Drones for 24/7 autonomous video surveillance: take-off on alarm, thermal camera and integration into the VMS you already use
Fixed cameras record the event. A patrol arrives in 15–30 minutes. The DJI Dock 3 drone-in-a-box takes off on its own at the first alarm, reaches the exact spot, follows it even in the dark and appears as a source in the VMS your control room already uses. With no pilot on your payroll.
Buy the system or choose a managed service? Compare the two routes · Discover the DAAS service · Discover the AI Agent
What autonomous video surveillance drones are
A drone video surveillance system consists of a climate-controlled ground station (dock), an enterprise drone with visible and thermal cameras, and a software platform that plans, launches and records missions. The drone lives in the dock, recharges by itself and takes off on schedule or on alarm, with nobody on site.
The dock can be installed in a fixed position or on a vehicle with the dedicated DJI mount (IP55, −30/+50 °C): for mobile outposts, moving construction sites and emergency scenarios.
- Scheduled automatic patrols, day and night
- Take-off triggered by perimeter sensors, video analytics or alarms
- Live video in your existing VMS and a georeferenced archive of every flight
- IP56 dock from −30 °C to +50 °C, IP55 drone, wind up to 12 m/s
Anatomy of an alarm, second by second
Indicative sequence recorded on a reference perimeter: actual times depend on distance, site layout and dock position.
A perimeter sensor or a video analytic flags movement in the east sector.
The dock opens, the drone takes off and sets its course to the point of interest.
Thermal and visible cameras on the target. AI tracking active even while it moves.
The operator tells a false alarm from a real intrusion in a few seconds.
Audio deterrent, spotlight, notification to the security team, georeferenced video archived.
You are not missing one more camera. You are missing someone who goes there.
The problem with legacy systems is not image quality: it is that nobody reaches the spot in time. You record the event, you do not prevent it.
Traditional installation
- Structural blind spots: coverage is static, the perimeter is not
- Patrols: high cost, limited continuity, risk for operators
- Reactive: no automatic alarm verification
- Night vision only with dedicated, expensive infrastructure
- Impossible to follow a person or vehicle on the move
- More area means more fixed costs, linearly
- Real response time: 15–30 minutes
Video surveillance with autonomous drones
- Real-time aerial awareness over the whole area
- Automatic take-off on alarm, with no one on site
- Video verification before escalation: fewer false call-outs
- Dual EO/IR camera: day and night with no extra infrastructure
- Continuous multi-object AI tracking, even with partial occlusions
- One dock covers the equivalent of dozens of fixed cameras
- Indicative response time: under 2 minutes
See, identify, follow. Even at 4 in the morning.
The dual-sensor system combines optical and thermal imaging for day and night operations without dedicated lighting, with detailed identification at long range.
Hybrid zoom up to 112×
Three 48 MP cameras (wide, medium tele and 168 mm tele): enough detail to read number plates and identify subjects in complex environments.
640×512 radiometric thermal
Measures from −40 °C to +500 °C (High/Low Gain): detects people and vehicles in the dark and heat anomalies on plants and switchboards.
Multi-subject AI tracking
The lock on the target stays active with fast-moving subjects and partial occlusions.
Sensors and performance
What you actually do with it
Industrial hardware, not a drone with a box
An autonomous system is worth as much as its worst day. These specifications exist for one reason only: so the mission starts anyway, without anyone going to check.
IP56 dock, IP55 drone
Dock operational from −30 °C to +50 °C, drone from −20 °C to +50 °C, rain, snow and wind up to 12 m/s. The shift is not cancelled because it rains.
Managed fast charging
From 15% to 95% in 27 minutes, battery thermal management, optimised cycles and real-time monitoring: the drone is ready for the next mission.
Active dock climate control
Built-in compressor air conditioning: critical components stay within their operating window under the sun or in the frost.
Redundant 4G / 5G / Ethernet
Automatic failover and end-to-end encryption even where coverage is degraded.
Predictive remote diagnostics
Telemetry, proactive alerting and logging: the fault is caught before it stops the service.
Redundant failsafe architecture
Multiple failsafes, dock backup battery, lightning protection and automatic emergency procedures.
An AI agent that watches every flight for you
No control room can watch all the video a fleet records every night. The AI Agent analyses it in real time, recognises the events that matter for your type of site and delivers them where your team already works: alarm panel, VMS, email, ticketing.
An agent for every type of site
Every agent comes with hundreds of pre-configured events, split between security, inspection and incident management.
General Security agent: what it recognises across the whole site
Perimeter breach
4- Person climbing the fence
- Fence cut or damaged
- Gap open in the fence
- Object thrown over the fence
Access points
2- Gate left open
- Door propped open
Armed threats
5- Person with a firearm
- Person with a knife or blade
- Person with a blunt object
- Aggressive behaviour
- Covered or disguised face
Vandalism
3- Graffiti on surfaces
- Damage to property
- Tampering with equipment
Theft
4- Bulky items carried out
- Material loaded onto a vehicle
- Container open in the yard
- Person photographing the plant
Crowds
1- Group of more than 10 people forming
Suspicious behaviour
7- Person circling the building
- Approaching several vehicles
- Person following another
- Vehicle circling the site
- Slow, repeated drive-bys
- Looking inside cars
- Trying several door handles
From video to report, without re-watching the recordings
Live video analysis
Continuous detection of people, vehicles and custom objects on the live stream.
Today: someone stares at the monitor every second.
With the agent: the AI flags, the drone follows, the operator decides.
Post-mission forensic search
Ask in chat what you are looking for and get the frames from the recordings in under 300 milliseconds.
Today: every question means re-watching the video.
With the agent: describe the event, the frames arrive.
Automatically generated reports
Every detection ends up in a structured report with photos and video, for security and inspection.
Today: reports written by hand at the end of the shift.
With the agent: ready at the end of the mission, the operator reviews them.
Detect anything, by describing it in words
Permanent custom events. Write what you want to monitor, for example "vehicle stopped at gate 3 for more than a minute" or "damaged support structure". The event joins the agent's set and applies to all subsequent flights, with no model retraining and no technical tickets.
Live search. If conditions change during the flight, add a temporary detection: the agent applies it immediately and forgets it at the end of the mission, so the saved configuration stays clean.
Perception check before and during the flight
The agent assesses objective, altitude and light before every mission. If conditions do not guarantee reliable detection it suggests what to do: switch camera, get closer, wait for better light.
Learns your site, flight after flight
If the agent gets it wrong at a specific spot, the operator corrects it once. The correction is saved at the exact coordinates and applied to every future flight: the same mistake does not repeat.
From detection to action
Intrusions
Unauthorised people classified by threat level.
Vehicles
Type, number plate and direction of travel in real time, 24/7.
Alerts
Multichannel escalation and integration with corporate ticketing.
Behaviours
Anomalous patterns detected with sector-trained models.
Automatic missions
A VMS or sensor alarm launches the drone to verify.
We agree on the KPIs. We measure them at 90 days.
Fewer missed events, faster response, reports ready before the end of the shift: we define the objectives together at kick-off and verify them on your site's data.
We do not replace your installation. We add a camera that flies.
The control room keeps working on the same VMS as yesterday. The drone appears as an additional source: no migration, no new software to learn.
RTSP / RTMP, H.265 encoding
Low-latency, low-bandwidth streaming even over limited connections.
ONVIF Profile S, T and G
Interoperability with any compliant platform, without middleware.
SCADA, IoT, PSIM integration
RESTful APIs and multi-language SDKs to connect alarms, ticketing and workflows already in use.
Centralised multi-dock management
One dashboard for dozens or hundreds of distributed docks, with real-time telemetry and status.
Drag & drop planning
Waypoints, automatic actions, conditional triggers, recurrences: missions that can be duplicated across sites.
RBAC and audit trail
Operator, supervisor and admin roles with immutable logs exportable to SIEM.
Remote OTA with rollback
Firmware and security patches with no physical access to the docks, with gradual rollout.
Health and KPI dashboard
Flight hours, component status and operational KPIs in real time to maximise uptime.
Cloud, on-premise or hybrid
Data segregation and isolated deployment where the client requires it.
Autonomous flight suitability assessment
Before we talk about a quote, we tell you whether your site is suitable, how many docks you need, how they integrate into your VMS and when you recoup the investment. In writing. Then you see it fly.
Free assessment reserved for companies, infrastructure operators and public bodies, on sites in Italy, subject to technical calendar availability.
Why entrust system management to DroneBase
Buying a drone-in-a-box means becoming a UAS operator: pilots to train and keep on shift, ENAC (Italy) authorisations to obtain and renew, NOTAMs, maintenance, updates, obsolescence. With DAAS all of this stays with DroneBase. You receive the operational result, under our LUC certification, with 24/7 monitoring from the Operations Centre, on a subscription and with no upfront investment.
No pilot to hire
No shifts to cover, no training to maintain over time: missions are flown by DroneBase operators from the Operations Centre.
No ENAC procedure on your side
Operations, including BVLOS missions, are authorised under the DroneBase LUC: CONOPS, SORA and NOTAMs are included in the service.
Certified 24/7 monitoring
Video verification and escalation from a Type C Operations Centre, compliant with UNI 10891 and EN 50518, qualified for Category 2.
Maintenance and obsolescence included
Spare parts, preventive maintenance, updates and hardware refresh are included in the fee: when the new model comes out, it is our problem.
Operational and regulatory risk on us
The system remains DroneBase's, the certified operator is DroneBase: the aeronautical liability for operations does not touch you.
Scalable with no new investment
New sites, more flights in critical periods, temporary coverage on construction sites or events: the service perimeter adapts, CAPEX stays at zero.
| Parameter | DAAS · DroneBase Operations Centre | In-house management |
|---|---|---|
| BVLOS authorisations | Included, under the DroneBase LUC | 30–40 days after the procedure, at the client's expense |
| Total time to go live | 12 days | 200–280 days |
| Pilot training | Not required | At least 3 pilots to train and maintain |
| NOTAM management | Included | Client's responsibility |
| 24/7 monitoring | Type C Centre, Cat. 2 | Internal shift rota |
| Internal resources absorbed | None | 4–5 FTE |
| Maintenance and obsolescence | Included in the fee | Separate SLA contract |
| Scalability to new sites | Immediate | New investment for every site |
| Operational and regulatory risk | DroneBase | Client |
Service plans
DAAS is tailored to the site's risk profile and the continuity required. The details of each plan are on the dedicated service page.
Pay-per-use flight packages for periodic needs, with a cost per flight that decreases as the package grows.
Subscription with scheduled missions every day in the highest-risk time slots, up to continuous coverage with one flight every hour.
Multi-site service on a single platform and a single Operations Centre, for groups and infrastructure operators.
Operations managed under the DroneBase LUC certification: details and scope on the service page.
Two ways to have it. Neither leaves you on your own.
The question is not "which drone". It is whether you want to own the system and operate it, or receive the result without touching hardware or paperwork. You can start one way and switch to the other.
- DJI Dock 3 with 12-month warranty and Matrice 4TD with 1-year DJI Care Enterprise Plus
- Additional battery, AL1 spotlight, AS1 speaker
- Installation, anchoring, 230 V power supply, RTK/NTRIP, commissioning and technical report
- 10 unique missions planned and validated
- LUC regulatory start-up: CONOPS, EASA SORA, OM-LUC
- Operator training and SLA contract for maintenance and lifecycle
- Also available as an operating lease with a tax-deductible fee
Go to the Shop → DJI Dock 3 and Matrice 4TD available from stock
Request a Quote- Scheduled missions on H12, H16 or H24 time bands, up to one flight every hour
- Operational in 12 days, ENAC paperwork included
- Missions under the DroneBase LUC certification
- Monitoring from a Type C Operations Centre, EN 50518, Category 2
- No pilot to hire, no shifts to cover
- Maintenance, obsolescence and updates included
- Contractual SLA up to 99.9% uptime and scalability to new sites
DAAS plans, service levels and details
Request a QuoteMeasurable security, predictable return
The return comes from three items: fewer physical guarding hours, faster response, less exposure to damage and disputes. We quantify them in the assessment business case, on your site's real costs.
Indicative estimate on medium-to-large deployments over extended areas, with typical payback in 18–24 months: verified in the business case.
Against 15–30 minutes for a traditional physical patrol.
24/7 coverage with a written SLA, with no overtime and no staff rota.
Less liability
Automatic video documentation with chain of custody: less exposure to disputes and claims.
Automatic documentation
Patrol logs and georeferenced video for audits, investigations and reporting to regulators.
Non-linear scalability
New sites with minimal incremental investment thanks to the centralised platform.
Designed for those who answer to a client, not just a budget
In large organisations the decision goes through security, IT, legal and procurement. We give you the material for each of them, before they ask.
Public bodies and law enforcement
- Documentation support for tender procedures: datasheets, reports, declarations of conformity
- Experience in supplies to State bodies and civil protection; presence on e-procurement portals
- Eligibility check for innovation and security grants and funding
- On-premise or isolated data where the client requires it
Large enterprises and critical infrastructure
- Architecture designed for the cybersecurity requirements of critical infrastructure (NIS2)
- Centralised multi-site management from a single dashboard
- Contractual SLAs with 4-hour on-site response for mission-critical environments
- Named security architect who knows your sites over time
The questions your legal department will ask you
On an aerial video surveillance installation the objections do not come from physical security: they come from privacy, cybersecurity and aeronautical liability. Here is how they are covered, and by whom.
ENAC LUC · EU Reg. 2019/947
Certificate recognising DroneBase's organisation, procedures and Safety Management System to authorise its own operations independently, including BVLOS missions in the Specific category.
ISO 9001:2015
Quality management system certified by a third-party body: maintenance traceability, non-conformity management, documented procedures.
Type C · UNI 10891 · EN 50518
24/7 monitoring for the DAAS service is delivered by a qualified Type C Operations Centre, compliant with UNI 10891 and all three parts of EN 50518, qualified for Category 2.
TLS 1.3 and AES-256 encryption
Data in transit and at rest encrypted, with HSM support for high-security environments.
Granular IAM: SSO, LDAP, MFA
Active Directory integration, multi-factor authentication and immutable logs for audit and SIEM export.
GDPR-compliant installation
Impact assessment, masking of non-relevant areas, privacy notice, minimisation and retention periods defined for every site.
Drone video surveillance in nine sectors
Common technology base, sector-specific configuration: implementation costs go down and best practices transfer from one site to the next. For every sector the AI Agent comes with a pre-configured set of events.
Security & Security Services
Automated patrols for security companies, 24/7 perimeter surveillance, rapid response to intrusions, georeferenced documentation.
Public Safety & Government
Support for law enforcement, crowd control at demonstrations, missing person search, emergency and major event management.
Electric Utilities
Line inspection, substation monitoring, ROW checks, copper theft prevention, thermography for hotspots and incipient faults.
Solar & Renewables
Thermographic module inspection, hotspot detection, protection of remote assets over areas no guard can cover.
Oil & Gas
Pipeline surveillance, flare inspection, gas leak detection, platform security: zero operator exposure.
Seaports
Perimeter control, container monitoring, terminal security, smuggling prevention over large areas.
Railway Infrastructure
Track inspection, ROW monitoring, station security, vandalism prevention, level crossing control.
Mining & Construction
Monitoring of extraction sites, slope stability, access control to hazardous areas, work progress.
Transport & Motorways
Traffic monitoring, incident response, infrastructure inspection, operational support for road emergencies.
We do not sell hardware. We deliver a system that flies.
Technical assessment
Analysis of site, existing infrastructure and regulatory constraints. Tailored proposal, no obligation.
Operational demo
The system in flight on scenarios from your sector, before any purchase decision.
Installation
On-site team, platform configuration, VMS and alarm connection, acceptance test and as-built.
Operator training
Mission management, reading thermal data, emergency procedures. Your team becomes self-sufficient.
SLA support
Dedicated security architect, OTA updates, preventive maintenance, spare parts, rapid response.
Three commitments before signing
See before you decide
Live operational demo, on your site or a reference site, with scenarios from your sector. Free and with no obligation: if the system does not convince you in the field, we stop there.
VMS integration or no charge
We check compatibility with your video management before the order. If the drone does not enter your VMS as a source, the integration work is not invoiced.
Written SLA, not "best effort"
Contractual service levels up to 99.9% uptime, with 4-hour on-site response for mission-critical environments and a named security architect.
Where the system is already in service
Transport, port logistics, railway infrastructure, energy and public safety: technology in 24/7 operational deployment for over three years.
They work with us
«The system detects intrusions before they reach the inner perimeter. The ROI was evident after 4 months.»
«The thermal camera spotted a hotspot on a transformer 48 hours before the failure. Setup with no operational interruptions.»
«Three port sites on a single centralised system. Night guarding reduced, security level improved.»
«The drone documented an attempted copper theft with georeferenced footage that made it possible to identify the perpetrators.»
«Protecting 180 hectares of solar farm with staff was unsustainable. Today, two autonomous patrols a night.»
«Only DroneBase integrated the system into our existing Milestone VMS without asking us for an infrastructure migration.»
Frequently asked questions about video surveillance drones
Do I need a pilot to fly video surveillance drones?
It depends on the route. With the purchase we train your operators and support you with the authorisations. With DAAS you need nobody: we fly, under our LUC certification, from the Operations Centre. Discover the DAAS service.
Can I fly BVLOS on my site?
It has to be checked case by case: it depends on the airspace, the density of people on the ground and the mitigations that can be adopted. The technical assessment exists precisely to give a documented answer before you spend anything.
Do I have to change my video surveillance system?
No. The drone is added as a source to the existing VMS via RTSP/RTMP and ONVIF, with APIs for SCADA, IoT and PSIM. Compatibility is checked before the order.
How is the AI Agent different from the VMS analytics?
VMS analytics work on fixed cameras. The AI Agent analyses the drone's moving aerial video. The two add up: a VMS alarm can automatically launch a verification mission and the control room works from a single interface. Learn more about the advanced AI features.
Where is the AI data processed and stored?
Video and detections stay in the platform archive, in your account's region, or on-premise where required. Your data is not used to train the base models: operator corrections only improve the agent in service on your site.
Does the drone fly in rain, wind and at night?
Yes. The dock is IP56 and operates from −30 °C to +50 °C, the drone is IP55 and operates from −20 °C to +50 °C; the system tolerates wind up to 12 m/s in flight, take-off and landing. At night the radiometric thermal camera and the NIR illuminator identify people and vehicles without lighting.
What about the privacy of employees and third parties?
Every installation includes an impact assessment, masking of non-relevant areas, a privacy notice and defined retention periods. The footage is used to verify security events, not to monitor people.
Can a public body purchase the system or the service?
Yes. We provide the datasheets, reports and declarations required for tender procedures and we can operate with on-premise or isolated data. Both the purchase and DAAS can be configured for public sector clients.
How much does it cost to maintain over time?
Preventive maintenance, spare parts, updates and hardware refresh fall under an SLA contract with a defined fee. With DAAS they are already included in the monthly fee.
What happens when the new model comes out?
With the purchase, the upgrade can be planned in the lifecycle contract. With DAAS obsolescence is our problem: you access up-to-date technology without renegotiating the investment.
Are there any incentives or financing options?
Yes: operating lease with a tax-deductible fee, plus financing programmes and innovation and security grants for critical sectors and public bodies in Italy. We check eligibility during the assessment.
Why DroneBase
Since 2012, Europe’s reference point for professional UAV technology
DJI Super Gold Dealer, the only one in Europe. Headquarters, warehouse, service centre and demo area in Rimini, Italy: you see the system working before you buy it, and this is where it comes back for maintenance and updates.
- ISO 9001 certified — certified quality in sales, training and service
- Training with certified instructors — DroneBase Academy, pilot certificates and STS scenarios
- Technical and regulatory consulting on complex scenarios, ENAC and EASA
- R&D for complex projects and tailor-made integrations
- Full support, before and after the sale, with a dedicated technical contact
Let's talk about your site
Fill in the form: a security architect will call you back within 24 hours to arrange a site survey and a demo. The assessment tells you how many docks you need, how they integrate into your VMS and which of the two routes really pays off. No obligation.
