Key takeaways
- The Pergam Falcon is a stand-off TDLAS laser that reports path-integrated concentration in ppm-m — built for fast screening of long lines.
- SeekerOne-class compact laser sensors trade some range and quantification for light weight; Sensirion-class point modules only read the air reaching the sensor.
- For screening kilometres of Alberta gathering line, UAV Imaging flies the Pergam Falcon; no aerial sensor replaces the required ground walkdown.
“Which methane sensor should fly on the drone?” usually comes down to three names buyers keep hearing: the Pergam Falcon, the SeekerOne, and small gas modules from Sensirion. They are not interchangeable — each sits on a different point of the range-versus-weight-versus-quantification trade-off. This compares the three head-to-head for aerial leak detection, then explains which one UAV Imaging flies and why. (Exact specifications differ by model and revision; confirm current figures with each manufacturer.)
Pergam Falcon — stand-off TDLAS laser
The Pergam Falcon uses Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS): it fires a laser tuned to a wavelength methane absorbs and measures how much of the reflected beam returns. Because it integrates along the whole beam path, it reports a quantified path-integrated concentration in parts-per-million-metre (ppm-m). It is the sensor UAV Imaging flies on the Matrice 300 RTK.
- Reading: quantified ppm-m, near-real-time to the pilot.
- Stand-off: yes — measures at a distance to a reflective surface, so the aircraft never has to enter the plume.
- Best at: fast, quantified screening of long gathering and distribution lines.
SeekerOne — compact drone laser sensor
SeekerOne is positioned as a compact, drone-mounted laser methane sensor — the same broad laser-absorption family as the Falcon, packaged smaller and lighter for lift-limited aircraft. That packaging is the point of difference: a lighter sensor is easier to fly on smaller platforms, generally at the cost of some range, robustness or quantification depth versus a larger stand-off instrument.
- Reading: laser-based methane concentration (marketed as quantified; exact units and range vary by model).
- Stand-off: laser method allows non-contact sensing, typically at shorter working range than a larger instrument.
- Best at: methane sensing on smaller, weight-constrained aircraft where payload budget is tight.
Sensirion-class — miniature point gas modules
Sensirion makes miniature gas-sensor modules — small, low-cost MEMS-based elements used across many gas-sensing products. Integrated onto a drone, a point module of this class samples the air that physically reaches the sensor rather than measuring along a beam to a distant target.
- Reading: concentration of the air at the sensor (point measurement), not a path-integrated or stand-off figure.
- Stand-off: no — the drone must fly through the gas for the module to read it.
- Best at: light, inexpensive close-in confirmation once the aircraft is already near a source.
Head-to-head
| Attribute | Pergam Falcon | SeekerOne | Sensirion-class module |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensing method | TDLAS laser (stand-off) | Compact laser | Miniature point module |
| Reading | Path-integrated ppm-m | Laser concentration (model-dependent) | Air-at-sensor concentration |
| Fly through plume? | No — stand-off | Reduced / short-range | Yes — required |
| Relative weight | Heavier instrument | Light | Lightest |
| Relative cost | Higher | Mid | Lowest |
| Best-fit job | Fast screening of long lines | Sensing on small aircraft | Close-in confirmation |
Which one UAV Imaging flies, and why
Most Alberta gas-co-op and producer work is a coverage problem first: kilometres of gathering and distribution line that are slow and hazardous to walk. Of the three, the Pergam Falcon fits that best — a quantified, stand-off reading that covers far more ground per hour than a ground crew without flying the aircraft into the plume, producing a geo-tagged survey track for the audit file. A SeekerOne-class sensor makes sense when payload forces a smaller aircraft; a Sensirion-class point module suits close-in confirmation, not wide-area screening. UAV Imaging screens with the Falcon on the Matrice 300 RTK, and the H20T's radiometric thermal can confirm a visible plume once a location is flagged.
The honest limit on all three
No airborne sensor — Falcon, SeekerOne or Sensirion module — replaces the ground walkdown a regulatory framework such as Alberta's Directive 060 relies on to classify a leak and drive repair. Aerial detection is the fast, cost-effective screening layer that tells a crew where to walk. UAV Imaging positions it exactly as screening, paired with a Method 21 (or equivalent) ground step.