![]() ![]() To accomplish that we’re likely to start embedding millions of internet enabled sensors throughout power lines. Not only do we need more conductor, and newer lines, we also need an updated way to deal with routing power as demand fluctuates. Honestly this should have happened twenty years ago. LineScout and other power transmission line robots of its kind will be essential.īut in the long term we’re going to need to upgrade the transmission system completely. In the near term we’ll need lots of inspections, lots of minor repairs, to avoid the catastrophic failures and region wide blackouts we’ve seen in the past. The addition of a new generation of electric vehicles has the potential to really stress the system. The aging North American electric grid is going to be a continued liability as power needs increase in the years ahead. Eventually we’ll want these robots to be upgraded from remote controlled to semi or fully autonomous. ![]() However, LineScout has been field tested dozens of times in British Columbia, in rough terrain, so it seems to have an edge. In fact, similar bots in the research phase have already started to pop up. The LineScout provides a distinct advantage over human workers inspecting the line by hand and if IREQ is able to commercialize the robot, we should expect it to see use in electric grids all over the world. Power line inspections seem to qualify under all three. Robots seem destined to augment any job that humans find dangerous, dull, or difficult. Check out the LineScout in action in the summary video below. No wonder it recently won the Edison Award from the Edison Electrical Institute. In short, the robot has the potential to save Canada millions in lost energy and revenue as well as keeping human lives out of danger. It has thermal-IR imaging so it can see ‘hotspots’ on the line and prevent the fraying and breaking of lines that leads to major blackouts and delays. ![]() Called the LineScout, the IREQ robot is remotely controlled by workers on the ground, giving them an up close view of lines so they can detect damage, de-ice the conductor, and perform simple repairs. Hydro-Quebec’s Research Institution ( IREQ) created an inspection and maintenance robot that can traverse overhead transmission lines even when they are buzzing at hundreds of thousands of volts. ![]() LineScout performs its high wire act on power transmission lines.Ĭanadian robots aren’t afraid of a little power. ![]()
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