raw data are provided as well.

YES. Our documentation guides the permitting process so that operators and robotic work crews consider the circumstances at each unique operating environment.

As much as we’d like to show you all of the great things we’re doing, the NDT information we gather at client facilities is confidential and we cannot share it. We hope to get a few photos and promotional videos released in the future.

YES. NextWave is an integrator of UAVs and ROVs of air, land and sea technology for inspection. We have relationships with UAV and ROV manufacturers to customize or build solutions to meet your needs.

Absolutely! We are expanding rapidly with plans for multiple regional locations. In the meantime, we will travel to any site in the country for a personal demonstration of our unmanned drones.