Flyability Elios 3 Surveying LiDAR Drone

Statement of Work / Performance Work Statement Title: Flyability Elios 3 Surveying LiDAR Drone Period of performance of this contract is: 60 days from the contract being awarded SECTION 1 – BACKGROUND The Flyability Elios 3 LiDAR equipped drone is marketed for use in underground mining and other confined spaces. The Elios 3 uses a SLAM-based LiDAR that allows the drone to stabilize itself without operator input. This technology also allows the drone to find its way back to the start point should the unit loose connection to the operator, preventing the drone from being lost in inaccessible areas of the mine. It comes with a range extender that increases the signal strength and range, allowing for farther flights and helping the operator to stay well away from inaccessible areas. The batteries allow for flights up to 12 minutes long and the unit flies at about 5 miles per hour. It also is marketed as the only drone that can be knocked into something, flipped over, and still correct itself and continue to fly. The lightweight cage around the unit protects against minor bumps and the camera and lighting system that is included in the main body of the system allows the operator to capture and embed images into the pointclouds. The Elios 3 also comes with a flammable gas sensor payload that can detect gases, including methane, diesel and over 20 other types. The unit can fly in tight spaces, needing only 36 inches of clearance and is designed to cause less turbulence than other units. The Elios 3 comes in a surveying package specifically designed for US Governmental use. The parts have been sourced with governmental agencies in mind and Flyability has provided documentation confirming the origin of the parts. Flyability has sold 30 Elios 3 units to the Department of Energy, 10 Elios 3's to the US Navy and at least one to the National Institute of Health. SECTION 2 – PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE LiDAR scanning has become an integral part of the NIOSH PMRD program and is used across several different projects. It has been used to obtain pillar measurements that have assisted with ventilation modeling, ground stability models, and has even been used to create a virtual reality environment that can assist in mine rescue training. LiDAR has also been used to map horizontal stress damage, obtain the size and shape of roof falls, predict instabilities in the roof using change detection, measure floor heave over time and identify the orientation and frequency of geologic anomalies. Results from LiDAR scanning have been used to support findings in publications and presentations, which have been adopted by the industry and utilized to improve safety in several operations. Over the course of several projects, researchers have encountered areas in which it would be helpful to collect LiDAR scans but have been unable to due to unsafe conditions in the mine. Having the ability to fly a LiDAR-equipped drone into these areas, would allow researchers to collect data that may help to solve more ground control related issues that endanger the health and safety of the underground miner. Issues such as roof falls where the extent of the roof fall is hidden, or massive collapses, where it would be unsafe to approach the area, could be managed. The drone would have the ability to not only collect dimensions that would help researchers model the instabilities but also would collect photographs and possibly identify the presents of geologic anomalies that may provide the reason for the fall or collapse. Other uses for the drone would be to identify the presence of gases, or to collect measurements to recreate the environment virtually to then be used in a virtual reality training program. Purchasing a LiDAR-equipped drone with an integrated methane sensor is a critical investment for expanding and enhancing the NIOSH VR Mine Rescue Training platform. The drone enables safe, rapid collection of high-resolution 3D scans from areas that are physically inaccessible or too hazardous for personnel, capturing site-specific geometry and features that static or ground-based methods cannot reach. Its ability to orbit and collect full-circle scans minimizes data gaps and produces contiguous point clouds that reduce post-processing time and eliminate holes in virtual scenes, resulting in more realistic and immersive training environments. The onboard methane sensor allows pre-flight and in-flight hazard detection to assess explosion risk, protecting operators and -- 1 of 7 -- preserving data integrity by avoiding or flagging readings in potentially dangerous atmospheres. Beyond training, the captured data can support pre-mission planning in actual emergencies by providing responders with accurate, site-specific visualizations and spatial context to inform entry routes, hazard avoidance, and resource staging. By enabling creation of diverse, accurate, and site-specific VR scenarios and by contributing to actionable pre-mission information, the drone improves training realism and preparedness for rescue teams while reducing field exposure, travel time, and long-term costs associated with alternative surveying methods. SECTION 3 – SCOPE OF WORK The contractor shall provide the equipment and software access listed in the quote. Package includes 3 years of the premium software access. SECTION 4 – TASKS TO BE PERFORMED The contractor shall provide the Elios 3 drone with all equipment and software provided in the quotes. SECTION 5 – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY No government provided items will be required in completion of the purchase. SECTION 6 – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE AND CONTRACT SUPPORT HOURS SUBSECTION A – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Purchase will be conducted entirely offsite. SUBSECTION B – CONTRACT SUPPORT HOURS Specific support hours are not applicable. SECTION 7 – TRAVEL Travel will be in accordance with / and not to exceed the Federal Travel Regulation rates. Travel costs need to be approved in advance by the COR. The contractor shall be re…