# Minimizing Fixed Camera Infrastructure in Large Industrial Sites with Autonomous Drones - Event: NestGen ’26 - Published: October 2, 2026 - Length: 28:50 - Watch: https://nestgen.org/library/watch/xHT_HXX3XT0/ > The transcript of a recorded NestGen session, for reading or for use with an AI tool. It comes from the video's > captions; automatic captions can mishear names and terms. ## About this session Large industrial and mining sites have long depended on extensive fixed camera networks for visibility, an approach that becomes harder to scale and maintain as operations spread across vast, changing terrain. Autonomous drones are becoming part of how operators rethink site monitoring and the infrastructure behind it. In this NestGen session, Walross Tech & Innovation will share how autonomous drones can reduce reliance on fixed camera infrastructure across large industrial sites, and what operations teams should think through when rebalancing their monitoring strategy around drone-based coverage. ## Transcript **[0:01]** Uh well, I hope everyone's Tuesdays have been going well. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever in the world you're joining us from. Fun fact, it's actually the end of the day for me, but I think uh Rodrigo here joining us from Mexico City. Hold on to your seats because today's cameras don't for a frame. It flies straight to it. If you ever try to cover a mine, a cement plant or seal your yard or or a steel yard with thick CCTV, you actually know the drill, right? Another pole, another trench, another fiber run and still a blind spot behind the next stockpile. Our speaker today comes from one of our very own corners and they run autonomous drone in a box security across 20 industrial sites in Mexico. In a singular quarter, that's 6,740 non autonomous flights, more than 40,000 kilometers patrolled and 163 findings escalated. I mean, I'm just basing it off on some average numbers, right? All **[1:05]** delivered as live videos with a location while it's happening. So uh please welcome me in welcoming Rodrigo who's the director of Wal Rodri and Jose director as I said it's Walros is a Mexican company and technology solutions for security energy it uh and infrastructure he has 10 years of experience applying drones and robotics across the oil and gas renewable energy public safety mining sector His work focuses on turning emergency that help organizations inspect assets uh improve security and respond faster. So a very warm welcome godo and again it's I want housekeeping notes uh please feel free to type any questions you have in the Q&A session of the chat over there and uh we will answer them at the end of the session. The session is being recorded and it will be published soon. Finally, if **[2:11]** you do capture some moments and you want to post them over Twitter or LinkedIn, please don't forget to use NestGen. Uh and uh if we can now continue, Rodria, the floor is yours. >> Thank you, Ni. Uh hello everyone. It's I'll say kind of crazy and then I'll add to that line that it's just thrilling to see that these type of events now that been happening and with our partners here at FlytBase with this event of NestGen that are putting together um such a thrilling experience that gathers uh worldwide uh drone players that are building the let's say the infrastructure of the next technology that definitely is changing the world and from the past we've been changing from what can be done to actual things that are being done and with that said I think that lots of um other sessions that we've been seeing uh through the **[3:14]** ngen event we'll go through through different approaches and I think that one um of the most interesting and applied to it is whenever a deal is getting reviewed and really approaches a necessity beyond innovation. So without uh further ado, we'll be looking at how the drones are maximizing the video feed and and surveillance you have in open areas, big areas that otherwise if you will do this live feed and and video vigilance through regular and normal cameras that we know that can be a headache. So uh we are seeing here the questions just sent over if um if if there pops anyone any question you have we'll be looking into it after the session. So yes uh here we are seeing one of the main issues that we have not only stockpiles **[4:14]** but we have difference of altitudes and heights terrain gates then depressions and that makes a lot of challenge to security managers and also security um operation managers in this type of big open areas where you need to have a lot of control. There are a lot of uh potential hazards that you might be facing uh through along any the processes not only let's say let's not say only for insecure um situations where it will come to crime or it will come to theft or that type of uh findings related but there are also a lot of industrial safety um issues that can be addressed and also to be prevented. I think that that's one heads on. One of the best things that we've been doing in this uh past numbers that Nibi just told you guys about it. It's not only about getting it recorded and then as part of report that hey this happened. What we are actually **[5:18]** doing is is like going even before this event's happening. So that's a lot of value in it to the to the clients. So yeah regarding cost scales with perimeter definitely this is something that a pole and even in remote places where these sites are um optic fiber and regular let's say internet carriers this is something very difficult and that infrastructure is very pricey and most of the times at least here in Mexico the the criteria was like okay so this has been this way for the past 30 40 years so why change something but it because it was the technology was not there in order for it to be a feasible solution. So terrains as just mentioned before there's a lot of heights and gains into the terrain and can definitely be a trouble for the camera's angle. More fits less attention. Whenever you have so many cameras over there uh **[6:19]** it's very difficult to get the grasp of what is happening and which one is that you are looking. you can get um you can get easily uh confused where you are placed in the site. So which are let's say the choke points whenever it's coverage we are placing here what's real not what is the expectation from spec sheets that's something that we find uh on a daily basis that is important to talk with clients and also with the final users and integrators because the actual spec sheet will tell that those radios are way more than that and on a daily basis that this is where we can And when being um working on a constantly basis in the part of the installation regular cameras require a lot of civil work they require a lot of investment like capeex one up front and whenever you are doing a drone which it's like drone first **[7:20]** in a hybrid mode it's pretty much easy the um the install works are just uh very very uh easy and cheap in order to do that would be a part of uh something that will put friction into the deal and the field of view. This is exactly we were talking about about how having a bird's eye not only senital but in an in an oblique angle can give you different depths angles that with a regular camera will be very diff very difficult to do that. Um, regarding the upkeep, however, the regular uh video vigilance infrastructure will bring you a continuity of the video because it not runs on battery. The it's really um I'll say fragile to any either power breakage or if the optical system is not working, clean repair. If you get some dirt in a maybe 20 or 30 meter pole, it's very difficult in this type **[8:22]** of industry that you are going to get that cleaned quickly. So you will be waiting for some rain to happen. But uh even that it can get things worse. So in regarding the the the drone, you can get a lot of coverage, a lot of area, and the maintenance is pretty much uh very very uh easy and simple. However, as mentioned before, it's not that we're saying that cameras should go and they are of no usage. There are certain points where makes all the sense and there are definitely security element that it's non-negotiable. I'll say that the value is over there and we should keep it especially um talking about these areas where the the value of having all the time surveillance and the the site is designed for it to be visible. So uh this is like a drone looks like on a site. It's no trenching. That's the area no points. It's a continuous area. You have the radius. You need to **[9:22]** keep that in mind. And it will depend in the end like how much area you'll need to monitor in order for you to design this. Uh it's important to know that you'll be facing iterations over it. Um if there's no way in order to know it prior hand like let's say on a desk uh you'll need to go to the site to actually see what you will be surveilling. And one of the best aspects is that it runs remotely. So this helps a lot uh with the clients in order to not have personnel on a daily basis 24/7 over there to be get in charge of it and keep those maintenance and services most program possible. If not, I mean, there's something that always happens. Maybe you'll need to go and do a full reset of the of the system. But I mean, those are the things that uh can be done with good communication uh on site. Lessons from the field over here uh what we've been getting the these past years. So **[10:24]** right now we've got 20 plus industrial sites uh 6,740 autonomous flights by the date 4K patrol kilometers and more than 163 findings escalated which is our findings that are relevance either if it's a safety or security issue or even an operational issue environmentals those are um these type of reports that have been escalating. So the shift goes that in the past it was either it was taken by video by a camera with a very poor um let's say finding angle that cannot have a lot of um knowledge after those type of hazards happen to have a to have a I would not say 360 because that would be very complicated but at least three or four different angles into those findings and not only let's say that these teams were reporting **[11:24]** what happened and then um and then to do and then to run like a um like an analysis of what actually happened. But now we can go and say like hey this is going to happen and this changes everything the this changes definitely the dynamics of security in this in these sites going to say like a past event to actually be there before it happened or while it's happening. This is the type of value over these type of sites which was the the things that the video vigilance couldn't do and along with the firmware that we can actually report a coordinate on the side what's happening that's uh definitely something that being uh very helpful on a daily basis operations. So this is just couple of um **[12:24]** examples where you can see which are very very open areas very difficult access not all of um let's say here over the trains uh through a regular camera big poles are the angles where the train wagons are most of the time you will not be able to see a thing the drone can go over there take a look um have a lot of detail of what's happening over there in form and actually have a very good coverage area whether you are going to have cameras most likely burglars or just uh these type of um situations incidents can already know what's the camera angle point of view and I would not say easily but definitely it's something that they learn these patterns and they can um get into the perimeter which we are uh protecting. So uh getting this it will see like a loop it's detect and verify the drone can **[13:24]** detect first or can be uh given a heads up of a video v vigilance system say like hey I get this graph that this is happening but I don't have a clear look over there and so we dispatch the drone over there have a bird's eyee view uh have a situational awareness what's happening over there second the video and the um the the metadata and coordinates and what's the actual situation happening over there just gets shared between the the the people involved into the security and safety uh processes and then they respond whenever the situation has been addressed and escalated to the proper let's say level then it can be um articulated uh a safe respond because most of the times also at least here in Mexico we need to be sure that it's safe in order to approach these sites. **[14:24]** Getting let's say some uh thumb rules of how to get this going as mentioned before it's like um plan in greens and actually do do the um do the task in order to visit the sides get what's the actual range that you will be uh getting into coverage. Don't get the the spec sheet for granted because on site most definitely it will change. Measure the RF don't assume it same kind of the first number. Uh and also uh at least here in Mexico, things change. Uh but LTE is not something to rely on specifically in these areas which are way way um far from uh LTE coverage. That is not it will not work properly. Keep the cameras on choke points. Uh these places where you definitely need cameras, they don't need to go. I mean you need to stack on those type of um installations **[15:28]** that you already have. If not check them also if whenever the flights are happening and if you are seeing that there's an event happening on a recurrently basis most likely it will be better to place a camera over there and let the drone see other areas vulnerables uh other vulnerable areas that you'll need to to address over there. let's say a gate point that will be something that can be uh seen that way and then just close the loop. Um the detection matters I said is only if it triggers a a response. With this you need to have a lot of communication with all the team articulate over there in order to see like what's relevant what's not what needs to be escalated what just needs to be reported and continue with the flight and and the thing is that these type of uh operations can be designed uh with no on-site personnel. That's I mean one of the best things to do. It helps a lot into having a **[16:30]** not personal site not let's say for a headc count uh not that way let's just place it over how the information information's flow is working regarding this uh video feed and yeah I think that getting over there I think that just with this quick poll these are the the let's say pain points uh which is the the video vigilance which is might be some limits and how it can be addressed and solved with autonomous drones operations. >> Amazing. Thank you very much Roiko for sharing that. Right. Especially when you shared you know the learnings you've had the hard way. I'm sure that a lot of the people over here maybe are just starting their operations to the scale that you are at and I know you're going you're scaling even more and faster than ever before. So um those learnings I'm sure are helping a lot of people and it it gave me another insight towards fixed cameras. Uh so thank you for that. Well we have a bunch of **[17:32]** people asking a bunch of questions. We can start with Arjun over here. Arjun is asking can the camera and the drone communicate with each other via the via IoT framework and how would the drone navigate the GPS denied environment? >> Yeah. So uh cameras and drones can communicate um each other. It will depend on the type of integration and visualization let's say ecosystem that you are using argin or your clients are are using. Uh specifically we are talking of VMS there are uh certain um plugins that can be uh that can that can that can be fixed in order to get to get that done. There are other type of implementations where maybe it's not let's say uh continuously communication but if you've got a finding then you can program this for you to have uh maybe a WhatsApp alert maybe a team's alert maybe u an email alert that something **[18:36]** is happening whether if it's a radar a PTC camera or a bullet camera with that it's working along with another type of um algorithm then you can send that into the drone for it to be an autonomous dispatch. Um, navigating through GPS denied environment with let's say this top of the shelf solution, I wouldn't recommend that much. You'll need to go deep into into it. I mean there are either um payloads that can help with it but it's I think that this is still something that needs to be tested in order for it to be granted as a as a solution with this type of uh uh drone in a box solutions top of the shelf. Um certainly there are different type of kind of antennas and other receivers that can help to it but lots of testing needs to be done before um having an opinion over that as a as a let's say uh field tested solution. **[19:40]** >> Thank you uh and 100% agreed with everything you've said over there. Uh the next question you have is you cover energy security and industrial use cases. Which one is driving the most demand in Mexico right now and why? >> I'll say that it's a mixed. It's security uh for industrial sites. So uh security by itself has a lot of focus but mainly in Mexico uh the demand is it's for guards right and um usually these type of companies are having a little bit I'll say of friction or resistance in order to go to uh to this type of um of of technology because it's a different industry. It's it's a it's a different game. And I think that here um the hardware manufacturers **[20:40]** because they sell hardware most of the times they go with the idea that uh this is just a plug and play and it's so easy anyone can do it. And I'll and I'll say that if your business is security operation of drones it's it's a different branch it's it's a different something. So I think that that's that's um that will be like a deeper analysis of it. But um just in a nutshell it's it's security purpose in industrial in industrial sites. >> I I'm just from my side are you thinking about scaling to other things like inspection and stuff as well or do you want to double down on security? [snorts] there it gets I'll say let's put a word maybe tricky is the word the thing is that it can get a lot of confusion because when the program serves everyone no one is responsible for that so whenever you are getting to um to a industry [snorts] firm if you're talking to **[21:43]** security but then let's say operations has a lot of flights then who's paying for the service >> so that I think that >> we do inspections. Yes. But uh I mean it's part of a scaling um most of the time whenever it serves all no area gets a particular benefit out of it. >> Yeah, makes sense. Thank you. Uh the next question is security is a major concern across Mexican uh industrial sites. When the drone detects an intrusion or threat, what's the response chain? Does it connect to a private security team, local police, or both? uh it's not a rule of thumb. It will depend on the client and it will depend on the workflow that it's uh you are working on. For some type of clients, most of them goes into a private security team. It's address it locally and it will depend on the situation that it will uh escalate. Um there are there are sites where we are **[22:46]** cleared in order to make that contact to local police and there are sites where we are do not have that authorization that depends that definitely on the on the clients and because they have the final word into what should go onto that instance. >> Okay. Uh how do you handle anti- drone concerns? Some of your materials mention counter drone technology. Is that a real demand from your clients and if so why? >> This is a this is as well as the others. This is a good question. Um we've been into the anti- drone business u also if not 10 years let's say nine or eight. And as drones it's it's going to the same trend. First drones were seen as toys, seen as a hobby, seen as something to be done for uh marketing, multimedia. It's been for the past three years that the drones been taken seriously. Same thing happens with the with the anti- drone. uh at first can be and because they are **[23:48]** pricey at first it can be seen as something as h maybe I do have a problem but since I don't know what the problem is uh I won't be expending x amount of of of money over that type of uh that type of solutions I'll say that the interest is there demand is still growing uh we are still over what be the early adopters over there >> ping Um the next question is what has one key decision what has been one key decision factor while you dealing with customers uh for preferring dog drones versus the traditional way of them doing stuff? Any three clear KPI metrics you can clearly fixate upon? Is it linked directly with the FTE or just auton Um I I got a little bit of bad uh internet over there, but the decision factor is **[24:55]** for it to change from a box to a service to a product. If if whatever is being sold of the proposition, it's how the drone flies, how it goes, what you can see and how it charges. Again, let's say that the mere features of it, then it will stay and be stopped over there. Whenever you're changing as you me as as um uh the viewers mentioned about KPIs when you are changing the value uh proposal through let's say um time of response if you have a clear time of response over there if you have system availability no one cares if it's a a drone A drone B drone C I mean they do care but uh less attention will be brought over that because that will not be let's say the the value the value will reside in **[25:59]** the actual benefits that you will be providing. >> Perfect. And then we have the last question which is for those of us operating in Latin America, how do you handle the connectivity challenge at remote industrial and energy sites? What infrastructure infrastructure do you need on the ground before you can deploy a dock >> here? I think that uh not only me, not only in Mexico but in many uh places in the world, we need to thank uh Elon Musk to get Starlink and to make it a reality. Before that dealing with LTE, it was just a nightmare. >> Hardware was there, the softwares were there, but we were just missing the link that that part of that technology. So as mentioned before it seems crazy that this started 10 years ago now that we are having this type of events sharing real uh real experience of what's happening and this is one of many where we can see and now we are also seeing with **[27:01]** the AI but this is the let's say one of the stepping stones that uh made this possible. So yeah in a nutshell startling And and I think that the past question uh FTE which I just uh looked for it what that acronym mean fulltime uh that question yeah I mean it's between getting consistency getting all your flights uh I always do a resemblance with a burger maybe you'll need just a perfect burger out of chef that has three Michelin stars, but you need to be consistent for it each burger to be done the same way with some quality checks. And that can be **[28:02]** helped a lot through this type of of technology rather let's say the regular old fashioned way to do things. >> Thank you very much Rodrigo. I think that burger metaphor is something all of us can carry with us. Um, well, I think that wraps everything up. I We've all learned a lot. Even though I've been working with uh the Waldross team for a year, there's still more to learn, I see. And I would I I will I look forward to seeing how Waldos grows and expands in the coming months and years. Thank you, Rodrigo, for being here. And thank you everyone for watching us. >> Thank you. >> Or shooting us an email. Have a good day. Bye.