Shaoxing, Zhejiang: Onboard de-icing robot makes operational debut

A strong cold-air outbreak caused temperatures to drop sharply across Shaoxing and brought mixed snow on Jan 20, resulting in light icing on several transmission lines. State Grid Shaoxing Power Supply Company responded by deploying an onboard overhead-ground-wire de-icing robot to Wudang Ridge, 800 meters above sea level in Shengzhou, to clear ice from affected high-voltage circuits.

The robot, being used for the first time, is an intelligent platform purpose-built for the safe winter operation and maintenance (O&M) of high-voltage lines. Moving autonomously along the ground wire, it removes ice through percussive impact and other mechanical actions, dramatically enhancing grid resilience and operational reliability during snow-related disasters, reducing the risk ice-storms pose to line security, eliminating the need for dangerous manual de-icing operations, and helping ensure uninterrupted power delivery.

The system comprises three integrated modules — an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) suspension rig, a robot proper, and a remote-control terminal — linked by mechanical, electrical, and communication interfaces for seamless deployment. The robot body features a symmetric, quick-clamp frame that speeds up field installation and removal. Fabricated from high-strength, low-mass aluminium alloys and engineering plastics, the chassis encloses a Li-ion battery pack, main-control printed circuit board, sensor suite, and drive train. Externally, knurled running wheels and a motorized clamp generate adjustable pre-load, keeping the unit firmly seated on an iced ground wire while it advances.

Before de-icing begins, ground crews use a DJI FC30 heavy-lift UAV and an FC30-compatible universal suspension frame to lift the robot and place it on the overhead ground wire. Once energized, the unit moves along the line, with its integrated impact, knocking and rolling modules breaking and shedding ice. Dual-view cameras on the robot stream real-time HD video and telemetry to the ground terminal, while operators simultaneously monitor the footage and working-status data, issuing commands on the fly to keep the entire process fully under control.

The live-line operation successfully demonstrated the onboard ground-wire de-icing robot's capabilities. R&D staff at State Grid Shaoxing will now refine the system based on field data to strengthen its performance against future cold waves and expand its role in ice-mitigation and supply-security missions.

Next, State Grid Shaoxing plans to broaden its intelligent-robot ecosystem and accelerate the research and development of industrial-grade robots across multiple categories, propelling the power sector toward a "robot-replaces-human" paradigm in O&M, overhaul, safety supervision, and inspection.