Developers: | Alps Electric |
Date of the premiere of the system: | October, 2019 |
Branches: | Power |
Technology: | Robotics |
2019: Announcement
In the middle of October, 2019 the ALPS company provided the drone which is capable to check electricity transmission infrastructure independently.
Traditionally, the energy companies use for check of the robots moving on transmission lines. Sometimes these robots are also equipped with lidarny sensors. However such robots have shortcomings: first, the robot can cause sagging of a cable, and secondly if the transmission line does not work, the robot cannot move on it any more. The flying drones are deprived of these shortcomings as are completely independent of a transmission line. They are more autonomous and can provide the video overview from any point.
The ALPS drone is supplied with very fine and sensitive sensors, including lidarny which provide orientation of the drone in space. ALPS also added the radio-frequency system of positioning with higher accuracy, than at civil GPS systems. Besides, the demonstration UAV is supplied with the camera Sony 4K which allows to fix small damages of an electricity transmission. In turn the video can be analyzed automatically using specially developed algorithm of AI which is provided by Toshiba Digital Solutions corporation.
ALPS suggests to develop flight plans along a transmission line then the drone will be able independently to cope with local obstacles thanks to service of warning of collisions and other automated functions which even more often join in UAVs. After automatic take-off the drone transfers video in real time and data on flight on the command panel so the operator person can undertake management at any time. At the same time specialists can focus on the actual repair of transmission lines, but not on search of problems.[1]