Just thinking about the day-to-day demands of a food manufacturing asset inspector is enough to invoke sweating palms and swirling vertigo. Ascending skyward through a combination of ropes, cranes and scaffolding, inspectors painstakingly traverse up and around tall, inaccessible food processing infrastructure like storage tanks and piping to physically access dozens of measurement points required for comprehensive ultrasonic testing.

It is demanding, dangerous work. It is also time-consuming. With inspection rates averaging just six points per hour, a single storage tank assessment can consume an entire shift—if and when they are completed, that is.

Asset inspections are critical to safety and efficiency of food processing operations, but a severe shortage of skilled asset inspection professionals is resulting in a critical bottleneck for food manufacturers across North America.

However, through a groundbreaking project funded by the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN), Hamilton-based startup Skygauge Robotics is revolutionizing how these vital inspections are performed, making them safer, faster and more accurate.

Tackling the inspection challenge from the sky

Ultrasonic testing involves exceptional accuracy and diligence. Measurements demand direct contact with test surfaces, and a consistent contact force needs to be maintained. Because traditional drones cannot accomplish these feats of precision, this sort of inspection work has largely resisted automation.

Thanks to Skygauge, that is beginning to change. The company specializes in drone technologies designed specifically for ultrasonic testing of industrial infrastructure. What makes them unique from other commercial drones is a patented gimballed thrust system, which allows the drone rotors to be adjusted independently to maintain steady contact with surfaces. The drones are also equipped with an Olympus ultrasonic thickness gauge and proprietary flight control software that maintains consistent contact force. These features enable accurate ultrasonic measurements at heights.

Supported by funding from the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) Skygauge is completing an ambitious project to complement the gimballed thrust system and flight control software of their drones with full 360-degree rotational capabilities. This would be transformative for food processing asset inspection, where infrastructure like sloped tank roofs, curved vessels and intricate piping networks present unique challenges.

Unlike flat or vertical surfaces, these geometries require precise angled contact to accurately detect flaws or measure material thickness. Sloped tank roofs, for example, are common in liquid storage tanks and are notoriously difficult to access safely using scaffolding or rope systems. Similarly, the curved surfaces of process piping and vessels demand inspections from above, below, and various angles to ensure comprehensive assessments.

By enabling full 360-degree drone contact, Skygauge is working to eliminate the need for manual inspections entirely, ensuring that even the most complex geometries can be inspected efficiently, safely and at a reduced cost by technicians on the ground. This capability not only addresses a critical gap but also expands the range of assets that can be reliably inspected, making the entire inspection process more versatile and effective.

Implications for the food industry

Skygauge’s technological breakthroughs have already demonstrated a fivefold increase in inspection speed compared to traditional methods. That development accelerated in 2024 as Skygauge initiated a hardware redesign that will enable 360 degrees of angled contact on any sort of sloped and angled surface.

Through these industry-leading innovations, Skygauge Robotics is transforming how industrial clients approach inspections by addressing long-standing inefficiencies and safety risks. Early adopters in the food processing sector have already reported significant improvements, with inspections completed faster, more safely and at a fraction of traditional costs. By expanding their drone’s ability to inspect sloped and curved surfaces, which previously required combining multiple inspection methods, Skygauge helps its clients further drive down inspection costs by 50-90 per cent. It also increases speed tenfold—an asset inspection that would previously take an entire workday can now be completed in a single hour.

A Safer, smarter future for food processing asset inspections

As Skygauge continues its innovative work into 2025, the company is pushing the capabilities of its drones further to fully automate inspections of the most complex and inaccessible food processing infrastructure.

But even at its current capability levels, the system represents a significant advance in food processing asset maintenance. As the industry grapples with labor shortages and aging infrastructure, Skygauge’s drone platform is showing how robotics can address these fundamental challenges while improving both safety and efficiency.

Keep your eyes on the sky, as the future of asset inspection may well be coming from above—and that future is arriving sooner than many expected.