Robotic & Drone-Based NDI Essentials Training by Tonex
Modern inspection teams are adopting robots and drones to perform non-destructive inspection (NDI) on complex assets with speed, repeatability, and elevated safety. This course grounds participants in the fundamentals of robotic mobility, aerial platforms, sensor payloads, and test method selection while emphasizing planning, execution, and evidence quality.
Cybersecurity considerations are integrated across data capture and transfer, ensuring inspection evidence remains confidential and tamper-resistant. You will learn how to protect command links, harden edge devices, and manage secure workflows from the field to the cloud. By the end, attendees can design compliant, secure, and efficient robotic or drone-enabled NDI programs aligned with real operational needs.
Learning Objectives
- Explain core principles of non-destructive inspection and applicable standards
- Differentiate ground robots vs. drones and match platforms to use cases
- Select appropriate NDI methods and sensor payloads for target materials
- Plan safe, efficient missions with repeatable data collection workflows
- Interpret, validate, and report inspection findings with traceability
- Embed secure data handling and resilient communications with cybersecurity in mind
Audience
- Inspection and quality engineers
- Maintenance, reliability, and asset managers
- UAS/robotics program leaders
- Operations and safety professionals
- IT/OT and data platform engineers
- Cybersecurity Professionals
Module 1 – Foundations of NDI
- NDI purpose and scope
- Materials and defect modes
- Standards and terminology
- Evidence quality criteria
- Risk and compliance basics
- Safety and ethics overview
Module 2 – Robots and Drones
- Platform types and roles
- Mobility and flight envelopes
- Payload capacity planning
- Power and endurance tradeoffs
- Autonomy and teleoperation
- Environmental constraints
Module 3 – NDI Methods & Payloads
- Visual and thermography
- Ultrasonics and phased array
- Eddy current and MFL
- Radiography and CT basics
- Lidar and 3D mapping
- Data fusion strategies
Module 4 – Mission Planning & Execution
- Site assessment workflow
- Flight path and waypoints
- Robot route optimization
- Checklists and permits
- Crew roles and handoffs
- Contingency procedures
Module 5 – Data, Analytics, Security
- Onboard acquisition control
- Edge preprocessing pipelines
- Model-assisted detection
- Secure storage and transfer
- Access control and logging
- Integrity and provenance
Module 6 – Reporting & Program Maturity
- Result interpretation guides
- Traceable defect records
- KPIs and ROI tracking
- Scaling operations safely
- Training and certification
- Continuous improvement loop
Ready to modernize inspections with secure, robot- and drone-enabled NDI? Contact Tonex to schedule this course for your team and accelerate safer, faster, and more reliable asset assurance.