Robotic platforms dedicated to powerline inspection are often complex to operate, take several minutes to cross any obstacle, and must be operated by highly trained specialists. To further its goal of massive inspection of its power grid, Hydro-Québec developed an innovative robot that is simple to operate and can be used directly by line maintenance technicians. LineRanger was developed following the field deployment of LineROVer and LineScout but aims at surpassing them in terms of inspection efficiency. With an ingenious and passive obstacle-crossing system, this new robot allows large-scale inspection of bundled-type powerlines, since the obstacle crossing time is considerably reduced. In this paper, details on the robot's key features are presented along with its mathematical analysis, which guarantees its stability on flexible bundles and directly influenced the design. Finally, the LineRanger prototype is presented, with insights about its first field deployments.

This paper presents the design of a multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of landing semiautomatically on a power line while carrying a payload. The vehicle then rolls along the line to perform an inspection. Special attention is given to the vehicle's onboard vision system, which consists of a monocular camera and LiDAR used together to compute the pose of the vehicle relative to the power line. Landing assistance is provided to the pilot by a position-based visual controller that aligns and keeps the vehicle centered along the power line. The pilot remains in control of vertical and longitudinal movement during descent. The proposed approach was tested on a full-scale test line and shows promise for future applications of high value to the electric industry such as non-destructive testing of power transmission lines.

This paper presents the characterization of the Hokuyo UTM-30LX laser range finder applied to obstacle detection on power line conductors. First, an overview section defines requirements and explains why the UTM-30LX was selected for this application. Next, since there is no published characterization of this particular sensor's performance, a comprehensive set of experiments is described, both general tests and ones specific to the novel problem of scanning a power line conductor to detect where obstructions are present. It is then explained how the LIDAR can be mounted on the LineScout power line robot and what algorithm is used to detect obstacles ahead. Basic results obtained on a full-scale power line mock-up clearly demonstrate the potential of the approach.

This video summarizes a breakthrough in the emerging field of transmission line inspection and maintenance robots. Collaboration between electric utilities recently led to a robotic inspection of a large ocean inlet crossing transmission line, performed by LineScout Technology. Key challenges associated with the live line inspection and crossing of the suspension clamp are presented. Some of the findings revealed along the spans are shown. The accompanying paper also discusses some of the features of the robotic system that were found essentials for the success of the task.

Power line inspection and maintenance practices are evolving as changing market regulations, significantly increased line loading and system availability requirements put pressure on grid owners to innovate. Robotics is thus making its debut in that field. Described in previous papers as an inspection tool, Hydro-Quebec LineScout technology is evolving into a teleoperated mobile robot capable of performing basic maintenance tasks. Programmable pan-and-tilt camera (PPTC) units were designed and implemented as the first step towards enhanced teleoperation control. LineArm, a dual end effector robotic arm, was specifically designed for work on bundled conductors. Design specifications and kinematics of these two subsystems are presented. Implemented application modules to be mounted on LineArm are also presented and their utilization is reported as a milestone in power line live maintenance. Lastly, future work and challenges in applying robotics to transmission line maintenance are briefly discussed.

Power line inspection and maintenance are fields of application where robotics has yet to be introduced. However, as in many other hostile environments, substantial benefits in terms of workers safety and quality of inspection results could arise. This paper describes one of the latest initiatives toward that goal by presenting the design of a teleoperated robot called the "LineScout". This moving platform has the capacity to cross obstacles found on the line. Special care was taken early in the design phase to account for the context of power utility operation and to customize the geometric parameters to the specific features of the electric power network. The final prototype incorporates several key mechanical design features, which are briefly described. The LineScout is now validated, fully tested and ready to undertake pilot projects.