UK imaging technology company Quantum Solutions has announced a strategic partnership with Delmar Aerospace and Perspectum Drone Inspection Services to deploy drone-based water intelligence monitoring services across the US West Coast and Canada.
The collaboration will introduce Quantum Solutions’ Q.Fly Water platform to the North American market, combining advanced drone-based sensing technology with regional inspection and environmental monitoring expertise.
The system captures surface moisture data in real time using multispectral sensing and the Normalised Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), enabling high-resolution mapping of water availability across landscapes, agricultural land and infrastructure corridors.
According to the companies, the technology can produce moisture intelligence at resolutions significantly finer than conventional satellite monitoring, supporting improved decision-making in areas such as irrigation planning, infrastructure inspection and environmental management.
Drone-based water intelligence and NDMI moisture mapping
Drone-based water intelligence is becoming increasingly valuable as organisations seek more detailed environmental data to manage water resources and infrastructure.
NDMI, or Normalised Difference Moisture Index, is widely used in satellite remote sensing to measure water content in soil and vegetation. However, satellite systems typically operate at resolutions of around 20 metres and can be affected by cloud cover and orbital limitations.
Quantum Solutions’ Q.Fly Water system calculates the same scientific index using two water-sensitive spectral bands mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle. This allows moisture variations to be detected in real time with spatial resolutions of up to two centimetres per pixel.
The technology is designed to bridge the gap between large-scale satellite observation and ground-based sensor monitoring, providing highly detailed environmental data for operational decision-making.
Applications include identifying irrigation needs in agriculture, detecting leaks along pipeline infrastructure, monitoring wetlands and assessing environmental conditions in sensitive ecosystems.
Expanding environmental monitoring across North America
Through the partnership, Delmar Aerospace and Perspectum Drone Inspection Services will operate the drone-based sensing technology across North America while providing data collection, analysis and reporting services.
The companies say the combined offering will support organisations seeking improved visibility of water availability, infrastructure performance and environmental conditions.
As climate pressures and water scarcity concerns increase globally, demand is rising for higher-resolution environmental monitoring technologies capable of delivering actionable insights.
Further coverage of water monitoring technologies can be found in the H2O Global News technology section.
