Aero Prune is exploring whether drones equipped with cutting tools can safely trim trees near overhead power lines. This technology could help reduce power outages, improve safety for field staff, access areas that heavy machinery cannot reach, and support a more reliable electricity network for our customers.
What is the project about?
Trees growing too close to overhead electricity lines are one of the leading causes of power outages. Currently, keeping branches away from these lines requires skilled teams using cutting equipment and heavy machinery such as Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs). This work is often slow and challenging, especially in rural or hard‑to‑reach locations. And as the electricity network supports more electric vehicles, heat pumps and local renewable generation, preventing avoidable outages has never been more important.
Aero Prune is testing whether drones could provide a safer and more flexible way to cut back problematic branches. Instead of requiring people to climb or work at height, a drone fitted with a cutting tool could reach branches from the air. This approach could speed up vegetation work, reduce risks for workers and improve access to locations where traditional machinery cannot operate effectively.
How we’re doing it
The project is developing and comparing two drone‑based approaches. The first uses a commercially available drone fitted with a specially selected cutting tool. The project team has designed, built and begun testing a prototype to understand how effectively it cuts branches, how stable it remains in the air and how well it performs in real‑world scenarios. Early bench tests are helping refine the design before moving on to controlled outdoor trials.
The second approach is more ambitious: creating a completely new drone platform purpose‑built for vegetation work near overhead lines. Engineers have produced detailed computer‑aided design (CAD) models and simulations to evaluate how the drone would behave in real conditions, its lifting capability and how it might handle the task of removing problematic branches. This development is being carried out in partnership with Acuity Robotics.
Both options must meet strict safety, aviation and tree‑cutting standards. The team is assessing flight stability, cutting precision and whether the drones can reliably cut branches up to around three inches in diameter. Future phases will include outdoor demonstrations, assessments against UK Power Networks’ safety requirements and analysis of whether drones could realistically integrate into day‑to‑day DNO vegetation management.
What makes it innovative
Tree‑cutting drones do not currently exist for use near electricity networks. While drones are widely used for inspections, using one to physically cut branches is a completely new concept. As such, Aero Prune is breaking ground in an area with no proven method or established best practice.
The innovation lies not only in attaching a cutting tool to a drone, but in creating a system that is safe, stable and strong enough to handle branches without putting workers or the public at risk. The project is testing different cutting mechanisms, stability controls and branch‑restraint methods to address these challenges.
If successful, the project could introduce a completely new way of managing vegetation around power lines, one that reduces the need for people to work at height or in hazardous terrain. It would be a first for the UK and could potentially be adopted by electricity networks across the country in the future.
What we’re learning
For the custom‑built drone, detailed modelling has helped identify the key features required for a platform that could eventually be used by electricity networks. This includes determining the optimum battery size, establishing the best methods for stabilising the drone during cutting and designing a frame capable of safely handling the forces involved.
A major learning is that safety rules, aviation requirements and tree‑cutting standards must all be considered together rather than in isolation. The project is helping build a clearer picture of what a future regulatory framework might look like if drones are used for this type of work.
The team is also gaining valuable insight into practical considerations such as battery life, pilot training, maintenance needs and the broader business case for wider adoption. These findings will shape the next phase of trials and help determine whether drone‑based cutting could one day become a routine part of vegetation management.
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