World first: Fully autonomous UAV inspection in a GPS-denied dam tunnel

No GPS. No signal. No pilot.

At GeoBusiness, hear how a world-first fully autonomous UAV inspection was successfully completed at Ladybower Reservoir. An Emesent Hovermap mounted on a DJI Matrice 350 RTK flew 240 m into a dam tunnel and returned completely autonomously, with zero pilot input.

This session shows what’s now possible in GPS-denied, confined environments and why autonomy is a game-changer for inspection, safety, and access. From tunnels and industrial plants to underground infrastructure and emergency response, this is a real deployment that signals where UAV operations are heading next.