Live-line operation robot boosts grid maintenance

State Grid Shizuishan Power Supply Company successfully completed the commissioning and trial operation of the "live-line operation robot" on Sept 28. This intelligent device officially took up its post, marking the launch of a new "machine replacing human" mode in the field of live-line operation for distribution network operation and maintenance of Shizuishan Power Supply Company, and building a solid intelligent barrier for the safety of regional power supply.

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Traditional live-line operations have long been held back by the challenges presented by "high altitude, high voltage, and high intensity". Operators need to climb to high altitudes wearing heavy insulation equipment, which not only requires a lot of physical strength and limits operational efficiency, but also risks direct contact with live parts and has always been a high-risk link in the power operation and maintenance chain. The newly introduced "live-line operation robot" integrates cutting-edge technologies such as visual recognition and precise motion control and is equipped with a multi-degree-of-freedom flexible robotic arm and a multi-dimensional sensing system. It can accurately complete standardized operational tasks such as wire stripping, wiring, and simple accessory installation, reducing the need for traditional manual work.

In actual operations, the robot is accurately delivered to the designated high-altitude operation point by an insulated bucket arm truck. Ground operation and maintenance personnel receive high-definition real-time images transmitted back by the equipment through intelligent terminals, and complete the whole-process operation relying on a stable remote-control system, realizing a safe operation mode of "human-machine separation and ground control". 

"In the past, every time we carried out high-altitude live-line operations, it took more than half an hour just to check the equipment, and we were nervous throughout the operation. Now the robot takes on the most dangerous links, and we just need to supervise from the ground, greatly increasing," said a live-line operator who participated in the on-site work.

The application of the "live-line operation robot" not only reduces the risk of manual operation from the source, but also can calmly cope with complex weather conditions such as high temperature and strong wind, breaking through the environmental constraints of traditional operations. In the next step, Shizuishan Power Supply Company will continue to expand the application scenarios of robots, accelerate the construction of a standardized operation process system, promote intelligent equipment to deeply participate in daily maintenance, hidden danger elimination, and other work, and promote the accelerated transformation of power operation and maintenance towards a safer and more efficient intelligent direction.