A VCU grad's love for robotics and automation helped him create drone tech startup Linebird, which provides solutions to the utility industry's niche problems.
While finishing up his Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2018, Michael Beiro was seeking a way to apply that passion in a practical application.
Shortly after graduating, Beiro was able to make connections at Dominion Energy, and his idea for safer, more efficient utility work began coming together.
Beiro founded Linebird in December 2018. His mission was to use drones instead of manned crews to take the electrical resistance measurements.
"Energized work has been strictly the realm of manned missions for the entirety of the grid's existence," Beiro told Inno. "What we're doing is showing that you can use aerial unmanned systems to make contact with live power lines to determine how well the connection is working, how much power loss might be occurring, whether or not it's degrading and how much life span it has left."
Traditionally, manned crews would go up in a bucket truck or helicopter and use a sensor device to measure the electrical resistance of the piece that connects two power lines. Because these are live power lines, the process is dangerous, difficult and expensive.
Under the mentorship of Lee Corbin, a long-time practitioner in the electrical industry, Beiro pursued opportunities with industry leaders and ended up demonstrating his drone prototype to the Electric Power Research Institute. While pursuing these opportunities, Beiro brought in two more team members, Chase Coble and David Schul, who had previously worked on another project assisting utilities with drones - RVA Aerial.
Linebird is still currently working on field tests of their prototype, including on some de-energized towers in electrical training facilities. As the company looks for opportunities for expansion, they are participating in Lighthouse Lab's accelerator this summer.
"It's been a really rewarding time connecting with mentors, customers and alumni through the Lighthouse summer program the last few weeks," Beiro said in an email. "We've learned a lot about talking to potential customers and refining our business strategy. In addition, we've had exciting developments in prototype testing and R&D funding. Stay tuned!"
Previously, the company raised around $50,000 in funding between a friends and family round and their winnings from the Dominion Energy Innovation Center pitch competition. They are also pursuing grant applications that would allow them to work with government entities interested in pursuing drone technology in utility work.
