Imagine an extensive steelworks facility: A hub of constant activity, where expensive raw materials constantly arrive by lorry, undergo processing at extreme temperatures, and are redistributed nationwide.
Manufacturing sites like these, along with large offices, university campuses, and distribution warehouses, all require comprehensive round-the-clock protection. But static CCTV cameras and regular patrols can still leave them exposed to security breaches.
Aerial surveillance addresses that vulnerability. Drones provide an additional layer of protection that complements existing security measures, proving particularly valuable in situations too dangerous for human personnel.
Drones serve as a highly visible deterrent, so even if intruders avoid CCTV cameras successfully, aerial surveillance systems still monitor their every movement.
This technology extends far beyond simple cameras: these systems offer response times and data processing power beyond human capabilities.
Technological features
If a site perimeter features dense shrubbery, railway lines, or other obstructions reducing CCTV visibility, it creates significant blind spots where intruders can take cover.
When patrol officers only check these vulnerable areas periodically, security gaps emerge. Drone technology addresses these weaknesses through features specifically tailored to each site’s requirements.
Through our partnership with Security Drone Group, our onsite systems deliver:
- Automated patrols: scheduled, consistent perimeter checks without manual oversight, for sites up to 10km wide and 52 metres high
- Directional sensors: to detect and avoid obstacles
- Live monitoring: Real-time video feeds streamed directly to control centres for instant visibility
- Rapid incident response: Aerial deployment to breaches in seconds enables immediate action
- Weatherproof and heat capabilities: Operation in extreme temperatures exceeding 50°C
- Night operations: 28x digital zoom cameras and thermal imaging that discerns human and machinery heat signatures, enhancing nighttime visibility
- Weather condition assessments: Drone docks with in-built heating and air conditioning can assess onsite weather conditions with onboard weather stations and can analyse local online weather forecasts to determine safe flying conditions
These comprehensive services provide new avenues that go beyond traditional security services, bridging any vulnerable gaps onsite.
AI capabilities
Our drones’ AI-powered smart tracking technology goes far beyond basic individual detection. Advanced analytic systems can distinguish between genuine threats and false alarms, depending on the operating platform.
AI detection takes this further by differentiating between individuals, vehicles, and boats. The smart-tracking functionality can lock onto intruders and monitor their movements more effectively than any static CCTV system.
This intelligent analysis significantly reduces the workload for security teams by filtering out non-threatening activities, allowing them to focus on real threats.
Case study: enhancing a steelworks’ security perimeter
For a multinational steel-making company’s extensive facility, Corps Security, in partnership with specialist partner Security Drone Group, implemented a 24-hour drone trial to address vulnerabilities at the critical national infrastructure site. Static CCTV systems had reduced coverage of the full perimeter. Coupled with poor visibility during night shifts, this made high-value scrap materials difficult to monitor.
A DJI Dock 3 and M4TD drone system featuring AI capabilities was implemented, which resulted in:
- Improvement in security coverage by 500% compared to traditional security patrols
- Enhanced response time and 45-second trigger response – identifying test subjects in vulnerable areas that would have been impossible to monitor with traditional methods
- Nighttime thermal imaging identifying unauthorised personnel beyond the 15-20m limit of vehicle headlights
- Programmed flight paths covering roof inspections, which were uploaded directly to cloud storage for assessment
- 3D point cloud technology allowing for stockpile measurement within 10mm accuracy
- High-definition image quality for number plate recognition, for the management of vehicle access and deliveries
The trial demonstrated how drones significantly advance monitoring capabilities and support infrastructure assessments.
Scalable integration
If an industrial space is changing, drones can change with it. They can be reprogrammed depending on the task at hand, such as patrolling an expanded area or conducting an infrastructure inspection.
Beyond security functions, drones excel at routine operational tasks. For instance, operators can assess car park availability from above and relay information to attendants within seconds.
Another example is a site with solar panels requiring monthly inspections. Drones can safely review these hard-to-reach installations that would otherwise require personnel to work at height. This approach reduces reliance on third-party contractors and improves workplace safety.
The future of security
Today’s security threats are increasingly sophisticated, and drone surveillance can add a layer of protection to even the most comprehensive guarding and monitoring solutions.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) recent introduction of the Specific Operations Risk Assessment has also improved the transparency and consistency of risk assessments, making them a less complicated procedure.
The CAA is also updating its Beyond Visual Line of Sight policy, enabling experts to operate drones remotely and eliminating the need for trained personnel to be physically present onsite.
The seamless coordination of aerial surveillance with ground-based officers creates a unified defence strategy that eliminates coverage gaps, allowing organisations to focus on their core operations with complete peace of mind.
Find out more about our drone services, read our in-depth customer case studies, or contact our drone team today.
