Amusement Park Inspections: Faster, Safer, and More Cost-Effective with the Elios

West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Canada is North America's largest shopping center. It was here that the Elios drone was used for an amusement park inspection, revolutionizing the way infrastructure is checked.

 

Key Benefits at a Glance

The Elios drone was used to inspect the infrastructure at West Edmonton Mall’s World Waterpark and the Mindbender roller coaster. Thanks to its ability to navigate tight spaces, teams from WEM, INTECH NDE (a Flyability reseller and training partner), and Applus were able to examine areas previously difficult to reach, cutting inspection time from 10–20 hours down to just 1–2 hours, and potentially saving over 80% on costs.

WEM staff found that the Elios not only made inspections faster, safer, and more economical, but also enabled them to see details they had never been able to observe before. Even with scaffolding, certain parts of the infrastructure in both the World Waterpark and Galaxyland were hard or impossible to access manually. With the Elios, they could fly into those high, tight spaces and get a detailed view of every corner.

How the Elios Transformed Amusement Park Inspections

Galaxyland and the World Waterpark attract thousands of visitors daily, making safety a top priority for the maintenance team. Regular inspections are essential to identify maintenance needs and prevent accidents. However, inspecting large, complex structures like roller coasters and water rides can be extremely challenging, time-consuming, and costly.

For example, inspecting a structure that stands 15 meters (49 feet) high often requires setting up scaffolding and sending inspectors up, which is not only time-consuming but also expensive. The process involves dismantling and rebuilding scaffolding for each new area, adding to the overall cost and effort.

"We have so many areas in these parks that we can't physically reach for inspection. We have to build scaffolding or send people up on ropes just to check if there's a problem. This is really tough when you need quick answers and want to know the condition of the structures immediately," said Brian Mykitiuk, Director of Engineering & Maintenance at West Edmonton Mall.

Manual inspections are also limited in where they can go. Even with scaffolding, ropes, and booms, some parts of the World Waterpark and Galaxyland remain too high or too confined to inspect manually.

A New Era for Amusement Park Inspections

Using the Elios, a certified pilot from INTECH NDE conducted visual inspections of key components in the World Waterpark and the Mindbender roller coaster in Galaxyland. WEM staff, the INTECH NDE pilot, and an Applus representative watched the live feed to spot potential maintenance issues.

Results of Using the Elios for Inspections

The Elios significantly reduced inspection time, completing key asset checks in about 10% of the time required for manual methods. It also cut costs dramatically, from around $68K USD to $11K USD—a saving of $57K USD, or 84% of the original cost.

In addition to cost and time savings, the Elios eliminated the need for personnel to climb scaffolding, reducing their exposure to risk. This makes inspections safer and more efficient for the entire team.

The Future of Amusement Park Inspections

The success of the Elios in inspecting the World Waterpark and Galaxyland has led West Edmonton Mall leadership to explore using the drone for inspections across the entire mall, which spans over 490,000 square meters (5.3 million square feet).

"I believe the Elios will be beneficial not just for our two parks, but for the whole mall. There are many high and hard-to-reach areas where I’d love to get a visual inspection, such as the ice rink ceiling or the pirate ship over the lake. It will help all our operations, especially when we need quick answers," said Bradley Pyke, West Edmonton Mall Supervisor.

Since this project, the Elios has seen several upgrades, including the launch of the Elios 3 with a modular payload design. This version can now provide LiDAR scans and ultrasonic thickness measurements, offering even more insights into the condition of metallic structures. These enhancements make the Elios a powerful tool for regular and thorough inspections, empowering site managers with real-time data and improved safety.

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