Nokia Unveils Drone Network for Industry 4.0

Nokia has launched a new cellular-connected drone solution, dubbed the Nokia Drone Network, for inspection and security purposes in the public safety, smart city, construction, energy and defense industries. 

According to the company, the network uses 4G and 5G networks to “enhance situational awareness for first responders and other professionals.”

The suite of tools includes Nokia drones, a docking station, a dual gimbal camera and edge cloud processing that leverages Nokia’s MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) platform. The docking station provides 24/7 remote drone operations and charging, as well as protection for the drone and payload, including sensors and cameras, from external hazards and weather.

Nokia said the drones can be programmed to manage autonomous scheduled flights and conduct remote-operated search and rescue missions, as well as assess damages in hazardous environments. By leveraging Nokia MXIE, data from the drones can then be gathered, stored and processed in real time.

“Our mission is to reshape the industrial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market,” said Thomas Eder, Nokia’s head of embedded wireless solutions. “Providing enhanced situational awareness to aid search and rescue, surveillance, and other UAV operations in a wide variety of industries.

“The unique feature set enabling the integration of Nokia drones with third-party applications will aid the transformation of the drones, allowing them to be used as a flying data collection platform leveraging reliable 4G and 5G edge cloud connectivity.”

Nokia has already demonstrated the network’s efficacy in a trial with the New York Power Authority using it  for transmission line inspection.

The network has received a CE certification, meaning it meets EU safety requirements.