Blue Vigil trials drone site light

Robert Schumann, CEO, Blue Vigil, with the ALED portable light. (Photo: Blue Vigil)

US startup Blue Vigil is to trial its drone-based site lighting technology with 12 customers this year.

The company said its autonomous Aerial LED (ALED) light, which uses LED lights mounted on a drone tethered to the ground, is a “major advancement in portable lighting for the construction market” and ideal for large expanse construction projects.

The 34kg drone - or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) - will operate at heights of between 40ft (12m) and 100ft (30.5m) and will light as much as 8000ft2 (743m2) of ground.

The product is being shown at the World of Concrete exhibition in Las Vegas from 23 to 25 January, and Blue Virgil is hoping that limited commercial sales will begin in the Americas in the third quarter of this year.

ALED can be powered via a wall/shore power, a smaller, quieter portable 3000W generator or a vehicle inverter. At the same time, glare is also reduced because of the height of the light source.

It will be tested by 12 customers ranging from “top-tier construction companies, state-level transportation agencies and some of the largest public safety departments in the United States,” with field feedback provided to be used for future adaptions.

Blue Vigil said other advantages of the unit include ease of trasportation, storage and operation as well as efficiency and low cost of operation.

Robert Schumann, CEO of Blue Vigil, said,“Because the ALED illuminates a work area from directly above, the improvement in light field size and quality is significant and obvious.

“The ALED’s portability also means it can be positioned more optimally on a site. These are big wins in a global market that is eager for a better solution.”

Trials are to begin in Q1 of 2024, with availability of the light expected to commence by Q3 in North and South America in limited quantities, the company said. 

Schumann added, “Poor lighting is a major contributing factor to safety incidents, productivity loss and quality issues on nighttime sites. The ALED represents the first significant advancement of portable light towers in nearly 40 years.”

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