Using AI to help Above Surveying unlock new business opportunities

Essex-based Above Surveying is showing how smart drone technology can unlock new markets as it launches a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Essex, which will use AI to develop advanced solar inspection services.

The goal of the partnership is to automate and reduce the number of human interventions required when operating drones and processing imagery data collected during an inspection by using Embedded Systems.

Above Surveying’s recent success is creating jobs in the region with the company planning to recruit a further ten members of staff in 2019 to meet demand. The new partnership with Essex will also allow Above Surveying to expand its international reach even further.

The KTPs combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision will help Above Surveying to maintain their position as a market leader in the solar sector by delivering technologically advanced and intuitive inspection and analysis services to the booming solar sector.

Above Surveying is starting its second Knowledge Transfer Partnership with our School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering to further develop its high-tech service, to continue to support their ambitious growth in the UK sector and in international markets.

Through the partnership Above Surveying are combining academics in the fields of AI and computer vision with valuable market intelligence to deliver a range of services that will prove valuable to the utility-scale solar industry.

Above Surveying is committed to a strategy of commercial growth and expansion underpinned by technical innovation, making the recent relocation to our Knowledge Gateway Research and Technology Park particularly fitting.

Will Hitchcock, Managing Director of Above Surveying, said: “Our offering has had a fantastic reception across the industry because of its innovative nature and the fact that it combines the latest technology with sound market knowledge to deliver a high-performing, end-to-end product.”

Will said: “We owe it to our clients to keep pushing the boundaries of technology to maintain a cutting-edge service which will enable the solar sector to maximise efficiency and to lower the cost of utility scale solar – vital in a highly competitive energy market.”

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme is a world-leading programme funded by Innovate UK that helps businesses innovate by connecting them to the UK's wealth of academic resources. A carefully recruited Computer Vision researcher known as the KTP Associate - will be based at Above Surveying full-time and work closely with Essex’s academic team will manage the project.

Robert said: “Bringing growing businesses onto our Colchester Campus is exactly what we are aiming to do as we develop the Knowledge Gateway further. We think there are so many benefits to being able to connect directly in to our expertise and graduate talent.”