Skygauge Contact Inspection Drone for Ultrasonic Testing

Skygauge Robotics is a Canadian company that designs, manufactures and sells contact-capable drones for industrial maintenance work at height. Its drones carry out ultrasonic thickness testing, coating thickness measurement and spot rust removal on pipes, tanks, stacks, ships and structures, so inspectors can stay on the ground without scaffolding, rope access or manlifts.

The Skygauge is a thrust-vectoring drone that makes consistent contact with surfaces at any angle. A force-feedback probe applies even pressure for repeatable coupling, and a flex probe acts as a robotic wrist to reach corners and congested areas with 360-degree coverage. Software automatically processes A-scans, filters noise and logs readings with visual context during flight, then produces a PDF report. Users and partners include Nippon Steel, Cyberhawk, Mistras, APAVE and Turner Industries.

• Thrust-vectoring airframe: stable contact with surfaces at any angle, including undersides and vertical walls.
• Force-feedback probe: even coupling force for repeatable UT readings.
• Flex probe: robotic wrist for corners and congested pipe racks.
• Automated A-scan processing: noise filtering and valid-signal detection.
• Automatic logging and PDF reports: readings captured with visual context during flight.
• Extra payloads: surface preparation and dry film thickness measurement.

• Steel mills measuring plate and duct thickness on blast furnaces and stacks.
• Refineries and LNG terminals surveying corrosion on tanks and pipe racks while in operation.
• Shipyards and ship owners checking hull plate thickness without dry-dock scaffolding.

• Non-destructive testing 5 to 20 times faster than rope or scaffold methods, with cost reductions of up to 95%.
• Readings verified by Level 3 NDT technicians showed no difference from hand gauging.
• Measurements at height and in hazardous areas without shutting down equipment.
• One drone can also prepare surfaces and measure coating thickness, reducing separate access jobs.

Industrial owners are under pressure to reduce work at height and the cost of scaffolding for routine thickness surveys. Contact-capable drones are being adopted by NDT service firms and steelmakers, and distribution deals such as Nippon Steel Trading in Japan show growing Asian demand. Refineries, steel mills and shipyards in Vietnam face the same corrosion monitoring needs.

Canadian robotics manufacturer led by CEO Richard Shatilla, with co-founders Linar Ismagilov and Nikita Illiushkin. Nippon Steel Trading became its exclusive distributor in Japan in October 2025, and Cyberhawk was appointed a global service provider in November 2025. Completed corrosion repair trials with the Royal Canadian Navy in 2026.