Faster, cheaper, safer, better. Companies are constantly searching for more efficient and affordable options to perform routine and hazardous tasks in an industrial environment. Self-navigating drones could be the solution, but configuring them to maneuver indoor spaces without a strong GPS signal can be expensive. Utilizing advanced imaging analysis and QR codes, researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) developed a new cost-effective method to make standard drones with cameras capable of autonomously performing jobs in GPS deprived hazardous areas. Drones equipped with INL’s new Route Operable Unmanned Navigation of Drones (ROUNDS) software can be used to automate tedious tasks at power plants or factories to improve operational efficiencies, lower costs, and reduce the risk of workplace injuries.