Mobile Robots to Inspect Power Transmission Lines

It is a complex problem and to be honest at your place I would rather get in touch with a University Lab specialised in robotics. A forum as CR4 would have some difficulties to go into details. But we can try. What you give as input is NOT enough even to start a thought.

If I may put down a short list:

- there are different technologies to recognize a field do you already have focused on one ? optical? sound?

- the definition of an obstacle should be more precise: height? width? depth?

- dimensions of the mobile unit: in which ratio to the obstacle dimensions? smaller ? bigger?

- traveling expected speed if possible in metric units

- power supply: on bord? an ombilical cable?

The list can be longer and as you may feel already answers cannot be as detailed as you wish.

I am CoronaCameraMan - Seasons Greetings to All,

A deceased friend James R Booker PE was working on exactly this type of device, it had also been a part of an EPRI development at one time, there is also a company in Colorado that has a device that does some transmission line inspection.

One of the reasons these devices were developed was to examine the transmission line conductor inner steel core cable for corrosion and via transmission report to the computer on the ground. The devices typically were used on de-energized conductors and required an operator to move them past the jumper or loop at each tower. The device was small enough that it could typically also be used on individual conductors but not on a cable bundle that had spacers between the conductors without assistance at each spacer.

Happy Holidays

Hi,

Is it possible for me to get more information regarding this development that you had mention? This is because I am doing my final year project in mechanical engineering.

Thanks.