Drones for Inspection of Power Lines

Regarding visual inspection of line structures such as railways, bridges, or power lines, drones have become a safer, a more effective and cost-conscious alternative to traditional ways of inspection.
Drone technology offers high-resolution images and data including thermal imaging, which then enables the experts to detect faults or defects. Provided with precise information, technical teams
can choose the right tools and schedule the maintenance or repair at times that will not disturb
or disrupt daily operations. As drones are designed to inspect heights and inaccessible areas,
they can replace scaffolding or rope access to a great extent, thus reducing the risk to human life
and increasing speed and efficiency.

When it comes to electricity transmission, ensuring the safety and reliability of the network is of utmost importance. One critical aspect of achieving this is through regular inspections of the transmission network elements. Regular inspections play a vital role in the timely detection of defects, helping to prevent potential failures and ensuring uninterrupted power supply.

Traditionally, power line inspection has been performed using helicopters when defects are identified by an onboard expert during flight or by using video recordings afterward. The use of drones offers numerous advantages. In terms of safety, it eliminates the need for physical human presence. Thanks to high-resolution cameras and sensors, drones can collect detailed images and data, promptly detecting potential issues such as damaged or faulty lines. This enables more accurate and thorough inspections.

During the Inspel project, the Fly4Future team together with partners from AgentFly Technologies, ČEPS, and Eyedea, developed an automated data collection software using fully autonomous flying robots. The The Fly4Future team designed a unique SW for autonomous flying close to high voltage poles to provide an optimal point of view on required components of the infrastructure with the required resolution needed for AI-based postprocessing.

This new solution using drones flying close to the power lines lowers costs, improves the quality of aerial data acquisition, and enhances evaluation. It enables the inspection of power lines by multiple flying robots through an operator interface, displaying real-time and precise data from the available sensors. Additionally, the drone system can be used ad hoc for unplanned inspections in the event of accidents, which is currently not possible.