Grid-Inspecting Robots

As demands for power and communication increased during the westward expansion of America, the necessity of a well developed power grid became much greater. The planning and construction of the power grid was grueling, tedious work that took several years to complete throughout the country. However, as proven is recent years, the maintenence and repair of the power grid can be even more dangerous and risky. Currently, breaks in the power lines are repaired during manned helicopter inspections. According to The Daily Beast, this is the eleventh most dangerous job in America (about 30 fatalities and 3 injuries per 100,000 workers). Andrew Phillips, director of power transmission at the Electric Power Research Institute, beleives he has the solution.



Phillips, along with other researchers at the institute, has developed a 140-pound, six-foot-long prototype of a robot that will be able to slide along power lines for inspection. The robot can even maneuver past towers along the lines using cables that are either built on to or retrofitted to the tower. Using high definition cameras and sensors, the robot will be able to provide clear digital images to various inspection locations via satellite. The robot can detect a problem by recording an image at millions of points on the line. If the image is altered at the same exact point during the next inspection, a problem will be reported. This is highly important for reporting possible risks such as overgrown trees, which are the numer one cause of line breaks. The robot will move at about 3mph and make about two 80 mile trips during the span of one year. The solar panel design of the robot was originally constructed for the robot to run off the sun's energy. However, researchers found it more efficient to use solar energy as backup power, and have the robot run on the energy it absorbs from the wires through electromagnetic induction.

This new robot has sparked the interest of various power companies in America. For instance, George Juhn, director of investment planning and asset management at Ontario transmission giant Hydro One, stated that "[The new robot] would definitely be of interest to us." Field testing for the robot will begin in 2014.



http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25502/