ROC – Remote Operation Center
Drones as an Operating Expense, Not a Capital Project
Compare owning a drone program with Remote Robotic's ROC: docks, aircraft, maintenance and licensed pilots included for one predictable monthly fee.
Remote Robotic · October 19, 2026 · 7 min read
Get a fully managed drone program for one predictable monthly fee. Equipment, maintenance and licensed pilots are all included.
The problem with owning a drone program
Drones are now essential on Canadian industrial sites. They inspect equipment, patrol perimeters, measure stockpiles and respond to alarms. But building your own drone program turns into a capital project fast.
You have to buy docks, drones, batteries and software. You have to hire and certify pilots. You have to maintain equipment, manage compliance, process data and replace the hardware every few years. Every new site means another capital request.
There’s a simpler way.
Remote Robotic’s Remote Operations Center (ROC)
The ROC is a fully managed drone program. We install automated drone docks at your sites, our licensed pilots run every mission remotely, and you get the data.
CAPEX vs OPEX: owning vs the ROC
| Cost area | Owning a drone program | Remote Robotic ROC |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront investment | Large upfront purchase per site | None |
| Budget type | Capital request | Operating expense |
| Approval time | Long capital approval cycles | Faster operating budget approval |
| Equipment | You buy, own and depreciate it | Included |
| Hardware upgrades | You pay again every few years | Included |
| Maintenance and repairs | Your responsibility | Included |
| Pilots | You hire, train, certify and retain them | Included |
| 24/7 coverage | Several pilots across shifts | Included |
| Compliance records | Your team manages them | Included |
| Data processing | Extra software and staff | Included |
| Downtime risk | Broken equipment means no data | We handle replacements and support |
| Adding sites | New capital for every site | Add sites to your plan |
| Cost predictability | Surprise repairs and staffing costs | One fixed monthly fee |
| Time to launch | Months | Weeks |
1. Equipment included
Never buy a drone again
Buying a dock, aircraft and the supporting gear is only the start of the spend, and the hardware begins depreciating the day it ships. New models arrive every one to two years, so an owned fleet is older than the best available kit long before it wears out.
With the ROC, equipment is part of the service:
- DJI Dock 3 and Dock 4 automated drone docks
- Matrice 4D, Matrice 4TD and Matrice 5TD aircraft
- Batteries, accessories, speakers, spotlights and parachutes
- Fleet management software and secure data storage
- Site assessment, installation and commissioning
- Hardware refreshes as technology improves
Always fly current hardware, without ever buying it.
2. Maintenance included
If something breaks, it’s our problem, not yours
Owning a fleet means managing propeller and battery replacements, firmware updates, dock cleaning, sensor checks, repairs, insurance claims and the downtime in between.
With the ROC, maintenance is part of the service:
- Scheduled preventive maintenance
- Firmware and software updates
- Battery and parts replacement
- Repairs and replacement hardware
- Dock and sensor upkeep
- OEM-tier technical support
- 24/7 fleet health monitoring
Your data keeps coming in, and your team never has to touch the hardware.
3. Pilots included
A full flight team, without adding anyone to your payroll
Running drones safely in Canada takes Transport Canada–certified pilots. Advanced operations and BVLOS work need higher certification levels and an operator certificate. Covering 24/7 operations takes several pilots across shifts, plus training, recurrency, overtime, and cover for vacations and turnover.
With the ROC, pilots are part of the service:
- Transport Canada–licensed RPAS pilots
- Every mission overseen live from our Remote Operations Center
- 24/7/365 coverage
- Mission planning and route building around your assets
- Live camera control when something needs a closer look
- Flight documentation and compliance records for every mission
A trained flight team, ready around the clock, at no added headcount.
The hidden costs of owning a program
Beyond equipment, maintenance and pilots, an in-house program comes with costs that are easy to miss:
- Procurement time and internal approvals
- IT and cybersecurity reviews
- Insurance
- Regulatory approvals, operating manuals and certificates
- Data processing software and staff
- Training replacement pilots when people leave
- Downtime when equipment or pilots aren’t available
- Replacing the fleet every few years
The ROC covers all of it in one service.
Why operations and finance teams choose OPEX
Faster approval
Operating budgets usually move faster than capital requests. You can launch this quarter instead of next fiscal year.
Better cash flow
There’s no large upfront spend. Your capital stays available for core operations.
Predictable costs
One monthly fee replaces surprise repair bills, replacement hardware and staffing costs.
Lower risk
Start with one site and one use case, prove the value, then scale.
No obsolescence
When better hardware arrives, upgrading is our job, not yours.
Focus on what matters
Your team uses the data instead of running a drone department.
What you get
- Automated drone docks installed at your sites
- Licensed pilots running every mission remotely
- Scheduled inspections, patrols and mapping on your timeline
- Alarm-triggered response with live video
- Processed data: inspection photos, thermal imagery, orthomosaics, 3D models and AI reports
- Secure access for your team from any device
- Compliance documentation and chain-of-custody records
- 24/7/365 operations from our Remote Operations Center
Built for Canadian industry
| Industry | Typical ROC work |
|---|---|
| Oil and gas | Well site inspections, pipeline corridor patrols, flare stack checks and site security. |
| Mining | Stockpile volumetrics, post-blast surveys, slope and tailings monitoring, and conveyor inspections. |
| Utilities and infrastructure | Substation thermal scans, transmission line patrols, solar farm inspections and storm response. |
| Construction | Progress capture, volumetrics, site mapping and security. |
| Security | 24/7 perimeter patrols and alarm response across multiple sites. |
Built for Canadian conditions
- Automated docks rated for operation down to –30°C, and down to –40°C with Dock 4
- Weather sensors that hold flights automatically when conditions aren’t safe
- Licensed Canadian pilots
- Service points in Mississauga, Ottawa, Calgary, Burnaby and Montréal
- 24/7/365 operations
How it works
- 01Book a briefingTell us about your sites, the data you need and how often you need it.
- 02We design your programWe plan the right docks, drones, routes and schedule for each site.
- 03We deployWe install and commission the equipment at your sites.
- 04We flyOur pilots run your missions remotely, 24/7/365.
- 05You get the dataYou receive processed deliverables for one predictable monthly fee.
Start small, scale up
You don’t need to commit to a full network on day one. Most clients start with one site and one use case, such as daily facility inspections, a pipeline patrol, stockpile volumes or night security. Once they’ve seen the results, they add more sites to their plan.
There’s no new capital request each time, just a simple change to your service plan.
Frequently asked questions
What’s included in the monthly fee?
Equipment, installation, maintenance, licensed pilots, 24/7 monitoring, mission planning, processed data and compliance documentation.
Do we have to buy any hardware?
No. We own, maintain and upgrade all the equipment.
Do we need to hire drone pilots?
No. Our Transport Canada–licensed pilots run every mission from our Remote Operations Center.
What happens if equipment breaks?
We handle repairs, replacements and support. That’s part of the service.
What do we need on site?
A power supply and a network connection at each dock location. We take care of the rest.
How quickly can we start?
Most programs can launch in weeks, not months. We’ll give you a timeline during your briefing.
Can we start with one site?
Yes. Most clients start with a single site and expand once they’ve seen the results.
Is the service treated as an operating expense?
Service fees are generally treated as operating expenses. Your finance team can confirm the accounting treatment for your organization.
Learn more about the Remote Operations Center.
Shop the story
Related products in our catalog
Every product below is stocked and supported by Remote Robotic in Canada.
- DJI Dock 3
DJI Dock 3
Automated dock for Matrice 4D and Matrice 4TD remote inspection programs.
View product → - DJI Matrice 4TD
DJI Matrice 4TD
Dock-native thermal M4TD with NIR aux light — night-ops DFR and thermal patrol.
View product → - DJI Matrice 4D
DJI Matrice 4D
Dock-native M4D — IP55, ~54 min flight, pairs with Dock 3 for autonomous DFR & BVLOS.
View product →