EMPIT's Third-Generation of CMI Drones
What Are Third-Generation CMI Drones?
In August 2023, EMPIT announced the third generation of its CMI drone platform — the Black Copter. These purpose-built drones carry EMPIT’s Current Magnetometry Inspection (CMI) sensor array and are designed to inspect buried pipelines from the air, without requiring ground access or excavation.
The third-generation platform introduces significant improvements in flight stability, endurance, and payload capacity — enabling operators to survey longer pipeline segments per mission, even in adverse weather or geotechnically challenging terrain.
Key Features of the Third-Generation Platform
The updated drone platform has been engineered for reliability and performance in real-world inspection conditions:
- LIDAR and radar stabilisation: Advanced sensors combined with improved flight algorithms allow stable operation in windy and turbulent conditions, ensuring consistent data quality.
- Extended flight time: Lightweight construction using carbon fibre and 3D-printed precision components reduces overall weight, increasing flight duration per battery cycle.
- 25 kg payload capacity: Sufficient to carry the full CMI sensor array — up to 70 tri-axial sensors recording 20,000 data points per second.
- Inspection speed up to 5 km/h: Balances thoroughness with operational efficiency across long pipeline corridors.
- Dust and rain resistance: Built to operate in harsh field conditions without compromising sensor accuracy.
Why Drones Matter for Pipeline Inspection
Many buried pipelines cross terrain that is difficult or impossible to access on foot — mountain slopes, wetlands, agricultural land, or geotechnically unstable zones where soil movement threatens pipeline integrity. Traditional aboveground pipeline inspection methods using handheld equipment may be impractical in these environments.
Drone-based CMI inspection solves this by carrying the sensor array above the pipeline corridor at low altitude. The technology applies a multi-frequency electrical current (2 Hz – 2 kHz) to the pipeline and uses patented spectrum analysis to evaluate coating condition and corrosion activity — the same method used by EMPIT’s ground-based Current Mapper system, now deployed from the air.
How CMI Works from a Drone
Current Magnetometry Inspection measures the magnetic field generated by an electrical current flowing through a buried steel pipeline. Coating defects, metal loss, and geometry changes produce measurable deviations in this field.
EMPIT’s corrosion detection technology distinguishes between active corrosion (where bare steel is in direct soil contact and a corrosion cell is active) and passivated corrosion (where a protective calcareous film has formed and the corrosion cell is electrically blocked). This classification helps operators prioritise which defects require excavation and which can be monitored over time.
All findings are GPS-georeferenced with a precision better than 1 mm², and the inspection aligns with ISO 15589-1. The drone platform extends these capabilities to pipeline segments that were previously inaccessible — including unpiggable pipelines in remote or hazardous locations.
Discuss Drone-Based Pipeline Inspection
If you operate pipelines in terrain where ground-based inspection is impractical, EMPIT’s third-generation CMI drones may offer a viable solution. Contact our team to discuss your inspection requirements.