VDOS Global
Autonomous drone-based visual inspection platform for oil & gas and industrial assets; raised ~$5M to reduce risk and cost of infrastructure inspection.
VDOS Global LLC is a commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection and data collection company founded in 2011 by CEO Brian Whiteside, a U.S. Navy veteran and former F/A-18 pilot, and based in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The company was the first in the United States to receive FAA approval to perform commercial inspection services using UAVs, establishing an early position in the emerging market for drone-based industrial inspection. VDOS pilots operate both domestically and internationally, traveling to client sites to deliver UAV-based inspection operations, aerial data collection, and strategic consulting services across the energy and environmental sectors.
The company's core service offering uses unmanned aircraft systems to perform safe, non-intrusive inspections of energy and industrial infrastructure without halting ongoing operations or placing human inspectors in hazardous environments. A major early milestone for VDOS Global was receiving an FAA waiver to conduct offshore inspections for Shell-operated structures throughout the Gulf of Mexico, deploying high-definition and thermal imaging payloads to detect faults, corrosion, and structural deterioration on offshore platforms and associated equipment. The thermal and HD imaging approach allows VDOS to identify subsurface and surface defects that would otherwise require manned access to elevated, confined, or otherwise dangerous locations.
In a subsequent strategic development, VDOS Global LLC and RPAS Training and Solutions Pty Ltd of Australia announced a merger forming Compiler Enterprise, creating an inspection and UAV training entity with combined operations across North America, Australia, and Africa. The company's inspection focus areas include oil and gas infrastructure such as offshore structures, storage tanks, pipelines, and processing equipment, where drone-based visual inspection reduces personnel safety risk and minimizes operational downtime compared to traditional rope-access or scaffold-based inspection methods. VDOS Global also pursued partnerships with insurance and risk management firms, including a collaboration with Cunningham Lindsey for drone technology services as announced in December 2015.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
UAV Inspection Services
Vertically integrated drone inspection of offshore structures and infrastructure (FAA-approved).
Contact VDOS Global
WEBSITE
https://www.vdosglobal.comPHONE
+1 (844) 836-7456HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
-
Primary Role
System Integrator
Company Size
employees 10-50
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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Artificial Intelligence Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) Humanoids Manufacturing Markets / Industries Microprocessors / SoC
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Hydraulic Systems Humanoid Robots Robotics Technology Automation
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Military
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Robot Motion Control Intelligent Chips Robotics Development Automation Solutions
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