Is This a Job for a Robot?

Inspecting high-voltage power lines is dangerous, difficult, and expensive. Line workers may need to remain in the air for hours at a time, sometimes during stormy or windy conditions. One wrong move can spell injury or even death. That's why the Japanese company HiBot has developed Expliner, a rolling robot that hangs from power lines and performs inspections.

As Expliner's four wheels roll along an upper pair of bundled cables, a high-definition camera mounted on a robotic arm captures images that are transmitted to a human worker. Corrosion and scratches that might be difficult to detect are no match for the rolling robot's laser sensors. By using a counterweight and performing a sequence of acrobatic moves, Expliner can also overcome spacers, suspender clamps, and other obstacles.

HiBot's high-voltage robot is impressive, but Expliner isn't fully autonomous. "There is always a human in the control loop," explains HiBot co-founder Michele Guarnieri, "but the repetitive tasks are automated". But that's not where Expliner's skill set ends. "Task that require a high degree of precision, like maintaining balance or moving parts to a certain angle, are also automated, Guarnieri adds."

Is this the perfect job for a robot?

Source: IEEE Spectrum