InDro Forge: A one-stop shop for prototype development and limited production runs

InDro Forge: A one-stop shop for prototype development and limited production runs

Jun 4, 2025 | InDro Forge, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

It’s been some time since we’ve written about InDro Forge. That’s our custom prototype fabrication and limited production run facility in Ottawa.

We’ve been running the facility since September of 2023 – and have grown its capacity significantly since then. We’ve added new staff, capital expenditures, and have fine-tuned a workflow to ensure speed without sacrificing quality control.

“InDro Forge is the hardware hub of InDro Robotics,” explains Forge Production Engineer Joel Koscielski. “So it’s the space where we design, develop, prototype and produce the hardware that goes into InDro products as well as our client’s products.”

And, with designers and engineers and fabrication specialists, Forge ensures clients leave with a polished, finished product.

Below: The water jet table – one of many additive and subtractive tools at InDro Forge

ADDITIVE, SUBTRACTIVE TOOLS

 

You can think of InDro Forge as a small-scale factory. And it’s loaded with the tools required for that job, ranging from a state-of-the-art CNC machine and water jet table through to a variety of 3D printing devices – including the BigRep ONE, capable of printing objects up to one cubic meter in size with a variety of materials.

All of these tools, broadly, belong to one of two categories: Additive or subtractive.

“Subtractive tooling, as it implies, is about taking away material,” explains Koscielski. “If you think about something like a beautiful stone carving, or you a wood carving that’s been carved with a chainsaw to make a beautiful piece of art – those are subtractive processes.”

And additive?

“That’s really about working with a liquid material or powder, adding layer by layer, to build in what’s commonly known as 3D printing. We have about six different types of printers here that work with multiple materials depending on the accuracy we need on the surface finish.”

 

IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE

 

InDro Forge has a cross-disciplinary team, ensuring complementary skillsets. We have experienced robotics engineers, designers, electronics specialists and more to ensure our client’s plans evolve into a functioning, real-world product. We’re proud of the final fit and finish of everything that goes out the door.

We’re also cognisant that, on rare occasions, unusual requirements can pop up that stretch even our considerable expertise and fabrication resources. There, InDro Forge has access to the InDro Robotics engineering team at Area X.O, as well as contacts with external specialists in virtually every related sector.

“We have a well-filled Rolodex – though that’s a bit of a dated term – of people we can reach out to when our expert isn’t enough,” says Koscielski. “We know who to ask to be able to make sure that we can find the best solution for the problem we’re facing.”

Below: In addition to products for clients, InDro’s robots like Sentinel now go through final integration and assembly at InDro Forge

 
Industrial Inspection Robot

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We launched InDro Forge in September of 2023 with a small but strong core staff. Since then, we’ve expanded that team significantly with strategic hires aimed at maximising not only Forge’s overall expertise – but its capacity for handling multiple projects, including limited production runs.

“InDro Forge has truly been the perfect match for our Area X.O operations – as well as new clients,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “With the ability to leverage the expertise of our broader engineering R&D team, Forge has an immense amount of expertise at its fingertips.”

Interested in learning more? Contact InDro Forge here.

InDro in Atlanta at ICRA – IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

InDro in Atlanta at ICRA – IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

May 21, 2025 | InDro Cortex, InDro News, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

We are at ICRA 2025 – billed as “the premiere conference in robotics and automation.”

With about 40,000 attendees, there are some conferences out there that are even larger. But few are more influential when it comes to R&D. Some 3,000 research papers have been submitted for the show, with massive poster displays showing off cutting-edge research and new use-cases.

InDro is represented at this show by our Head of R&D Sales, Luke Corbeth. We spoke with Luke about why this conference is so important in this edition of our Sound Byte micro-podcast.

PAPERS, POSTERS, BREAKTHROUGHS

 

All of that research may not be as immediately appealing as the latest humanoid robot, but some of it might well improve the next generation of humanoids or reveal new use-cases. Research unveiled at shows like these – and particularly at ICRA – often finds a pathway from R&D into real-world applications..

“It’s really about creating that knowledge transfer,” explains Corbeth. “Others can build on top of what was discovered instead of having to do that work over again. And, that ultimately lays the groundwork (not only) for improvement in our field but also collaboration as well between academia, industry and others.”

And while Corbeth will be checking out the poster presentations (and robots!) when he has a moment to slip away from the booth, most of his time will be spent talking with potential clients about recent InDro innovations.

Those on display at the show include InDro Controller – our user-friendly interface for remote teleoperations and autonomous missions. Controller is the result of an immense amount of Front and Back-End development. It allows for the rapid plotting of repeatable autonomous missions with a few clicks of a mouse. Actions, such as zooming in on a point of interest or scanning a particular item for thermal anomalies, can be set up in a flash. And the software immediately detects any new sensors added to a robot (or drone) and allows for a fully customisable dashboard to display and save the data they acquire.

We’re also showing off our new R&D research drone. We developed this product, which runs on ROS2, over the past two years. Because it’s fully Open Source and has powerful onboard compute, it’s the perfect tool for researchers who want to test new applications and code. There are very few drones that have been developed specifically for R&D purposes, so we’re pleased to be offering this (and have already sold units to US researchers).

 

THE BIG REVEAL

 

We’re most excited, however, to be showing our new Cortex module in public for the first time.

“It’s a brain box for virtually any robot or drone,” says Corbeth. “So the idea behind Cortex is it’s extremely lightweight. It has really capable compute in the (NVIDIA) Orin NX in addition to 5G connectivity and power distribution. So we can turn virtually any Uncrewed Ground Vehicle or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle into a robot capable of teleoperation and autonomy with a little bit of software and some sensor integrations.”

We’re not releasing full specs yet, but we’re incredibly excited about the capabilities offered by Cortex. It allows not only for remote teleoperation, but for the near-instant integration of additional sensors on UGVs and UAVs without all the coding. We can also bundle Cortex with additional software stacks like InDro Autonomy. And, of course, it plays nice with InDro Controller.

If you follow InDro, you’ll be aware we previously developed the popular InDro Commander, which carries out similar functions. Cortex is the logical descendant of that R&D, putting even greater power into the smallest package possible.

Though commercial release is scheduled for later this year, we’ve already had inquiries and pre-orders. Here’s a peek at Cortex on display at ICRA 2025:

InDro Cortex ICRA 2025

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We choose our conferences carefully. ICRA is truly at the centre of cutting-edge R&D and is a must-attend for us. Not only is it a great opportunity to expand our client base, but also a chance to see the latest and best research in the sector.

“The show has come a long way since we were last here,” says Corbeth. “There has been an incredible amount of innovation in such a short period from the companies that exhibit and the researchers that are presenting. Notably, a lot of advancement in humanoids, grippers and solutions like Cortex that make it easier to develop, create and deploy robotics systems.”

Interested in more information about Cortex? You can hit us up here.

InDro, UBC partner on medical drone deliveries to remote communities

InDro, UBC partner on medical drone deliveries to remote communities

May 6, 2025 | Drone Delivery, Indigenous Peoples/First Nations, InDro News, Industry News, Scott Simmie, UBC

By Scott Simmie

 

InDro Robotics is pleased to partner with the University of British Columbia on a pilot project that will use drones to deliver critical medical supplies to remote communities in that province.

It’s a use-case InDro has long supported. In fact, during previous trials we have securely delivered prescription medications to Gulf Islands in conjunction with Canada Post and London Drugs. It was Canada’s first-ever BVLOS RPAS delivery of its kind. That, however, was a short-term demonstration. The UBC partnership is long-term and has broader goals.

“There are multiple aspects to this project,” explains InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “In addition to delivering critical medical supplies, we’ll be evaluating what kinds of cargo can be delivered, how drones perform in year-round weather, and ultimately how beneficial this service is for communities and local health-care providers.”

Initially, the project will focus on transporting personal protective and laboratory test swabs before expanding to include prescription medications and other supplies – including blood products. InDro has expertise in this field as well, carrying out trials in Montreal in 2019 to deliver simulated blood products by drone between hospitals. The work required strict temperature controls to ensure viability.

All of this is very much up our alley. In fact, InDro carried out deliveries of COVID test supplies during the height of the pandemic to a remote First Nations community:

LOGICAL, EFFICIENT

 

You don’t need to look very hard to find examples of where drone delivery of medical supplies has been hugely successful. The most well-known is Zipline, which has logged more than 100 million miles (160M km) delivering vaccines, blood products and other medical supplies in Africa and has recently expanded into some US locations.

The philosophy here is simple: It’s much faster and more efficient to move products to patients – rather than vice-versa.

“For generations, we’ve had a medical system where we tend to move patients to resources, as opposed to resources to patients,” explains Dr. John Pawlovich, the Rural Doctors’ UBC Chair on Rural Health, in this UBC post on the project.

“It’s the same problem around rural Canada and around the world—resources that patients need are either in short supply or they don’t exist in rural, remote or Indigenous communities.”

Dr. Pawlovich and his team are working closely with the Village of Fraser Lake, located west of Prince George, as well as with the Stellat’en First Nation. Both of these qualify as isolated communities, where it’s not always easy to get critical supplies quickly.

“Based on the isolated location of our community and the needs of our residents, drone transport may enhance our access to COVID-19 testing and medication without travelling and endangering other members of our community,” says Chief Robert Michell of the Stellat’en First Nation.

 

NOT JUST PATIENTS

 

It’s not simply about making things easier for patients. As we learned with shuttling COVID test supplies to and from Penelakut Island, it can also help healthcare providers. In that example, it meant a community clinic worker no longer had to pick up and deliver these supplies in person – a nearly full-day endeavour that took them away from helping patients in their community. Instead, in coordination with InDro Ops, they simply loaded or unloaded a drone that landed outside their clinic.

And, says Dr. Pawlovich, there’s no question the selected communities could benefit from a boost in healthcare access.

“Residents of rural, remote and Indigenous communities face much greater health-care disparities than other residents of BC,” he says. The UBC article states that life expectancy is lower and that people in these communities have reduced access to specialty care, imaging and laboratory investigations.

“These inequities predate COVID-19. They’ve been amplified during the pandemic and continue to exist. We’re looking at how technology can start to shrink and close that inequity gap.”

Below: Stellat’en First Nation, which is close to the Village of Fraser Lake. The drone deliveries will be coming from Prince George.

UBC Drone Delivery Village of Fraser Lake

INDRO’S TAKE

 

This isn’t our first foray into the world of healthcare and drone delivery. But it is our first long-term project in the field.

“There’s a lot we’re going to learn with this research,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “As it progresses, we hope to expand the range and payload of these missions to best benefit patients and healthcare providers. Over time, it’s our hope to be able to respond even to emergencies, getting supplies to those who need them most in a timely fashion.”

Flights for the new project will commence in 2026 – and we’ll be sure to update you!

How remote inspection robots reduce downtime

How remote inspection robots reduce downtime

Mar 28, 2025 | InDro News, Industry 4.0, Scott Simmie, Sentinel

By Scott Simmie

 

Inspection robots aren’t cheap.

We fully acknowledge that might not be the best opening pitch, but hear us out.

While a capable inspection robot can be costly, so is downtime. So is dispatching human beings to distant locations. Electrical substations and certain oil and gas assets are often remote and require many hours of driving to reach – plus the cost of hotels and per diems. Sometimes, companies even have to charter a helicopter just to place eyes on those remote spots. Depending on the sector, these inspections might take place monthly, bi-weekly – or at some other interval.

Point is: Regular inspection of remote assets is an absolute necessity. An inspection can troubleshoot for regular wear and tear, thermal anomalies, damage from animals, vandalism, environmental impact, leaks – the list goes on. A human being (often equipped with handheld scanners and other detection equipment) can generally spot all these things.

But so, too, can a robot. And, unlike a human being when it comes to remote assets, an autonomous robotic inspector can be on the site 24/7. It never requests a hotel room, doesn’t charge overtime – and never forgets to do everything it’s been instructed to carry out.

Below: The InDro Robotics Sentinel, at an electrical substation in Ottawa

Sentinel enclosure Ottawa Hydro

DOWNTIME

 

There are two types of downtime: Planned and unplanned. The former, obviously, is pre-arranged. Maybe it’s time to replace certain pieces of equipment or do other scheduled maintenance. Planned downtime can include hardware and software upgrades, even large-scale replacements. For those companies in service provision, including those in the B2B space, a scheduled event minimises downtime because everything is lined up in advance for the necessary task. In addition, you can notify consumers or clients that the service or commodity will be temporarily unavailable – and schedule the downtime to minimise disruption. Customers and clients generally understand these inconveniences when they know about them ahead of time.

Then there’s that other kind of downtime: Unplanned. Something goes wrong and you need to scramble to fix it. Precisely because these are unexpected, you might not have the required widgets or personnel on-hand (or on-site). And it’s not just the repair itself. There’s usually lost revenue, reputational damage, and even more:

“The repercussions of unplanned downtime extend beyond immediate financial losses,” explains this overview.

“Companies may face financial penalties and legal liabilities, especially if downtime leads to non-compliance with regulatory requirements. These penalties can add another layer of financial strain on top of the already significant downtime costs.”

We’ve all heard stories about airlines being fined, sometimes heavily, for unexpected delays. And the reputational damage? You wouldn’t have to look hard to find consumers who have switched airlines, internet providers and more due to unplanned downtime that inconvenienced them.

That same article dips into the oil and gas sector, using data from a 2016 study by Kimberlite (a research company specialising in the sector) which found offshore organisations face an average of $38M US annually in costs from unplanned downtime. Those with the worst records racked up yearly tabs close to $90M US. So clearly, it’s something most would like to avoid.

 

THE ADVANTAGES OF INSPECTION

 

Regular robotic inspection can help reduce unplanned downtime by identifying potential failures before they happen. Is a key component starting to age? Has wildlife encroached on sensitive components? Did the storm that passed through overnight have an impact on anything? Are all gauges reading as they should? Are there any thermal anomalies? Is there the molecular presence of hydrocarbons or other indicators above a safe threshold? Are there any strange new noises, such as arcing or humming?

Yes. People can do this when they’re dispatched. But a robot tailored for inspection – and they can be customised for every client’s needs – can carry out these same tasks reliably, repeatedly, and on schedule.

This idea of predictive maintenance is very much a pillar in the world of Industry 4.0, or 4IR (which we recently explored in some detail). As companies move into this next phase, particularly in the manufacturing sector, Smart Devices are being integrated in every conceivable location across newer factory floors. In conjunction with software, they keep an eye on critical components, identifying potential problems before they occur. Industry leaders in this space, such as Siemens, state these systems can result in up to a 50 per cent reduction in unplanned downtime, and up to a 40 per cent reduction in maintenance costs.

That’s the gold standard. But we are just at the cusp of this integration, and it’s more broadly targeted at the manufacturing sector. Those remote electrical substations and oil assets are still, in many ways, not that smart when it comes to asset intelligence and will require regular inspection for many years to come.

Below: InDro’s Sentinel inspection robot, which can be customised for any inspection scenario, It’s seen here at a demo for Ottawa Hydro

Sentinel enclosure Ottawa Hydro

THE SENTINEL SOLUTION

 

Sentinel is our flagship inspection robot. Our first iteration was in 2022 and – as with all InDro innovations – we have continued to enhance its capabilities. As new advances in sensors and compute have emerged, so too have Sentinel’s powers. But Sentinel’s evolution goes far beyond adding new LiDAR, depth cameras or processors. In the background at Area X.O, we are continuously improving our own IP. Specifically, our InDro Autonomy and InDro Controller software.

InDro Controller is a desktop-based interface with Sentinel (or any other ROS-based robot). Fully customisable and easy to use, it allows our clients to plan and monitor missions with ease. A few clicks allows users to set up repeatable points of interest where the robot will carry our specific inspection tasks. Need eyes on a critical gauge? Have InDro Controller stop Sentinel at a particular spot. Use the 30X optical Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera to frame and capture the shot. Happy with the results? Great. InDro Controller will remember and carry out this step (and as many others as you’d like) when it next carries out the mission. Collisions won’t be an issue, as InDro Autonomy’s detect and avoid capabilities ensure there won’t be any mishaps on the way. In fact, you could drop Sentinel in a completely unfamiliar setting littered with obstacles, and it could map that site and even produce a precision scan. And, like a regular visit to the robot doctor, InDro Controller also monitors the overall system health of any integrated device.

From the outset, Sentinel has been on a continuous journey pushing the R&D envelope, with testing and rigorous third-party evaluation. An earlier iteration was even put through demanding tests by the US Electric Power Research Association (EPRI) at its test facility in Massachusetts. All of these deployments have resulted in learnings that have been incorporated into our latest version of Sentinel.

 

SET AND FORGET

 

When it comes to remote assets, our clients clearly needed a hands-off approach. That meant we had to incorporate some sort of autonomous charging, since there’s no one on these sites to plug it in. We evaluated mechanical docking systems, but realised these physical mechanisms introduce another potential point of failure.

And so we ultimately settled on a powerful wireless charging system. Using optical codes, Sentinel returns to a housed structure following its missions. It then positions itself snugly up to the wireless charging system so that it’s ready for the next deployment (you’ll see a picture of one of our earlier test structures in a few seconds). We needed to avoid metal to ensure the cleanest possible wireless communication (Sentinel operates over 5G and also has the option for WiFi). Housing Sentinel when it’s off-duty protects it from unnecessary exposure to the elements, though it’s certainly built to operate in virtually anything Mother Nature can throw at it (short of a hurricane).

Finally, Sentinel also has InDro Commander on board. In addition to housing its powerful brain, Commander allows for the easy addition of additional sensors by simply plugging them in. It provides both power and a data pipeline, and InDro Controller has been built to instantly recognise the addition of any new sensors. In other words, if a client’s requirements change and a new sensor is required, Sentinel can be modified with relative ease and no new coding.

Below: Sentinel, following a demonstration for Ottawa Hydro, snugs up to charge

Sentinel enclosure Ottawa Hydro

THE SENTINEL EVOLUTION

 

As mentioned, Sentinel has gone through a ton of testing, coding and development to reach its current iteration. We’ve taken literally all of our learnings and client feedback and put them into this robot. Sentinel does the job reliably and repeatedly, capturing actionable data intended to reduce downtime for our clients. What’s more, we have moved past the phase of producing these robots as one-offs when demand arises. With our fabrication facility InDro Forge, we are now commencing to manufacture Sentinel at scale.

“Sentinel is now a fully mature and market-ready product,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We already have multiple Sentinels on the ground for a major US utility client and have other orders pending. We – like our clients – are confident Sentinel is worth the investment by reducing downtime and saving companies the expense and time of sending people to these remote locations for inspection work.”

Interested in learning more, or even taking the controls for a remote demonstration of Sentinel and InDro Controller? Contact us here.

What Canada’s new drone regulations mean for you

What Canada’s new drone regulations mean for you

Mar 27, 2025 | Drone News, InDro News, Kate Klassen, Transport Canada

By Kate Klassen, Training and Regulatory Specialist

 

It’s not every day I get excited to see an email before 0600. But yesterday, March 26, was one of those days! 

Unexpectedly, Transport Canada announced the publication of the highly anticipated Canada Gazette II which included new regulations for RPAS Operations Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight and Other Operations.  

It’s a hefty publication with lots of cross-references and makes for a bit of a dense read. But after a day of reading, re-reading, digesting and consulting with other colleagues who share my nerdiness about this area, I’m pleased to provide this overview – which we’ll continue to update as new information becomes available.  

All-in-all, it’s what we were expecting and hoping to see: Common-sense amendments to existing regulations, noticeable inclusions from feedback on the Canada Gazette I draft, and formalization of the next phase of routine RPAS operations in Canada.  

If you were one of the many who took the time to provide comments to Transport Canada following CG1, well done. What we saw today is proof they listen and that those efforts matter. Thank you, TC! 

Some regulations come into effect on April 1 2025, with others commencing November 4, 2025. This phased approach enables the mechanisms for compliance to be in place prior to requiring compliance with them. In other words, it gives you time to get prepared before it’s required by law. So don’t panic. There are no major changes required before this flying season. You can’t even fly BVLOS under these rules until November.

Now, let’s dive in. 

Below: Low-risk BVLOS flights will be permitted starting November 4, 2025. These operations will require a new Level 1 Complex RPAS Certificate

 

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING

 

As mentioned, the document published yesterday is complex. Our goal here is explain what it actually means in the real world. So we’re going to break this down into implications for different scenarios. Here’s what the new rules mean for RPAS pilots with: 

 

…a sub-250 gram drone
  • On April 1, there are more regulations than just the CAR 900.06 ‘don’t be an idiot’ rule that come into force. These specifically spell out steps to follow if you inadvertently enter restricted airspace (CAR 900.07) and include prohibitions around emergency security perimeters (CAR 900.08) 
…a Basic RPAS Certificate
  • Not many changes aside from general tidying of rules to ensure intent aligns with application 
  • You can allow a non-certified individual to fly under your supervision (CAR 901.54) 
  • You are qualified as a visual observer for BVLOS operations 
…an Advanced RPAS Certificate
  • You get new capabilities as of November 4th – and you don’t have to do any additional testing to take advantage of them! 
  • You’ll be able to carry out EVLOS – Extended Visual Line Of Sight operations. This allows you to fly up to 2NM from the pilot, control station and Visual Observer at any time during the flight, provided the pilot and control station are at the take-off and launch location (CAR 901.74) 
  • Sheltered Operation – This allows the drone to be flown around a building or structure without the use of a visual observer, in accordance with certain conditions  
  • Medium Drones: You’ll be permitted to fly drones with an operating weight of up to 150kg  
  • With an Advanced Certificate already in hand, you meet the prerequisite to begin your Level 1 Complex ground school (more in a moment). If you’ve passed the Advanced Certificate but only hold your Basic because you haven’t yet done your Flight Review, you can pursue the Level 1 Complex
5G Drones

AND ROUTINE, LOW-RISK BVLOS?

 

This was an area the industry had really been pushing for in the new regulations. Specifically, to be able to carry out such flights without the need for a Special Flight Operations Certificate. Here, too, there’s good news:

  • After November 4 2025, you’ll be able to fly low-risk BVLOS if you hold a Level 1 Complex RPAS pilot certification (CAR 901.89). This means BVLOS in uncontrolled airspace and away from people
  • Permits the operation of a 250g – 150kg RPAS to conduct a BVLOS operation in uncontrolled airspace and one kilometre or more from a populated area 
  • In addition to holding a Level 1 Complex pilot certificate, you also need to be an RPAS Operator (RPOC) or an employee/agent of one and comply with the conditions of your certificate (CAR 901.88) 

    

INTERESTING NUGGETS: 

 

  • RPAS Operating Certificate uses the acronym RPOC rather than ROC (as was drafted previously). This is likely in response to anticipated confusion with the ROC-A or Radio Operator Certificate with Aeronautical qualification issued by ISED
  • The new regs contain detailed guidance for visual observers and their requirements in various scenarios
  • You can’t “daisy chain” Visual Observers for EVLOS over greater distances. The pilot/control station needs to be at the take-off and landing area and the RPA can’t go further than 2 NM from the pilot, control station AND VO. 
  • Despite previous suggestions, there is no medical requirement! Just fit-to-fly rules like previously

 

There are also some changes to SFOC requirements. Police operations at events won’t require an SFOC. Department of National Defence operations won’t require them, just adequate coordination. In addition, you’ll be able to drop lifesaving gear without an SFOC, providing you don’t create a hazard. 

Declarations, maintenance and servicing will take on a more prevalent role (not surprising, given the EVLOS, low-risk BVLOS, and the ease of restrictions on flying heavier drones). It’s also worth noting that the already-useful Drone Site Selection Tool (DSST) will get upgraded to include new situational data layers for lower-risk BVLOS. These layers will include population density, aerodromes, controlled airspace, and Detect and Avoid requirements. 

DJI Dock

KATE’S TAKE

 

Canada Gazette II is a massive document. I actually tried to do a word count and the computer simply froze in fear. But, in conjunction with all of the above, here are some final key takeaways:

  • Don’t freak out: There’s plenty of time to process and time to act. There are no major changes happening before November 4th, though you’ll probably want to get your ducks in a row before then if you anticipate your flying season extending beyond that date
  • For maybe the first time ever, regulations have outpaced technology. We still (desperately) need technical detect solutions that are reliable, capable and affordable
  • We’ve had a few folks reach out about ground school for Level 1 Complex and yes – we absolutely will be offering this. At FLYY, we have things well underway as we were anticipating this announcement.

Unlike previous ground schools, there are some instructor requirements that need to be in place before we can even make the declaration to TC that we’re offering TP15530 compliant training. We’re on top of it!

We plan to start offering live, TC-compliant courses prior to the end of April. Over a series of weeks, these courses will run every Wednesday at 0930 PDT for 2.5 hours. These sessions will be recorded and made available to all course participants to review or watch at their leisure. We’ll keep you posted as we get closer to launch.

You can take advantage of our presale here to make sure you’re first in line.

InDro’s Dr. Eric Saczuk: The Indiana Jones of Drones

InDro’s Dr. Eric Saczuk: The Indiana Jones of Drones

Mar 23, 2025 | Eric Saczuk, InDro News, InDro Profile, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

He’s a Fellow International of The Explorers Club – the storied New York-based organization that since 1904 has only accepted members who have travelled to far-flung places (including the moon) in scientific pursuits. He owns a beloved 1989 Volkswagen Westfalia that’s served as his home for academic research and family camping trips. He holds a PhD and sports a prominent and highly meaningful tattoo on his left arm. And, as InDro’s Head of Flight Ops, has flown complex drone missions on six continents – and counting.

As you might have guessed after reading that, Dr. Eric Saczuk has quite the backstory – one that begins in 1974, with his birth in the small city of Opole in what was then-communist southern Poland. His father worked as a high voltage maintenance engineer; his mother as an accountant at the police station. His only sibling, a brother, is nine years older. The family lived in a small one-bedroom apartment, where his parents slept on a pull-out couch.

Eric has pleasant memories of that childhood, which included annual family holidays at state-run resorts around Poland. When Eric was seven, his parents said it was once again vacation time. Bags packed and car loaded, off they went. This time, however, they crossed the border into Czechoslovakia and kept driving into Austria. On day two, his parents had some news: This wasn’t a vacation.

“I remember them turning to my brother and me. They said: ‘We’ve left home and we’re never going back,'” he recalls. “I was seven years old. I burst into tears and I’m like: ‘Oh my God: My friends and my LEGO and my Dinky toys – I’ve left them all behind!’ So my dad promptly took me to a gas station, bought me some toy cars to play with, and I was fine.” (His teenaged brother, who had been desperate to escape, was thrilled.)

They checked in at a refugee camp in Austria, then were transported to lodging in the Austrian alps housing other political refugees from Poland. That would be home for five months. Eric started Grade One in Austria, learning German. His parents wrote letters to Canadian, Australian and American embassies to see if they might be accepted as immigrants.

Eventually, Canada opened the door. And the Saczuk family arrived in Winnipeg on November 12, 1981. It was in the midst of a raging blizzard. There were no skyscrapers, no flashy buildings – none of the things he’d expected from seeing US TV shows like Dallas and Kojak.

“I thought we were in freaking Antarctica,” laughs Eric.

Below: Eric, second from right, and his family

Eric Saczuk

CHAPTER TWO

 

The Sackzuks began their new lives. And one outing, when Eric was eight, proved a seminal event. His father took him to an air show that happened to feature the legendary McDonnell Douglas F15 Streak Eagle, a stripped-down fighter jet so powerful it could accelerate while in a vertical climb. The aircraft ultimately set eight records, including reaching an altitude of 98,425 feet just 3 minutes and 27.8 seconds after brake release (it then coasted to 103,000 feet). Eric was absolutely awestruck.

“So I saw this thing, full after-burner, go ballistic up into the sky. I’m like, ‘Holy shit, that’s what I wanna do.’ So, from then until I was probably 18 I just ate and slept and pooped airplanes. That was my life.”

He frequently cycled the 15 kilometres to the airport to watch aircraft. He read every aviation magazine or book he could get his hands on, including Ground School manuals. He was obsessed. When he was 15 and a half – the earliest age possible – he applied for the Canadian Air Force Reserves. His security clearance took nine months due to his background in a then-communist country. As he was wrapping up Grade 10, he was accepted to become an Airframe Technician at Squadron 402. His first day of training, he was surprised to see an old pal he hadn’t seen in years in the same CAF classroom – another immigrant from Poland. He and Martin remain friends to this day.

Because it was the reserves, it was a part-time gig. He went through basic training, including Ground School, and by the time he was in Grade 12 the CAF said the next step was for them to head to CFB Borden in just two weeks. That would mean leaving Highschool. But not having Grade 12 would eliminate the potential to become a pilot or reach officer ranks. Couldn’t they just graduate first and then continue? The answer from the military was no; it was now or never. Eric and Martin decided to leave and were granted Honorary Discharges.

But then what?

Below: Eric working a flight simulator in his teens, and in his CAF Reserves uniform

Eric Saczuk
Eric Saczuk

CHAPTER 3

 

We’ll fast-forward here. Eric applied to the University of Manitoba and was accepted into a geophysics program. It was math-heavy and he struggled. His GPA was under 2.0 and for a time he was on academic probation. That is, until he took a summer physical geography course that focussed on map interpretation.

“They put some aerial photos in front of me and I thought –  I know this stuff. Because I’d been doing mission planning or flight planning for years and looking at aeronautical charts. And I’m like: ‘This is so simple.'”

He switched from geophysics into physical geography. He started specialising in a realm of cartography and satellite remote sensing, with an emphasis on geomorphology, “looking at natural hazards like landslides and debris flows and rock fall and flooding. How do we map these things? How do we analyse them in a geospatial way?” By his third year, that GPA jumped to 3.4.

Two academic advisors, both adventurous in their own way, would have great influence on Eric. One of them attached multispectral cameras to a powered paraglider to obtain aerial data, long before the days of drones. The other, an accomplished alpinist who had first ascents of multiple peaks in the Himalayas, took Eric to the Rockies in Alberta for research. The sheer beauty, in conjunction with the geomorphology, touched Eric’s soul in a parallel not dissimilar to seeing that Streak Eagle in his childhood.

“I fell in love with that. I knew this was where I wanted to be.”

For the next several years while obtaining his Masters and then PhD, Eric spent his summers researching amidst geological beauty: Banff, Yoho, Jasper, and Kootenay National Parks. Sometimes he would be living and working from a tent. During one miserable evening, cooking canned food from a camp stove, he spotted someone looking incredibly cozy in a camper van. He soon began a search for his VW Westfalia.

That love of natural beauty (Eric says he’d become something of a “tree-hugger” by this point), eventually led him and his girlfriend to Vancouver (along with a 1989 Westfalia he purchased after flagging down someone driving one at a stop light in Winnipeg). They married and soon there was a daughter on the scene.

He got a gig as a sessional lecturer at Simon Fraser University, and eventually became a professor at BCIT. When drones came on the scene, he saw their geospatial potential and immediately embraced them. He travelled to Antarctica working with drones, did PhD research in India, filmed a documentary in Nepal, hacked his way through forests in the remotest parts of Borneo, and also emerged as a professional photographer. The breadth of these travels, and others, led to him being admitted to The Explorers Club at its highest level. He also became head of BCIT’s RPAS Hub, immersing himself in geospatial and multispectral imaging and data analysis and teaching others.

His first marriage ended, but in 2016, he and Irina married under an arbutus tree on Salt Spring Island. She too had a daughter the same age as his own and they became a blended, happy family – which has collectively enjoyed many adventures in that Westfalia (purchased with 28k on the odometer and now approaching 500,000).

Below: Eric and his family camping with that Westfalia, followed by a mysterious tree in Borneo (which will be explained) and a highly meaningful tattoo

Eric Saczuk
Eric Saczuk
Eric Saczuk

EPILOGUE: THREE TREES

 

The story of Eric (whose Polish name is ‘Arek’), is filled with many other adventures we wish we could include. But there are three brief things worth mentioning as we wrap things up. Remember that trip to Borneo? He went there to assist with an international forest research group, using satellite data to determine the age of rattan plantations. This wasn’t a basic trip, it was an expedition – involving days of hacking through dense forests with a guide. On the third or fourth day, in the middle of nowhere, they reached a section that looked starkly different. The trees were spread out, with a high canopy. The undergrowth they’d pushed through for days was gone. A local guide told Eric this was primordial forest; the trees here had never been cut down.

Some markings on one tree caught his eye. He looked more closely and saw it was a word. The hairs on his neck prickled up. The letters were A-R-E-K were carved in the bark. His own name. How could this be? Turns out, Arek was also the name of a local tribe – and that carving was to mark their territory. But seriously, what were the odds?

“It was a wild, surreal experience to have so far from home.”

Eric has a large tree tattooed on his left arm. It has sparse branches with no leaves. One might assume it simply symbolises a connection with the natural world. And, in one sense, it does. Trees literally give us life, and – whether through CO2 or our own mortal remains – human beings do the same for trees. But it’s more than that.

“It’s my Tree of Death,” he says. Tree of what?

He explains: “As my family starts to age and aunts and uncles start passing away, I wanted a place for them to come and have a final resting place. So this tree is a home for them.”

Meaning, as time passes, he will add to that tattoo.

“When one of my family members passes away, they will become a little crow that lands on a branch.”

And there’s a final connection with trees. Eric wanted to explore opportunities with companies in the drone space on the cutting-edge. He had already been doing advanced thermal and multispectral work, so he was looking for a company pushing boundaries. He hadn’t found a fit, until he happened upon the InDro Robotics booth at a conference. The talk soon turned to BVLOS flights, Transport Canada trials using Command and Control over cellular, other missions that pushed the envelope. He asked where the company was based, where its flight testing takes place. The person told him they had a field at the north end of the island, a spot called Channel Ridge.

“Do you mean the one with the big arbutus tree?” asked Eric. Yeah, that’s the place.

“I got married under that tree in 2016,” he replied.

Eric soon met InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece and was brought on for increasingly complex operations. He was hired in 2022 as InDro’s Head of Flight Ops. Whenever there’s a highly complex mission – ranging from work in Saudi Arabia and Brazil to urban wind tunnel research flights in Montreal, Eric gets the call and packs his bags. If it’s close to home, he takes his beloved Westfalia. He divides his time between InDro, his work at BCIT, and his family.

And so, not surprisingly, the adventure continues.