When it first sought to boost business and improve the quality of its service, bridge inspection specialist Japan Infrastructure Waymark (JIW) turned to manual drones – and was quickly disappointed. Rather than dump the technology, however, JIW pivoted to automated, AI-enhanced Skydio craft and watched its activity blast off.
Manually operated drones disappoint
When it realized inspection by manual drones wasn’t going to produce the expected results, JIW was producing audits of just 10 bridges in Japan’s network of 714,000. Since deploying its squad of over 300 new Skydio 2 automated craft, JIW’s client list has exploded, and is now on target to surpass 700 by the end of this year. That’s a multiplier of 70 for anyone keeping score – representing an unheard expansion via new business in barely a year.
Indeed, JIW’s turnaround provides a remarkable case study of how even embracing the correct technology solutions won’t pan out unless those are matched with…
