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Hamilton County demonstrates Skyo X10 drone to speed stormwater inspections, reduce field risk
Summary
Planning and Development showed a new Skyo X10 drone (~$23,000 package) for stormwater outfall inspections, construction monitoring and mapping of decades-old storm sewers; staff said the drone will improve safety and data collection, but operator certification and staffing are current constraints.
Planning and Development staff demonstrated a newly acquired Skyo X10 drone and outlined immediate uses for Hamilton County's stormwater program.
Muhammad Islam, who presented the program, said the county purchased the drone in January 2026 and identified three initial applications: outfall/headwall inspections in steep or unsafe terrain, construction progress inspections, and accelerated mapping of roughly 200 miles of older storm sewers that lack complete records.
"With the drone we can send only one person," Islam said, describing time savings, improved safety for field crews and faster condition assessments that let the county prioritize repairs without repeatedly putting staff in hazardous locations.
Keegan McQuay highlighted equipment features: the Skyo X10 is U.S.-manufactured to comply with recent procurement guidance, includes two high-resolution cameras and a thermal sensor, obstacle-avoidance and real-time 3D mapping, and is AI-enabled for safer automated flights. Staff said the complete package of drone, sensors and software costs about $23,000; the aircraft alone is roughly $16,000.
The department plans a trial phase: one certified FAA commercial operator is on staff and training additional operators is inexpensive (the FAA test is about $200) but requires time. Staff said they will expand operator capacity if demand warrants and will coordinate with other agencies, including MSD, for joint uses and property-due-diligence scans.
Commissioners praised the safety and efficiency benefits and asked staff to explore broader uses such as pre-purchase site scans for county property and coordination with MSD. Planning Director James Noyes said drones could also be used for damage assessment after storms to keep crews out of unsafe areas.
Next steps: continue trial operations, train additional certified operators, and pursue collaboration with county departments and external partners where useful.
