Drone inspection of corona and hot spots on overhead lines and substations in service calls for a lightweight payload that combines a solar-blind ultraviolet channel, a radiometric thermal camera and a zoom visible camera, controllable from the RC transmitter during flight. The CoroCAM 8UAV brings all three channels together in 1.6 kg: UV from 2.05 × 10E-18 W/cm2, 640 × 512 LWIR with NEdT < 50 mK and visible with 28× optical zoom, fused on screen with better than 1 mrad accuracy and controlled via SBUS/PWM or Ethernet.
CoroCAM 8UAV key data
- Ultraviolet channel: solar-blind, sensitivity of 2.05 × 10E-18 W/cm2 and 640 × 480 resolution; overlay with 6 presets or 255 tone levels and threshold, integration and noise-reduction control.
- Thermal channel: 640 × 512 radiometric LWIR with NEdT < 50 mK, at 9 Hz (25 Hz optional), 14 palettes with isotherms and automatic or manual span.
- Visible channel: 768 × 576 with 28× optical plus 12× digital zoom, 16° to 2° field of view and 0.4 lx (0.01 lx in low-light mode); UV and IR are digitally matched to its framing.
- Minimum focus: 0.7 m for UV and visible and 2.3 m for IR, with inter-channel fusion accuracy better than 1 mrad.
- Drone integration: 1.6 kg and 188 × 156 × 129 mm for Gremsy T3, DJI Ronin and similar gimbals; basic functions from an RC transmitter (SBUS/PWM) and full control over Ethernet.
- Recording: JPEG, AVI H.264 and UCF radiometric file with raw UV image, LWIR values, camera settings, GPS position, distance and environmental variables, on an SD card up to 64 GB.
- In the field: up to 4 h per battery, record-ready 60 s after power-on, −15 °C to +55 °C, IP43, CE and IEC 1010-1 and a 15-month warranty.
Advantages
Three inspections in one flight
Solar-blind UV (640 × 480), radiometric LWIR (640 × 512, < 50 mK) and a 28× optical zoom visible camera (768 × 576) share one screen, with fusion accuracy better than 1 mrad.
Extreme UV sensitivity
Detection from 2.05 × 10E-18 W/cm2 in solar-blind mode reveals the smallest corona discharges in full daylight, with 6 overlay presets or 255 tone levels.
Flown like a payload
Sized for Gremsy T3, DJI Ronin and similar gimbals; camera functions respond to a standard RC controller (SBUS/PWM) or to a laptop over Ethernet.
Evidence with context
Stills, video and UCF radiometric files carry camera settings, GPS position, distance and manually entered environmental data — humidity, wind, temperature and pressure.
Ready when the drone is
Fast setup with record capability 60 s after power-on, integrated GPS with booster antenna and up to 4 h per battery.
Applications
- Drone inspection of overhead lines and substations in service.
- Corona, arcing and hot-spot surveys on insulators, fittings and conductors.
- Inspection of areas that are difficult or hazardous to reach.
About the product
The CoroCAM 8UAV records onto SD cards up to 64 GB in JPEG, AVI (H.264) and UCF radiometric format, with automatic image numbering for reporting. The housing withstands −15 °C to +55 °C with IP43 protection and shock-absorbing covers, and ships in a Pelican-style case with a 15-month warranty.
Technical specifications
| Channels | Solar-blind UV + radiometric LWIR + visible |
| UV sensitivity | 2.05 × 10E-18 W/cm2; 640 × 480 |
| Infrared | 640 × 512; NEdT < 50 mK; 9 Hz (25 Hz optional) |
| Visible | 768 × 576; 28× optical + 12× digital zoom |
| Recording | JPEG, AVI H.264, UCF radiometric; SD up to 64 GB |
| Control | Ethernet, SBUS, PWM; multi-function keypad |
| Battery | Up to 4 h; record-ready in 60 s |
| Weight and size | 1.6 kg; 188 × 156 × 129 mm; IP43 |
| Field of view | 16° wide to 2° tele; UV and IR digitally matched to the visible |
| Minimum focus | UV 0.7 m; visible 0.7 m; IR 2.3 m |
| Visible sensitivity | 0.4 lx; 0.01 lx in low-light mode |
Frequently asked questions
Which corona camera can be mounted on a drone to inspect lines in service?
A lightweight payload combining solar-blind UV with thermal and visible imaging. The CoroCAM 8UAV weighs 1.6 kg, fits standard commercial gimbals such as the Gremsy T3 or DJI Ronin and detects corona from 2.05 × 10E-18 W/cm2 while recording temperature with a 640 × 512 LWIR at NEdT < 50 mK.
How long can the CoroCAM 8UAV work during an inspection?
Up to 4 h on its battery, and it is record-ready 60 s after power-on, so flight time is set by the drone. Each capture stores the GPS position, distance to the object and camera settings in a UCF file.
Which gimbals accept the camera?
Standard commercial gimbals such as the Gremsy T3 and DJI Ronin; the housing is sized and balanced for these platforms.
How is it controlled in flight?
A limited function set responds to a standard RC controller via PWM or SBUS; full control is available from a laptop over the Ethernet link.
What does a capture contain?
The displayed image, the raw UV image, LWIR radiometric values and metadata: camera settings, GPS position, distance to the object and environmental variables. The GPS position is stored as latitude and longitude. If the tower inventory or the flight plan is in UTM, the coordinate converter switches between the two systems, and to and from ED50 as well.
Can corona and hot spots be seen at once?
Yes. The three channels fuse on screen with better than 1 mrad accuracy, and UV overlay translucency is adjustable.
