Imagine a future where accidents around dam walls and other major infrastructures never happen, where fatalities during hazardous tasks become a thing of the past, and where the environment benefits from safer, more precise operations. This future is being built today in the small country town of Sheffield, Tasmania, through the power of drones.
A New Era for Safety and Environmental Protection
Drones hold the potential to revolutionize how we approach safety around dangerous sites like hydroelectric dams, cliff faces, and mine walls. Traditionally, inspecting and maintaining these sites has exposed workers to serious risks, such as climbing down tall walls or walking on unstable terrain. Drones can completely prevent incidents by taking humans out of harm's way.
More than just improving safety, drones in Tasmania are helping to eliminate fatalities connected to these risky tasks. They also aid environmental protection through more controlled fire management. For example, in fuel reduction burning, drones help light fires safely in inaccessible areas, monitor hot spots with thermal cameras, and support situational awareness.
These innovations arise not from a tech hub but from a local effort in rural Tasmania, showing how impactful technology can be even when developed in modest settings. This grounded approach combines practical problem-solving with innovative technology, rooted in community ties.
A Family Tradition of Innovation and Problem-Solving
The spirit behind this innovation comes from a lifelong legacy of fixing problems with whatever resources were on hand.
On one side of the family, there are over 100 years of experience managing cattle in Tasmania’s highlands. The video’s storyteller recalls his grandfather, Roy, standing proudly before a hut he helped build. On the other side, his great-grandfather was an inventor who created the self-service petrol bowser, driven by a mechanic’s frustration at always having to fill customers’ tanks manually.
Growing up on dairy farms, he was surrounded by hands-on fixes and resourcefulness. This shaped a practical mindset toward technology and innovation, emphasizing making things work with limited resources rather than always buying new equipment.
Changing Perceptions of Drones
Not everyone has welcomed drones enthusiastically. Early on, while capturing footage at an event, a farmer confronted the drone pilot with concerns. This man found the buzzing machines intimidating and associated them with military use or nuisance activity. Drones had a reputation for disrupting leisure at beaches or being gadgets for entertainment.
These fears reflected a gap between the technology’s real potential and public understanding. But drones here are about solving critical human problems—not just creating annoying noise or surveillance.
From Mining to Drones: A Personal Journey
The storyteller’s drone journey began unexpectedly while traveling overseas. Encountering another drone enthusiast aboard a Mediterranean yacht sparked intrigue. This first-hand experience revealed a new way to combine technology and creativity.
Back in Australia, after five years working in mines he didn’t enjoy, an ad for a commercial drone pilot license caught his attention. Motivated by the idea of leaving mining behind, he sold his belongings, returned to Tasmania, and founded Taz Drone Solutions, setting up shop in a granny flat on his family farm.
During the first year, he experimented with various projects: photography, drone training, surveying, and generating 3D maps. Those early steps were about understanding the technology and finding his niche as Tasmania’s general drone expert.
Tackling Dangerous Problems One Drone Innovation at a Time
Spraying Weeds on Dam Walls
A major breakthrough came through a connection to Tony, the manager of a local hydroelectric scheme. The dam wall faced a serious problem: weeds growing on the wall could crack the infrastructure if not removed carefully. The current solution required workers to abseil down the wall—a dangerous and expensive process.
The idea: build a drone that could spray each weed individually without human risk. Along with engineer Brady, the storyteller built what they called the “Franken Drone”—a drone equipped with a tank, boom, and nozzle for spraying.
The development journey was frustrating and full of setbacks: crashed electronics, reversed motors causing flips, and constant repairs. But perseverance paid off. After a year of trial and error, they built a functional drone capable of spraying weeds.
One week before an important trial, the drone crashed spectacularly. Faced with this failure, they rebuilt quickly, creating “Franken Drone 2.0” in just one week—a testament to how learning compounds over time.
The drone successfully flew along the dam wall during the trial, spraying weeds precisely. Tony’s praise marked the start of expanding this approach to other dangerous sites, including cliffs, mine sites, and quarries across Tasmania. This work has kept workers safe in some of the state’s riskiest environments.
For more on the use of drone weed spraying in Tasmania, see Taz Drone Solutions - Agriculture.
Revolutionizing Mining Safety: Installing Survey Prisms by Drone
A mining company faced a tragic loss when a worker died while installing survey prisms on mine walls. Because of the danger, the company could no longer allow staff to walk along walls carrying heavy equipment.
Survey prisms are critical for monitoring wall movement and preventing collapses. Without them, landslides or wall slips could be catastrophic.
The drone team tackled this challenge head-on. They designed a custom drone and payload system that could carry and install prisms remotely.
Key Innovations:
- A metal tripod landing platform that adapts to various ground types like rock, clay, and soil.
- A magnetic clip system that allows drones to attach and retrieve prisms for reuse.
- A drone equipped with a high-pressure nozzle that cleans prism lenses, ensuring accurate readings.
The result: over 1,000 prisms installed safely across Australia without workers ever having to risk walking the walls. This solution has attracted attention internationally, with inquiries from countries like Brazil, the United States, Egypt, and South Africa.
This project reflects how solving a local issue can have a global impact. More on this approach by Prismo, a company offering innovative drone solutions for mining safety, can be found here.
Enhancing Fire Safety with Drone-Controlled Fuel Reduction Burning
In 2021, the team met Linda, a fuel reduction burning manager in Tasmania. Controlled burns reduce wildfire risks by managing fuel loads but often require workers to light fires in dangerous terrain or rely on expensive helicopter deployment.
Linda wanted a drone capable of:
- Lighting fires remotely,
- Using thermal cameras to monitor hot spots,
- Providing situational awareness during burns,
to improve safety and efficiency.
The challenge was immense. The team had to build a drone with:
- A heavy-metal tank to carry flammable liquid,
- A custom pump to release the liquid safely,
- An ignition system that prevents flames traveling backward into the tank,
- Complete custom electronics for control and safety.
Developing these systems took three years, many trials, and a culture that encouraged learning from failures quickly. Recently, a successful field trial in the highlands brought a sense of relief and accomplishment to everyone involved.
This innovation not only protects workers but also improves the control and safety of fire management.
Lessons from Tasmania’s Drone Innovators
The stories of dam wall spraying, mining prism installation, and fuel reduction burning highlight several crucial lessons:
- Saying “Yes, I’ll figure it out” leads to breakthroughs even without prior knowledge.
- Building a culture where rapid failure is seen as progress drives innovation.
- Nurturing personal relationships and leveraging local resources creates unique solutions.
- Technology alone isn’t the answer—the people and mindset behind it matter most.
These drone innovations have reshaped safety and environmental management in Tasmania and beyond, proving that persistence and practical creativity can change lives.
Conclusion
Drones in Tasmania are more than machines that make noise or a feature of military use. They are tools reshaping how we work safely in dangerous environments, protect critical infrastructure, and manage our fragile ecosystems.
From humble beginnings on a family farm, tied to deep roots of practical fixing and invention, this small-town operation is solving big problems with drones. Their journey shows how innovation grows from community and persistence more than fancy labs or large budgets.
For more insights into this inspiring story and the technology behind it, watch the full video here.
For more on drone prism installation and mining safety:
- Learn about commercial drone prism solutions at Prismo’s Prism Installation service.
- Explore local drone agricultural spraying solutions from Tasmania at Taz Drone Solutions Agriculture.
- Read about the engineering journey of Taz Drone Solutions on GDrones Solutions blog.
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