AmeyVTOL has secured funding from Innovate UK under the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) for a project to collect real time data from the railway infrastructure with Network Rail.

AmeyVTOL's unique long range hybrid drone, known as The Flying Wing, can fly on up to 100km missions and has built in leading edge sensor technology. This means AmeyVTOL can use artificial intelligence to process data and provide automatic defect detection – allowing the engine room to make decisions 'from the sky'. The ground breaking drone is not only efficient and low noise but also has the ability to generate digital asset models.

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AmeyVTOL is a joint venture between Amey and VTOL technologies, an SME which develops breakthrough aerial robotics.

Speaking about the recent funding success, Nicola Hindle Amey's Managing Director for Consulting and Rail said: "We are delighted to be working with InnovateUK and DfT on this revolutionary project. We have utilised our expertise in drone technology and data processing to bring to the market something that doesn't currently exist; we are excited about where the Flying Wing will take us."

Run by Innovate UK and funded by the DfT to support research, development and innovation in the UK rail industry, the competition for funding seeks innovative ideas that can be adapted to transform rail travel. The bid for funding presented the intention of flying and operating a drone beyond visual line of sight, which means carrying out asset and track inspections from the skies, removing workers from harm at the side of the rail network.