The next time drivers see the massive wind turbines on the side of the highway used to generate electrical power, they may want to picture drones flying around them. That will be happening soon, according to a new report from market research firm Navigant Research, a Colorado-based consultancy studying emerging technologies that predicts turbine maintenance drones will be a $6 billion industry by 2024.

The firm assembled a report showing that, as friendly unmanned aerial vehicles become more accepted, they’ll also be used to streamline what’s traditionally been an incredibly difficult job. The $6 billion valuation would vault the drone inspection industry into the revenue level of the entire tortilla chip industry and the global surf and skateboarding industry, according to Vice Motherboard, which first obtained the report Thursday.

http://www.ibtimes.com/drone-maintenance-wind-turbines-will-be-6-billion-industry-within-9-years-report-2092751#.VfMf8JjyW40.twitter

Editors note… Oh look there’s Mike Smith of Flying ScotsCam doing wind turbine inspections 5 years ago!

Nicer vertical from Mike http://www.flyingscotscam.com/SB/mingarycastle.html