Integrating connectivity and UAVs

Nokia hopes to leverage its communication technology expertise to make a significant impact in the market for uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs or 'drones'). Thomas Eder, head of Nokia’s Embedded Wireless Solutions, is leading the introduction of Nokia Drone Networks along with industrial and mission-critical private 5G networks. In this interview, he discusses Nokia’s strategic move into high-end UAV solutions for sectors like mining and oil & gas. Eder emphasizes Nokia’s collaborations with geospatial industry leaders, such as YellowScan, to create integrated, turnkey solutions that push the boundaries of innovation.

At what stage of its journey to become a drone manufacturer does Nokia currently find itself?

We specialize in areas where precise mapping is essential, using high-quality sensors and technologies to produce detailed maps, particularly in situations that require linear measurements or scanning. We have already taken some general steps in the sector, such as Citymesh in Belgium and Swisscom Broadcast in Switzerland for instance (both nationwide drone networks for which Nokia’s turnkey 5G-connected drone platform was selected, Ed.) But as a drone manufacturer we are specifically targeting the verticals of mining and oil & gas.

In view of Nokia’s role as a telecommunications infrastructure provider, how is the company positioning itself strategically in the UAV market?

There tend to be ‘bubbles’ of companies, such as groups of drone manufacturers and groups of telecommunications and IT providers. We are one of the few organizations that can bring all those aspects together in a single company, and that gives our solution such strength. On top of that, we are used to working for service providers. As Nokia, we’ve always worked for telecom service providers such as Deutsche Telekom, Proximus and Orange. The major change is that we’re now working for drone service providers. So we’ve built our solution with their needs in mind: it’s a platform for drone service providers that want to satisfy a multitude of use cases. From day one, we have been thinking about not only BVLOS operations but also superior connectivity.

What does this look like in practice?

Well, you might have noticed that we changed our logo in 2023, and that was not just because we thought our old logo was outdated; the change also marked a strategic transition for Nokia from being a classical telco company that was very much oriented towards telco service providers, to being a B2B-oriented service provider.

In practice, we actively approach relevant businesses out there. We work together with big mining enterprises, and with the big oil & gas companies. We have a chance to position our product – our drones – directly to the enterprises. That helps us to really combine the strength of our network products on the one hand, and also the strength of our applications, such as the drones on top of the network, on the other.

Although a lot of progress has been made, the UAV industry is still in its early stages and is largely dominated by consumer products, with DJI leading the market. At Nokia, our goal is to help mature the industry by leveraging advanced communication technologies like 4G and 5G within the drone ecosystem. We want to make it clear that industrial-grade drones require industrial solutions, not hobbyist kits.

We’ve developed a comprehensive, turnkey ‘drone-in-a-box’ product that includes everything from the drone, docking station and parachute, to various ecosystem payloads and software. Our solution is designed for seamless integration into existing IT environments with cloud-based services and open APIs. For customers needing connectivity – think of large mines where our communication infrastructure is already in place – we can offer a cohesive package that combines our technology with our drones. This integrated approach not only simplifies operations, but also enhances the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the solutions we provide.

You’ve established a number of partnerships with companies like YellowScan. What is the significance of a collaborative approach?

Our key aim is to provide a data collection platform. Obviously, we are not experts at building laser scanners or any other kind of measurement equipment. We know from experience that you need an ecosystem around you in order to satisfy highly demanding customers with their specific needs.

Additionally, I’ve recently observed that some of the leading companies in the photogrammetry industry are hinting that the technology might be approaching its peak, especially when it comes to creating 3D point clouds. That signals that we’re on the brink of needing something more advanced, which is logical in view of the never-ending rise in mapping our environment all over the globe. I see Lidar as the logical progression in this field. Lidar technology stands out, particularly when we consider the stringent industrial standards and specific requirements our clients have. It allows us to confidently say that our point clouds will meet those standards because, as your readers know, Lidar is incredibly reliable and offers a level of predictability that photogrammetry sometimes lacks. Take, for example, projects involving cell towers or the installation of equipment on such wireless communication structures. Precision is everything in these cases – down to 0.5 degrees or centimetre-level accuracy. Those are areas where traditional photogrammetry might not always hit the mark.

YellowScan is an exciting example because it is a very agile and extremely capable Lidar player with a product portfolio that gives it an extremely powerful standing on the drone market. We see that many of our existing customers are also interested in YellowScan products. Many people with inspection use cases in mining and oil & gas already know YellowScan, and otherwise have got to know them. All those people knew Nokia for our communication infrastructure, and now for our drones too. Another big plus is that YellowScan has a brilliant corporate culture, and for a relatively small company it has an extremely powerful worldwide distributor network.

You mentioned your drone-in-a-box solution. How would you pitch that to industry professionals?

With our 5G-connected drone solution, we are able to significantly improve repetitive data collection and minimize the amount of effort required to collect the data. In contrast to what often happens today, we believe that it should not be necessary for drone pilots and data processing experts to actually be in the mine or in the field during a survey mission. Instead, they should be able to sit in their office – perhaps at home, perhaps even on the other side of the planet – controlling the drone and processing the data in real time. This is supported by our advanced BVLOS capabilities (beyond visual line of sight, Ed.) enabled by the 4G/LTE or 5G connectivity. This has been integrated from day one, allowing data collection to be done remotely instead of repeatedly going on site. This significantly improves worker safety, as

Additionally, we reduce the huge time gap between when the mission finishes and the data processing starts, because as you are conducting the mission, the data is immediately stored in your cloud or in your PC. So all the data, no matter whether it is telemetry or payload data, is always available in real time, and that is thanks to the 4G/5G connectivity. We remove the whole rhapsody with USB dongles or SD cards.

Therefore, our solution is certainly of interest for land surveyors and other geospatial professionals – not only for exploring terrain for applications such as mining, but also in agriculture for crop monitoring, infrastructure, and domains like land survey, land planning and land use, for example.

What about the payloads?

Land surveys are often composed of multiple data layers. You begin by mapping the area using photogrammetry with a high-resolution camera, such as a 61MP sensor. Then, you use a thermal camera to capture the thermal signature of the perimeter, identifying hotspots. Then as a next step, a 3D point cloud is generated using a scanner. Finally, if needed, you gather wireless spectrum data, which is important for establishing radio coverage or additional frequencies. In our solution, all these data layers can be collected using a single drone. And a key part of our solution is that you can easily change the payload; it takes just 5-10 seconds. This simplifies data collection and allows users to gather multiple data layers. This flexibility also enables us to tailor the solution to specific customer needs.

Beyond hardware, the drone can be used with custom software, like Rohde & Schwarz for radio data collection. We’re building an ecosystem similar to the iPhone’s. In effect, the iPhone serves as a platform with basic functions like calling and texting, but becomes much more powerful with apps for things like messaging, photography and email. Similarly, our Nokia Drone Network acts as a platform. Users can enhance its capabilities by adding software, much like downloading apps from the App Store. This ‘platform thinking’ allows for a versatile and expandable solution that adapts to various use cases, which is in line with our Mission Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) strategy.

Your company often describes Nokia drones as ‘not only your eyes in the sky, but also your grey matter’. What is meant by this, exactly?

Firstly, we think about the drone, of course. 75% of the use cases can be covered with a video camera. From our collaboration with Airbus Defence & Space, we have extensive experience in the video surveillance domain. In effect, what we’re offering is flying 4G/5G-based video surveillance.

But this goes much further than being just an eye in the sky. The grey matter we refer to is like a part of the central nervous system: the thing that enables your body, your brain, to perceive data from all the senses you have. Similarly, we want to make the drone a part of the central nervous system of an industrial site, of a mine, of an oil & gas plant, or of whatever you are surveying.

This brings me back to importance of having multiple layers of data. For example, when collecting environmental data, even seemingly routine information like barometric pressure, temperature and wind conditions can be valuable. The drone constantly monitors these factors as part of its flight control system, because they are not only essential for its operation but potentially useful for other purposes as well. So instead of installing individual weather and wind sensors throughout a site such as a mine, oil & gas plant or rugged terrain, why not leverage the drone flights that are being performed three times a day? By collecting this data during regular flights and storing it in a centralized data lake, it can be made available to the entire company. Integrating it into the industrial environment maximizes the utility of the drone’s data. Essentially, it becomes a vital part of the corporate nervous system, connecting and enhancing the flow of information.

First we had 4G, now we have 5G, and we are gradually moving towards 6G, although that will still take a while. Looking to the future, which developments do you foresee in the next couple of years?

I would say the trend in telecommunications is towards more intelligent networks, especially with 5G positioning enabling application-aware networks. Referring again to the Apple ecosystem: just as devices like iPhones and MacBooks are aware of each other and seamlessly share features, our Nokia Drone Network solution exemplifies this interaction. When paired with a Nokia network, our drones unlock advanced, attractive capabilities, making the network more powerful.

While 6G is on the horizon, 5G advanced serves as an important bridge to that more distant future. Drone-enabled 5G advanced networks are central to Nokia’s strategy, and should be seen as absolutely vital for both future network capabilities and enterprise customers who can use drones for a multitude of applications. The recent Deutsche Telekom video on Nokia Drone Networks, highlights how network APIs and the 5G-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) create innovative, forward-thinking use cases. This demonstrates the crucial role drones play in our evolving network landscape.

Lastly, what excites you most about Nokia’s involvement in the drone industry?

We are extremely proud that Nokia has entered the drone industry, as we think we can make a big difference with our solutions. We are eager to collaborate with the drone ecosystem and with the right industrial partners. The drone sector is still such a young industry, and that offers a lot of chances for a newcomer like us, with a different background. We are convinced we have a lot to add to this ecosystem.

More information

Video: Drone connectivity demo with Nokia & Deutsche Telekom