sees.ai
5/10UK provider of centrally controlled, autonomous beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone inspections that capture close-quarter condition data on electricity transmission and distribution assets.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
sees.ai is a Chichester-based company. It runs its own full-stack autonomous drone system, covering aircraft, flight autonomy, operations and data capture, to inspect live overhead power lines and towers. Remote pilots fly the drones beyond visual line of sight from a central control room. Onboard LiDAR lets the aircraft adapt in real time to tower geometry, nearby structures and vegetation, so it does not need a prior site survey or pre-mapped flight plan. The drones can fly within metres of energised conductors and steelwork, so lines do not have to be switched off. The company sells two managed services. Asset Health Monitoring gives grid operators repeatable condition data for maintenance and investment planning. Quality Assurance Inspections give EPC contractors and grid owners visual evidence of installation quality at handover. sees.ai handles operations, safety and regulatory compliance. Outputs are structured, format-agnostic image datasets and georeferenced 2D and 3D data intended for AI analysis. Defect detection has so far come from partners such as Keen AI rather than from sees.ai itself. The flagship customer is National Grid. After a four-year innovation programme, it moved the system into business-as-usual use across its transmission network in England and Wales, about 7,200 km. sees.ai holds UK CAA permission for routine BVLOS inspection of live lines, Irish Aviation Authority approval and an April 2026 FCC conditional approval for the US. Pricing is not published. Work is quoted as a managed service, and the vendor mentions a possible future licensed technology model. The main limitations are that it is a service rather than self-serve software, it is focused almost entirely on the power grid, and it has a small, concentrated customer base.
Our Rating
AI Software4.9/10
Industrial & Infrastructure Software5.2/10
Who sees.ai is best for
Best software for UtilitiesGood fit
Built for electricity grid owners and proven at scale on National Grid's transmission network.
Targets transmission and distribution operators and has explored wind turbine, oil and gas, and nuclear use cases.
The managed BVLOS service suits large infrastructure owners with long networks and formal inspection programmes.
Less suited
Its quality assurance inspections serve EPC contractors at project handover, though only for grid assets.
There is no self-serve product, and the service is aimed at national-scale infrastructure operators.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Drones fly close to live, energised transmission lines and towers, so power does not have to be switched off for inspection.
- Remote pilots control flights from a central room beyond visual line of sight, so a few launch sites can cover long stretches of line.
- Onboard LiDAR adapts flights in real time, so it can inspect after storms or site changes without a prior survey.
- Proven in production: National Grid moved it from trial to business-as-usual inspections across its England and Wales transmission network.
- Holds rare regulatory approvals, including routine BVLOS permission from the UK CAA, Irish Aviation Authority approval and an FCC conditional approval in the US.
Cons
- No public pricing. Every engagement is quoted as a bespoke managed service.
- It is a service rather than software buyers run themselves, and a licensed technology model is only mentioned as a future option.
- AI defect detection and reporting have relied on partners such as Keen AI rather than built-in analytics.
- Commercial track record rests largely on one major customer, National Grid.
- Focused almost entirely on electricity grid assets. Other sectors such as rail, oil and gas, and nuclear are still potential use cases.
Key Features
sees.ai Pricing
Managed inspection service
- Centrally controlled BVLOS flights
- Structured, AI-ready inspection datasets
- Pricing on request via demo or contact form
- Asset Health Monitoring and Quality Assurance Inspections
- Fully managed operations, safety and regulatory compliance
Frequently Asked Questions
Today sees.ai sells fully managed inspection services and takes care of flights, safety and regulatory compliance. The vendor says it is open to discussing a future move to a licensed technology model.
Pricing is not published. Prospective customers have to book a demo or contact the team for a quote.
It focuses on electricity transmission and distribution spans, towers and conductors. It has demonstrated other work, such as wind turbine inspection at Levenmouth, and sees possible uses in rail, oil and gas, and nuclear.
It holds UK CAA permission for routine BVLOS inspection of live overhead power lines and reportedly received Irish Aviation Authority BVLOS authorisation in June 2025. In April 2026 the FCC granted conditional approval for its v.USA 1.0 system, valid through 31 December 2026.
Customers receive structured, format-agnostic inspection datasets, including georeferenced 2D imagery and 3D models, designed for AI and machine learning analysis. The vendor says these feed existing asset management and analytics systems but names no specific integrations. It is listed as an Esri Partner Network member.
National Grid Electricity Transmission is the main customer, using the system across its England and Wales network. The website also lists organisations such as NATS, Vodafone and Lloyds Register as customers or partners.
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Ranked near sees.ai in AI Software
See sees.ai in the listsees.ai is #340 in AI Software by our score.
