Experience Lucid Bots.

Summer is in swing, and it's coming in hot with humidity and high temperatures. Summer might be great, but it can be damaging to structures. Discoloration, dust, grime, and organic stains like mold and mildew are just a few things to keep an eye out for. It's a great time to soft wash, just don't get too close. These organic stains can have long-term effects on your health.

Luckily, drones can be used for safely soft washing surfaces from a distance. Soft washing is the process of using low pressure water to clean exterior surfaces. The best part? Soft washing actually eradicates the damaging organic stains by cleaning the source. This means that you can avoid damaging structures with high pressures and you can ensure that any organic stains, like mold and mildew, are taken care of on the spot.

Plus, with a drone, you can clean areas that are difficult or dangerous to reach, like roofs and tall buildings. Drone technology makes it possible to safely and efficiently clean these areas without having to climb up or get too close. So if you're looking for a safe and effective way to soft wash, consider using a Lucid Bots cleaning drone!

Contact us today to schedule a FREE demo and speak with one of our customer service representatives!

Drones will fundamentally change the world. Since 2018, the number of drones registered with the FAA in the United States has doubled from 900,000 to 1.8 million and counting. However, very few drone companies successfully prioritize customer success by making it simple to integrate and scale drone solutions.

At Lucid Bots, our mission is to elevate efficiency, safety, and humanity by building the world’s most productive drones. At the time of writing this article, we are working with exciting customers that range in size and shape from professional sports teams to inspiring owner/operator companies that fly our Cleaning Drone. We are a growing team, filled with brilliant engineers, empathetic trainers, and an industry-leading support team. In order to understand how we built a customer-centric business model, it’s important to start this story from the beginning.

Failure to Fly

In 2018, my co-founders and I set out on a humanitarian mission. We saw workers suspended well-above ground on lifts, ladders, and scaffolds, trying to clean the exterior of buildings. Each year, there are a multitude of fatalities and life-altering injuries from using this equipment. To put it bluntly, we were appalled — how had no one found a way to leverage existing technology to make this job safer?

At the beginning of our journey, we set out on the path of least resistance, aiming to see how quickly we could prove if drones could clean buildings effectively, efficiently, and safely. To accomplish this, we bought a drone from an international company, who we will refer to as IDM (International Drone Manufacturer). Starting out, we bought one of their smaller industrial drones and built a bracket around it to conceptually show that drone cleaning was feasible. However, we soon learned that this drone was incredibly limited in its functionality. At this point in time, we had three major frustrations with our off-the-shelf drone from IDM:

1. The payload capabilities were underwhelming. While we quickly proved drone cleaning conceptually worked, it could only get about 30 feet off the ground because it lacked sufficient power to clean at greater heights.
2. Having a purpose-built drone matters. We had taken an off-the-shelf industrial drone, which lacked many of the features we needed to more effectively and efficiently clean.
3. We had to figure out everything on our own. The drone company provided no training, guidance on regulations, recommendations on insurance, etc.

While these issues seem significant, we convinced ourselves that #1 was the most important, so we decided to order a larger, more expensive industrial drone from IDM. To IDM’s credit, the first time we flew this new drone, we were jumping for joy. It had two extra motors, with each and every motor larger than the last drone, and it just looked like it could lift some serious weight! However, we then plugged in a new set of batteries and prepared for the second flight and…

That $30,000 drone would never take off again.

IDM had forced a firmware update after our first flight. We couldn’t take off until we updated their firmware, yet once we did, the drone was then unable to start the motors. It continually recognized itself as having 6 motors, rather than 8. For months (yes, months!), we wasted endless hours on the phone, trying desperately to receive any help from their support team with no success. At long last, they admitted they had no idea what was wrong and couldn’t fix it remotely, so they gave us an address to send it to half way around the world. We never saw that drone again…

While ordering the larger drone from IDM is our most regretted financial decision, it ended up being the best thing to ever happen to our company. Our abominable customer experience with this International Drone Manufacturer cost us tens of thousands of dollars in expenses, lost revenue, and missed opportunity. At Lucid, we subscribe to the motto that “failure is never final, so long as you learn from it,” and this experience allowed us to learn how to build the customer centric drone company that we always dreamed of working with.

How We Built a Customer Centric Business

Easy to Use, Easy to Buy

At our company, we live and breathe this maxim and use it as a guiding beacon in all of our efforts. To the average person, flying an industrial drone seems like a daunting task. Although we build incredibly sophisticated technology, with a multitude of sensors and intelligent features, our top priority is ensuring that our drones are easy to use. The truth of the matter is that drones aren’t complicated to use; what makes drones difficult is a lack of robust support.

To lower the adoption curve and introduce drone technology into old-school, sleepy markets, we offer training resources to all of our customers. It doesn’t matter if you have never flown a drone before, or if you just finished your PhD in aeronautical engineering, we support our customers through each and every step of the process to successfully integrate our technology into their business operations. We offer a full-spectrum support that empowers our customers to be successful by eliminating the guesswork of incorporating new technology.

Learning from the Past Experiences

When we first started our company, we were perpetually frustrated with our drone provider. Not only was the drone itself lackluster, the support and experience of working with this company was infuriating. Once we bought the drone, we had to figure out everything for ourselves:

1. How do I fly the drone?
2. What are the regulations I need to follow?
3. What safety precautions should I take?
4. What happens if I need help? How long does it take to repair the drone?
5. What type of insurance do I need? How much will it cost? Who will provide this insurance?
6. And so much more…

All of these compounding questions and headaches inspired us to build the drone company we always dreamed of —one that puts its customers first in every way possible.

Delighting Customers

Customers are naturally drawn to a product’s functionality — what can it do and how is it a better alternative to what they are currently using? In order for a customer to change what they are doing, though, it’s important to clearly articulate the product’s value, while also demonstrating that integrating the product into the customer’s existing operations will be simple.

We sell our drones and provide our customers with all of the technology and equipment they need to successfully integrate our technology into their operations (drone, batteries, controller, transportation case, and more!). Unlike other drone companies, we understand that ensuring customer success involves much more than the technology itself.

At Lucid, our product is much more than just a drone. It’s an experience.

We love building innovative solutions. But we love delighting our customers even more! We do this by making it simple to integrate our product into our customers’ operations. Beyond providing our drone technology, we offer the following value to our customers with every purchase:

1. On-going support and maintenance. We understand industrial drones are like cars and need some care and attention from time to time. If your “brake light” comes on, we will be right there to help you fix it.
2. Data. We teach our customers how to leverage the data that their drone collects to provide added value to their customers.
3.  Insurance. We have you covered! No need to waste time learning what coverage you need and how to procure it. We have a streamlined process that allows our customers to obtain cost-effective drone insurance in less than 15 minutes.
4.  Accessories. For our cleaning drones, we provide our customers with a list of recommended cleaning solutions and help them procure it at discounted rates.
5. And much, much more. The examples above are just a sampling of how we empower our customers to be successful. If you want to learn more about how we delight our customers, you’ll have to become one!

There’s no denying it — drones will fundamentally change the world. At Lucid Bots, we understand this and are building the dependable, customer-centric drone company. We’re not just building frontier technology, we are building a company and culture that enables our customers to quickly integrate and scale drone solutions throughout their operations. 

Executive Summary

The Director of Facilities and Maintenance at The Peninsula Club Golf Course was searching for a solution to get the roof of the main clubhouse and recreational facility cleaned. He had explored other options but quickly realized that several obstacles were impeding progress. He needed help to get the cleaned safely, efficiently and within his budget constraints.

Challenges 

• Clay roofing material could not be walked on and could not be cleaned effectively from the ground.
• The club only allows maintenance on Monday mornings.
• Large lifting equipment was not an option given the layout and landscaping around each building.

Solution

• Lucid Bots deployed its cleaning drone to rapidly and effectively clean both building roofs safely.
• Lucid's cleaning drones leveraged a softwash cleaning process to effectively remove all organic stains at the roots ensuring a longer duration between cleanings.

Results

• Completed the job in half the time with less manpower than other companies proposed which lead to less disruption for the club.
• Saved the club 30% while being more profitable than the competition due to limited labor costs and rental fees.
• The drone was setup and packed up within 5 minutes of start and stop times leading to less disturbance and cleanup for club members to see than traditional methods.
• No landscaping or roofing materials were damaged and no one was put in an unsafe situation.
• Members and staff were pleased with the outcome.

A Satisfied Customer

“Lucid Bots was very professional and respectful when it came to the job. The before and after pictures were simply amazing and we didn’t realize just how dirty our roofs really were. The members and club are very happy with the new look and we look forward to utilizing Lucid for our future exterior cleaning needs.”– John Williams, Director of Maintenance & Facilities, The Peninsula Club

With the rise of new technologies and sciences, it's not surprising that many people are hesitant about embracing drones for their business needs.

After all, we've been there before when computerization was first introduced to the business space. But what if you're one of those who are still on fence? Maybe you're reluctant. I mean, drones are new and maybe a bit daunting...

The Lucid Bots cleaning drone can take your business to the next level, and after you read this blog post, any doubts will be cleared up before tomorrow morning rolls around again.

But don't just take our word for it. Take it from one of our valued customers, Ryan Godwin, owner of Godwin Cleaning Services, an exterior cleaning business servicing commercial and residential properties.

Ryan Godwin had a similar hesitation when it came to using drones to help his business. "I mean, you know not and I was really skeptical. In the beginning, of course, because I didn't know much about it. And it took me a while to decide to pull the trigger." Godwin Cleaning Services finally did pull the trigger, and now, it’s paying off in a big way.

After using the drone, Godwin knew that a Lucid Bots cleaning drone would become a game changer for his business. “I knew I had to incorporate it into my business." He added, "I bought this and you know, I've had it for what a month now. And I've already executed like four jobs with it for big names.” 

Lucid Bots cleaning drone has been a game changer for many industry professionals, and for most, it’s considered their secret weapon. “I'm glad it's my secret weapon.” said Godwin, “it's the game changer that I needed to, really, really push it.”

Truthfully, we succeed when our customers succeed. That’s why we go through extensive testing and development to ensure that our drones are effective and profitable for our customers. “But I'm just gonna tell you now. And not just because y'all are the manufacturers of it. I mean, it's probably the best purchase I've made for my business.”

Additionally, our cleaning drones have cut down the time it takes to complete cleaning jobs the traditional way by increasing efficiency by 80%. “If I was using the traditional lift I mean, this is a two three day project.” Said Godwin. “I've actually been counting my cleaning time. Total cleaning time. It's been about four hours today.”

Lucid Bots was founded on one key principle: safety. Slips, trips and falls are the number one cause of injury on a job site. Cleaning drones are making it possible to reduce liability and increase worker safety by 95%. “I'm not hanging off a lift, you're still spraying. I'm just not hanging off a lift brand. You know, the only difference is I'm safer on the ground.” Said Godwin.

It also helps that cleaning drones are really cool. “I'm telling you, I've had an audience all day.” said Godwin.

Drones are changing the world, but Lucid Bots is leading by example. We have created a smarter way for professionals in cleaning industries to do their jobs - safer and faster than ever before.

"It's a game-changer!"

Curious about how you can take your business to the next level? Just contact us by filling out our contact form or by calling us at (980) 498-1894  . 

Clinton College is a HBCU located in Rock Hill, SC with over 125 years of educational excellence.

Summary

The Director of Maintenance at Clinton College was searching for a solution to get all the buildings on campus cleaned and ready to welcome back students. He had explored other options but quickly realized that several obstacles were impeding progress. He needed help to get it cleaned safely, efficiently, and within his budget constraints.

Challenges

Limestone columns had years of buildup and extended over the building. The college wanted a solution that would clean multiple buildings/surfaces.

Large lift equipment was not an option with the terrain around some buildings.

Solution

Lucid Bots deployed its cleaning drone to rapidly and effectively clean all 11 buildings on campus safely.

Lucid's cleaning drones leveraged a soft wash cleaning process to effectively remove all organic stains at the roots ensuring a longer duration between cleanings.

Results

• Completed the job in a third of the time with less man power than other companies proposed which lead to no disruption for the college.
• Saved the college 30% while being more profitable than the competition due to limited labor costs and rental fees.
• The drone was setup and packed up within 5 minutes of start and stop times leading to less disturbance and cleanup.
• No landscaping or roofing materials were damaged and no one was put in an unsafe situation.

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Do you have your Part 107 certificate? If you're a drone pilot, the answer had better be yes. But what if you're not a drone pilot? Well, the BVLOS ARC has something to say about that. Their latest report recommends that all new Part 107 certificates include provisions for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operation. If you want to get your Part 107, you need to be prepared to fly your drone beyond your line of sight. Here's what you need to know.

 The BVLOS ARC is a committee of aviation experts formed in 2016 to study the usefulness of drone operations beyond visual line of sight. Their latest report recommends that the FAA include BVLOS provisions in all new Part 107 certificates. This would require all current and future drone pilots to be trained and certified to fly their drones beyond their line of sight.

The BVLOS ARC is recommending this change because they believe it will make drone operations safer and more efficient. Currently, drone pilots are only allowed to fly their drones within their line of sight. Meaning that you need to keep your drone in view at all times, which can be difficult, especially if the drone is flying at a distance.

If pilots were able to fly their drones beyond their line of sight, they would be able to use visual aids, such as First Person View (FPV) goggles, to keep track of the drone. This would make it much easier for pilots to see and avoid obstacles, and it would also allow them to fly the drone for longer periods of time.

The BVLOS ARC's recommendation is just that, a recommendation. It's up to the FAA to decide whether or not to include BVLOS provisions in the Part 107 certificate.

So what would this mean if the FAA made these recommended changes?

This new level of Part 107 certification would require pilots looking to fly beyond line of sight operations to attend online training and then take an online exam to earn a new certificate. This certificate would be an advanced form of Part 107 operations. With this new certificate, the need to have a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) for beyond line of sight operations would disappear. Which is good news because it's not economically viable to obtain a manned certificate, let alone a CFI certificate.

It's important to remember that these are recommendations and are currently not being enforced by the FAA. If you have any questions about getting your Part 107 or if you would like more information on what a Part 107 license is, you can click here for more info or call and speak to a Lucid Bots rep today.