BRIDGING THE GAP IN DRONE-BASED NDT.
An Extended Arm for the Inspector.
Dock once, then clean, couple and measure in one continuous operation.
The same NDT team covers more area, takes more readings and works with greater confidence, with no technician entering the confined space. Live readings appear on a dedicated tablet running Scout Companion, and class-ready data is available the moment the flight ends.
BRIDGING THE GAP IN DRONE-BASED NDT.
An Extended Arm for the Inspector.
Dock once, then clean, couple and measure in one continuous operation.
The same NDT team covers more area, takes more readings and works with greater confidence, with no technician entering the confined space. Live readings appear on a dedicated tablet running Scout Companion, and class-ready data is available the moment the flight ends.
50–100
DOCKINGS PER REFILL
Zero
CLIMBING REQUIRED
1–150 mm
STEEL THICKNESS
Up to 6 mm
COATING TOLERANCE
−20° to +90°
ARM RANGE
Why It Works
Until now, drone-based ultrasonic testing meant sampling single points with no surface preparation. This payload combines cleaning, couplant and a lab-grade probe as one tool, in one flight, on the same spot.
Clean Acoustic Contact, Gentlest Tool First
- A reliable reading needs clean acoustic contact between probe and metal; air trapped in rust, oxide, coatings and paint is the enemy.
- The motorised brush adjusts its speed to the level of contamination.
- Three tool groups of increasing abrasiveness are supplied: ScoutBrush SiC for light cleaning, ScoutBrush Metal for rust and scale (field-verified through ISO 8501 grade C), and ScoutSleeve abrasive sleeves for hardened coatings and heavy oxide.
- Start with the gentlest head that gives a usable A-scan and step up only when needed, since the abrasive sleeves cut into the base metal if overused. Heads swap in seconds.
Swap Probes to Match the Job
- The embedded Thornetix Talisman ultrasound module is fast and multi-channel, and comes with three dual-crystal probes.
- 2.25 MHz suits thick, coarse or rough surfaces, 5 MHz is the general-purpose probe, and 7.5 MHz is for thin material.
- An optional pack of three single-crystal probes is available, and single, twin, delay-line and high-temperature designs are supported.
- Gain and gates can be tuned in flight from Scout Companion while the payload stays on the wall, so there is no need to land to change a setting.
One Payload for Overhead and Vertical Surfaces
- Four corner magnets clamp the payload to the steel and hold it steady, so the reading is free of thrust and operator vibration.
- A spring-loaded carbon-fibre pivot sweeps through 110°: from −20° to press against overhead bulkheads and overhangs, to +90° for vertical hull plates, tank walls and angled stiffeners.
- Rope-access inspectors on a 5-day campaign often re-rig three times for different orientations; this payload changes orientation in flight instead.
- While docked, an integrated wiggle moves the probe up to 5 mm up or down without releasing the magnets, so it can avoid a rust patch, cavity or inclusion without re-attaching, re-cleaning or losing the position.
Couplant Gel
A water-soluble gel fills the microscopic air gap between probe and steel; without it, the ultrasound cannot enter the material. It is applied at the probe tip from a 33 ml on-board reservoir.
Contact Sensor
Confirms the probe is seated before each reading, and tells the flight controller to reduce counter-thrust so the drone hovers more steadily with less vibration in the data.
Class 2 Laser
A Class 2 placement laser shows the pilot exactly where the probe will land, so repeat inspections hit the same coordinates on every revisit.
Work to the Inspection, Not to a Battery Clock.
Continuous tethered power turns every flight into a deliberate, verifiable session, with no battery swaps and no race against time.
Unlimited Flight Time
Tethered power means no battery clock. With anti-collision sensors off for surface contact, you can focus on careful, safe manoeuvring and keep working until the couplant needs refilling, not until a battery dies.
Underway Evaluation
Every flight doubles as a live verification session: the 4K preview, the live A-scan in Scout Companion and continuous flight-path rendering confirm data quality and coverage on site, so a weak signal or missed area is caught before leaving, avoiding a costly second mobilisation.
See Before You Dock
The integrated 3.5× optical zoom lets the pilot study corrosion, coatings and surface condition from a safe stand-off, and review 4K photos, before committing to a docking attempt.
Four Steps. Two Tablets. One Extended Arm.
One payload and two dedicated tablets. Scout Companion runs the UT workflow, with the A-scan, gates and pre-flight calibration on one screen; Scout Operator runs the flight. Split the roles between two specialists, or run both screens solo.
01
Aim
The pilot flies the Scout 137 to the target using Scout Operator, and the laser sight marks the landing spot. The arm flexes from −20° to +90° to reach vertical walls, overhead bulkheads and angled stiffeners. The NDT technician follows the 4K view in Scout Companion and switches to the UT view at contact. Every revisit returns to the same coordinates.
02
Prepare
The pilot starts the brush, and its variable-speed motor cleans with the chosen head while couplant gel is applied at the probe tip. The pilot sets the cleaning time, from light dust up to rust grade C, with up to 100 dispenses per flight.
03
Contact
Once the gel is applied, the probe contacts the surface automatically. The contact sensor confirms it, the drone trims its hover and the live A-scan appears in Scout Companion. Auto-gates and auto-gain lock the signal, and Multi-Echo reads through coatings up to 6 mm. The technician can tune gain, gate and delay in flight. The probe can also wiggle up to 5 mm to avoid a rust patch or inclusion without releasing the magnets.
04
Log
Each reading is saved in the flight dataset with its timestamp and its position on the LiDAR map. Upload the flight to Scout Portal, then generate class-ready reports.
UTM Payload Specifications
PROBE & MODULE
UT MODULE
Thornetix Talisman
PROBE TYPES SUPPORTED
single, twin, delay-line, high-temperature
STANDARD PROBE
5.0 MHz dual-crystal (general purpose)
EXTRA PROBES
2.25 MHz dual-crystal (thick or rough), 7.5 MHz dual-crystal (thin or small)
MEASUREMENT
THICKNESS RANGE
1–150 mm (material-dependent)
MEASUREMENT ANGLES
−20° to +90°
ACCURACY
< 0.1 mm or ±1 %
RESOLUTION
0.001 mm
MEASUREMENT GATES
2, manual or automatic
FINE ADJUSTMENT
wiggle, probe shifts up to 5 mm without releasing the magnets
MEASUREMENT MODES
Peak, Edge, Multi-Echo, coating exclusion (Modes 1, 2, 3 per ISO 16809)
COATING TOLERANCE (MULTI-ECHO)
up to 6 mm, reads through coatings without surface removal
SIGNAL & DATA
GAIN
up to 80 dB
DIGITISER
80 MHz sampling rate
A-SCAN SAMPLING
30 Hz, full waveforms logged for review
A-SCAN RESOLUTION
8-bit
SAMPLING RATE
up to 100 MHz
SURFACE PREP & COUPLANT
SURFACE PREPARATION
built-in spot-prep tool: ScoutBrush SiC, ScoutBrush Metal or ScoutSleeve abrasive sleeves (light to heavy)
QUALIFIED RUST GRADE
ISO 8501 rust grade C
COUPLANT
water-soluble gel (e.g. Chemetall UCA-2M)
COUPLANT CAPACITY
33 ml reservoir, 50–100 dockings between refills
CALIBRATION & OPERATIONS
CALIBRATION STANDARD
factory tested and calibrated to ISO 16831 / EN 15317
FIELD CALIBRATION
1- and 2-point via the app
AIMING
laser-aided, probe visible through the main 4K camera
LIVE CONFIRMATION
the operator sees the reading during flight
REPEAT MEASUREMENTS
supported, logged with a location tag
MOUNT & COMPATIBILITY
COMPATIBILITY
Scout 137 Gen 3 standard payload bay
PAYLOAD WEIGHT
435 g (detachable arm)
PROBE ATTACHMENT
magnetic
RELEASE MECHANISM
one-click Smart Release
The Rest of the System
Payloads and software that work together with the Scout 137 Gen 3.
Scout 137 Gen 3
A tethered drone system for confined spaces without GPS, flying without time limits and delivering clean inspection data.
4K Zoom Camera
Survey-grade visual detail with optical zoom, made for dark, dusty, confined environments.
3D LiDAR
Real-time 3D mapping and SLAM positioning, so every finding is located in the point cloud.
Gas Sensor
Flammable-gas detection on board the drone (NevadaNano MPS, 14 gases) with live telemetry before anyone enters.
Scout Portal
The cloud platform for live streaming, managing inspection data and sharing it with stakeholders.
Scout Viewer
A Windows and Android app for reviewing inspection data straight from the drone, fully offline.
Request Your Drone UTM Payload Quote
Share your details and our engineering team will contact you with pricing, availability and technical guidance for drone-based ultrasonic thickness measurement, with no one entering the confined space.