Drone piloted from Florida inspects industrial plant in Italy [Video]

Red Cat Holdings subsidiary Skypersonic says it has successfully completed the world’s first transcontinental drone inspection relying only on an internet connection from a normal mobile phone. A fully operational utility plant in Turin was inspected using an indoor drone controlled from Orlando, some 4,800 miles away.

Skypersonic says drone pilot Drew Camden had no idea what the Italian plant looked like. He had never visited the unit, nor seen any drawings or photos of the floor plan or the layout of the many staircases, stacks, ducts, conduit, joists, and other obstacles he was expected to tackle. All Camden knew was that he would be flying Skycopter, an indoor drone that can be piloted without the aid of GPS.

Another thing working in Camden’s favor was Skypersonic’s technology which minimizes signal lag across oceanic distances. While he only had access to the video feed from the drone, the pilot was able to see and react to the building’s…