Our Services

Confined space drone inspection.
Remote survey. Eyes where you can't go.

Confined space drone survey and internal inspection of tanks, vessels, boilers, chimneys, silos and inaccessible voids using collision-tolerant indoor UAVs. Engineering-quality visual records from spaces that can't be safely or practically entered, without the cost and programme impact of manned confined space work.

Zero
Manned entry required
GPS‑denied
Indoor UAV capable
RAMS
All environments
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Remote & Confined Space Inspection

What is a confined space drone survey?

A confined space drone survey replaces manned entry with a caged indoor UAV — internal inspection of the structure without a person ever crossing the entry point. Our confined space survey service is built around purpose-designed, collision-tolerant indoor UAV platforms — aircraft engineered specifically to operate inside structures where GPS is unavailable, lighting is absent and physical contact with surfaces is inevitable. The protective cage design allows the UAV to navigate, brush against walls and continue flying, reaching every internal surface of a tank, vessel, stack or void in a single deployment.

These platforms are particularly effective where geometry or scale makes manned entry impractical: tall chimney stacks and silos that would require days of rope access, pressure vessels and boilers requiring hot-work permits for entry, bridge voids and culvert headwalls inaccessible to conventional survey, and nuclear structures where dose constraints make entry unacceptable. A single UAV deployment replaces a complex, expensive confined space operation.

All operations are conducted under a documented safe system of work, with risk assessments and RAMS appropriate to the environment — including nuclear licensed sites, operational industrial plant and structures under live service.

Capabilities

What we deliver.

Indoor UAV inspection across the full range of confined, inaccessible and hazardous internal environments.

Collision-Tolerant Indoor UAV

Purpose-designed caged inspection UAV for tanks, pressure vessels, boilers, voids and inaccessible structures. The protective cage allows physical contact with surfaces — the aircraft keeps flying when it hits a wall, delivering full internal coverage in complete darkness with no GPS and no manned entry required.

Industrial Tank & Vessel Inspection

Internal visual survey of storage tanks, pressure vessels, reactor vessels and process plant interiors. Corrosion mapping, weld inspection, lining condition and structural assessment delivered without the preparation, permit burden and risk of manned entry.

Chimney, Stack & Silo Inspection

Internal inspection of tall vertical structures — chimneys, stacks, flues and silos — where rope access would require days of preparation. The indoor UAV ascends the full internal height in a single flight, capturing HD imagery of every surface and logging defects by elevation.

Internal 3D Mapping

Photogrammetric 3D model of tank, vessel or void interiors built from indoor UAV imagery. Dimensionally accurate internal geometry for structural assessment, corrosion extent mapping, capacity calculation and BIM integration — without entry.

Bridge Void & Soffit Inspection

Inspection of bridge voids, culvert headwalls, box structures and internal bridge chambers inaccessible to conventional survey platforms. HD imagery and defect logging of concrete soffits, bearings and structural elements without lane closure or access equipment.

Nuclear & Restricted Environments

Indoor UAV inspection for nuclear licensed sites and restricted environments where dose constraints, contamination risk or access restrictions make manned entry unacceptable. All operations conducted under appropriate radiation work permits, safety cases and RAMS.

Our Process

How we work.

A safe, fully documented inspection process from platform selection to final condition report.

01

Method Planning

Inspection methodology defined for the specific asset — structure type, internal geometry, access point constraints and inspection objectives. RAMS, permit to work and safety documentation prepared. Access, plant isolation and any atmospheric monitoring requirements confirmed with the client.

02

Site Mobilisation

UAV configured, function-tested and calibrated for the specific internal environment. Atmospheric monitoring completed at entry point. Tether management and flight recovery procedures confirmed. Lighting and camera settings optimised for the internal geometry and surface conditions.

03

Inspection Capture

Systematic internal survey with continuous HD video, geolocated defect logging and still photography. 3D photogrammetric capture deployed where dimensional geometry is specified. Full coverage verified before extraction.

04

Reporting

Inspection report with annotated HD imagery, video, geolocated defect log and condition assessment. Optional 3D model deliverable. Delivered in PDF, video and GIS formats to client specification and timescale.

Sector Applications
Industrial & Process Plant Nuclear Oil & Gas Rail Infrastructure Bridges & Structures Utilities & Water Marine & Ports
FAQ

Confined space survey questions.

What is a confined space drone survey?
A confined space drone survey is the internal inspection of an enclosed structure — a tank, pressure vessel, boiler, chimney, silo or void — using a collision-tolerant indoor UAV instead of sending a person inside. The aircraft carries HD cameras and its own lighting, flies without GPS, and can physically contact walls and keep flying, so it reaches every internal surface in a single deployment. The output is an engineering-quality visual record: annotated imagery, video, a geolocated defect log and a condition assessment, produced without the permits, rescue provision and programme impact of manned confined space entry.
Does anyone need to enter the confined space?
No. The UAV is launched from outside the structure through an existing access point — a manway, hatch or flue opening — and the pilot flies the full inspection from a safe position. This removes the need for manned entry, breathing apparatus, rescue teams and standby personnel, and takes the highest-risk element out of the inspection entirely. Atmospheric monitoring is still completed at the entry point and every operation runs under a documented safe system of work with RAMS appropriate to the environment. On a reconnaissance survey of ten deep sewer manholes, 12 to 42 m deep, for a principal contractor tendering for a water utility, a caged collision-tolerant indoor UAV with onboard LiDAR and SLAM positioning captured chamber geometry, depth and condition at every shaft without anyone entering a chamber.
What structures can be inspected by indoor UAV?
Typical subjects are storage tanks, pressure vessels, reactor vessels and boilers; chimneys, stacks, flues and silos; bridge voids, box structures and culvert headwalls; and nuclear or restricted structures where dose constraints make entry unacceptable. The common factor is internal space large enough for the caged aircraft — roughly 500 mm clear opening and above. If geometry or scale makes manned entry impractical, slow or expensive, it is usually a strong candidate for indoor UAV inspection.
How does the drone fly inside a structure without GPS?
Purpose-designed indoor UAVs do not rely on satellite positioning. Flight stability comes from onboard inertial and visual sensors, and the surrounding protective cage means contact with walls, ladders or internal steelwork is expected rather than catastrophic — the aircraft brushes against a surface and keeps flying. Integrated high-output lighting allows capture in complete darkness, and distance-lock functions hold a set stand-off from the surface being inspected so imagery remains consistent and measurable.
What deliverables do I receive from a confined space inspection?
The standard deliverable is an inspection report containing annotated HD still imagery, continuous video of the full survey, a geolocated defect log and a condition assessment against the inspection objectives. Where dimensional geometry is specified, we add a photogrammetric 3D model of the interior. Everything is issued in PDF, video and GIS formats to your specification, and reviewed and issued under RICS-regulated quality procedures.
Can you measure or 3D-model the inside of a tank or vessel?
Yes. Overlapping imagery captured during the flight is processed photogrammetrically into a dimensionally accurate 3D model of the interior. That model supports corrosion-extent mapping, structural assessment, capacity calculation and BIM integration — giving engineers measurable internal geometry for structures that may not have been entered, or accurately drawn, in decades.
Related Services
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Aerial & Structure Inspection
UAV and camera rig inspection of above-ground structures and facades — completing the picture above and below ground.
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LiDAR & Laser Scanning
Dimensional survey of confined structures producing accurate 3D geometry for structural assessment and capacity analysis.
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Reality Capture & 3D Modelling
Hosted 3D models and digital twins from internal inspection imagery — accessible and measurable by any stakeholder, from anywhere.
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Bring engineering precision to your next project.

Most scoping responses sent within one business day.

RICS-regulated work, led by Philip M. Angell MRICS.

Discuss your Confined Space Inspection Call 020 4652 4948