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SUMMARY
Among other innovations, grid owners are looking at robotic systems to assure and maintain the
reliability and availability of transmission networks, as part of the solution to rising electricity
demand, stricter regulations and the inevitable ageing of systems. This paper outlines Hydro-Québec’s
power line robotics program, shares robotics field experiences, describes the technology’s impact and
benefits, and presents aspects of future applications. Hydro-Québec’s development of robotics for live
transmission line maintenance began in 1998 with the introduction of a teleoperated live-line trolley,
LineROVer Technology. The next step and main technical challenge was to develop a reliable
teleoperated robot capable of accessing live conductors while manoeuvring around obstacles
encountered on power lines. LineScout technology was first employed on a live 735-kV line in 2006
as part of its testing and validation phase. It is now equipped with a robotic arm designed to carry
sensors and maintenance tools required to perform work on the network. During the live-line
interventions performed on the Hydro-Québec and British Columbia Transmission Corporation
networks, the quality and value of the data collected confirmed the potential of the mobile robot.
Information such as high-quality video images, audible noise, infrared images and electrical resistance
measurements have proven to be extremely valuable in contributing to maintaining system reliability
and in making optimal maintenance decisions. By working on energized lines, LineScout also made its
mark regarding system availability and the safety of maintenance personnel. In the future, new sensors
to evaluate ACSR steel core corrosion and to detect broken inner-layer strands could become the
backbone of the technology’s business case. The ability to identify line components will eventually
enable power line robots to perform inspections and cross obstacles autonomously.
KEYWORDS
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montambault.serge@ireq.ca
1 INTRODUCTION
Transmission line networks are undeniably strategic assets for every country. A rigorous maintenance
strategy applied to transmission structures and facilities is therefore essential. Robotics has made its
contribution to many fields of inspection and maintenance and transmission line maintenance should
be no exception. Although not many advanced work has been implemented in systematic maintenance
activities, the last few years have been fertile as many research teams are emerging with new projects
[1] aiming to apply robotics to the power industry’s core businesses [2][3].
2 EARLY WORK
After Québec was severely hit by an ice storm in 1998, Hydro-Québec intensified its effort in the
development of solutions to respond to such events. As part of the ensuing R&D program, robotics
technology made its first appearance on Hydro-Québec’s transmission network in 2000. Initially
developed as a mechanical de-icing solution for overhead ground wire, LineROVer Technology was
soon used as a live-line inspection solution [4]. Used for visual and infrared inspections, measurement
of the electrical resistance of splices, and live-line replacement of overhead ground wire, robotics
applications in transmission line maintenance became a reality.
A single-span approach reaches its limit once an obstacle must be crossed. In 2002, the robotics team
from Hydro-Québec’s research institute targeted another major challenge: accessing conductor
bundles and crossing obstacles. The first prototype of RST-2X Technology was successfully tested in
2003 on a four-conductor bundle. The project was later put on hold to concentrate on a solution that
would eventually cover the whole transmission network, LineScout Technology.
3 LINESCOUT TECHNOLOGY
LineScout started in 2003 with the objective of developing a teleoperated platform that could travel
along live transmission lines and cross most obstacles on the Hydro-Québec network, opening the way
for multi-span applications.
3.1 Crossing strategy and specifications
LineScout concept [5] and design [6] have been presented previously. As a summary, Figure 1 shows
the steps that take place while crossing an obstacle, in this case a suspension clamp. As seen in the
sequence, a set of arms and grippers offer a temporarily grasp on both sides of the obstacle, allowing
wheels to disengage and flip down underneath the line prior to crossing to the other side. The two-
minute operation is teleoperated from the ground. Details about the control algorithms and safety rules
implemented to avoid mistakes and to ease the operator’s task were discussed in [7].
1
Climb a 25-degree slope
Negotiate 12-degree horizontal turns at suspension towers
Work safely in winds of up to 40 km/h
Adapt its crossing strategy to obstacles up to 0.8 m in length and also to series of adjacent
obstacles, such as suspension clamps spaced about 1.0 m apart
Cross obstacles in less than 2 minutes
Operate at temperatures of -15°C to +30°C
Roll at an average speed of 3.0 km/h
Tolerate light rain
Accommodate a modular robotic arm designed to reach all conductors in a quad bundle (seen on
Figure 2 – left)
Weigh 98 kg in basic configuration and 110 kg when equipped with the modular robotic arm
Have an overall length of 1.36 m and hang 0.8 m beneath the conductor
Have a 20-minute typical installation time once at the tower
Up to now, two complete systems are assembled: one dedicated to live-line work in a stable and
validated state, the other serving as a platform for R&D purposes (seen on Figure 2 – right).
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3.3 Peripheral systems for field deployment
The ground control unit (GCU) comprises a military-grade portable PC and a pair of industrial 3-axis
joysticks for operator input. The video signal transmitted by LineScout can be enhanced by an image
stabilizer and displayed on a 15-inch sun-readable screen. It is also archived on mini-DV magnetic
tape. All these components, seen in Figure 3 - left, are packaged in a robust case for field
transportation. LineScout and its crew are usually deployed in a dedicated 4x4 truck but other means
of access to the installation site have also been used, including ATV and snowmobile. For longer
distances, a sturdy shipping crate was built for ground or air transportation. LineScout Technology and
all the above equipment proved to be well suited to field operations.
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All Hydro-Québec 735-kV circuits are in four-conductor bundles, in a horizontal configuration. The
supporting towers can be climbed by linemen, who attach pulleys to the structure above the conductor
where LineScout is to be installed. The robot is then hoisted up to slightly above one of the bottom
conductors of a bundle following standard live-line work methods. Once maintained in position by
linemen using hot sticks from the structure, the robot is progressively lowered so that its wheels sit
properly on the conductor. This installation method can be used on most suspension towers, regardless
of the circuit’s voltage level.
4.2 Vibration damper retrieval
One major 315-kV double circuit supplies Montreal Island and passes over a highway, city streets and
neighbourhood backyards. It has an optical fibre ground wire (OPGW) equipped with vibration
dampers at each tower. Over time, four of such dampers had come loose, slipped and ended up at
mid-span. To obtain de-energized access to such strategic circuits would have been a huge challenge.
Furthermore, if de-energizing one circuit were possible, using a crane to retrieve the dampers over the
highway would have blocked traffic for a significant amount of time. To circumvent these issues, it
was instead decided to send LineScout to retrieve the dampers.
Different checks were made prior to this job. The first were to validate a new installation method since
no structure was in place to support a pulley above the overhead ground wire. As seen in Figure 5 -
left, the pulley was therefore attached directly onto the OPGW and LineScout was raised attached by
its grippers. Once pulled up close to the wire, the wheels were folded back, controlled from ground.
Other checks ensured that safe clearance was maintained at all times: when hoisting the robot between
the two energized circuits, and when LineScout was at mid-span and sag at its maximum due to the
robot’s weight.
LineScout was equipped with a special fork designed to drag the damper by its clamp’s sides. Figure 5
- centre shows LineScout once it had crossed the mid-span damper, and is about to make contact and
push the damper back up the span. Plans also called for loosening the spacer-damper clamp with the
modular torque wrench on the robotic arm’s end-effector had it been too tight to drag along the wire
(Figure 5 - right). All four dampers were successfully, and quickly, retrieved using this robotic
method.
Damper
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the standard hoisting method and to operate it to cross the nine supporting structures, ending on the
river-crossing span.
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90-m high suspension tower erected on a peninsula. The first span was 1,260 m long. The second span
was 1,680 m in length and also extended to a dead-end structure with slopes of up to 16 degrees.
Furthermore, there was a 7-degree horizontal turn at the suspension clamp that was successfully
crossed by LineScout. A special method for installing the robot on the middle conductor of one circuit
was devised jointly by Hydro-Québec, BCTC and BC Hydro line maintenance personnel. Since the
hoisting pulley had to be installed on the conductor, this method was a live-line adaptation of the
OPGW installation method described in Section 4.2. The video sequences collected cover all six
conductors of the circuits, aerial markers and associated hardware installed on the top conductors, and
tower components. It is hardly possible to shoot such footage from the ground or a helicopter, or by
any other means short of sending a crew directly onto the conductor. The high image quality and
degree of detail available led to important findings that are currently under investigation.
5 IMPACT AND BENEFIT
Robotics is often used for applications in the following three contexts: executing repetitive sequences
of movements (industrial robots), providing access to hard-to-reach locations (underwater, space,
pipelines, etc.) and keeping workers at a safe distance from dangerous operating conditions (nuclear
environments, demining operations, energized components, etc.).
The drivers for applying robotics to the maintenance of live transmission lines are also related to the
need for grid owners to adapt to a rapidly changing operational context in recent years. One should see
the mobile platform as the mean of reaching line components so state-of-the-art sensors and tools can
then be positioned to better assess their condition. Technology such as LineScout will have an impact
on the strategic and economic factors below.
Reliability of the network: introduction of state-of-the-art inspection technologies into
maintenance practices
Equipment sustainability: better condition assessment and monitoring, resulting in optimal
maintenance decisions (targeted investment)
Workers safety
Enhancement of the maintenance strategy:
- Project prioritization (refurbish vs. replace)
- Proactive maintenance approaches
- Better risk management
- Increased efficiency and productivity in systematic inspection
- Access to new data (future applications: corrosion, broken inner-layer strands, etc.)
- Quantification of defects by measurement data and high-definition images
- Follow-up on system condition based on archived results
Equipment availability: new possibilities in live-line work
New tools and methods to adapt to a changing system operation environment:
- New regulations
- Increase in domestic and import/export power flows
- Ageing assets
- Major climatic events
Contribution to build solid utilities commission filings
Contribution to the roadmaps and innovation objectives of utilities
6 FUTURE APPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION
This paper has briefly described LineScout Technology and some of the inspections and maintenance
work performed on live transmission lines. These inspections help maintain service continuity while
performing tasks that would have required working on de-energized lines. The robot also allowed safe
access to damaged conductors and the gathering of valuable data that would eventually be a
determining factor in maintenance decisions.
LineScout Technology is the only robot of its type in operation on live transmission lines in the world.
The technical specifications that guided the design of the robot focused on two very important aspects
directly related to end users:
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The business case behind its features and applications implemented
The conditions under which the technology is to be operated
Implementing such a technology not only means coping with a harsh operational environment but also
with acceptance of the technology by end users. Since maintenance personnel were involved in the
design from the beginning, the technology was not only adequate for field operation but also was
perceived and accepted as the tool it is meant to be, bringing new possibilities for linemen in
performing their challenging work. Standard working methods simply had to be adapted to suit
LineScout use.
The future of transmission line robotics is likely to grow through collaboration among power utilities.
This future includes high-value applications such as detection of corrosion of the steel core of ACSR
conductors and detection of broken inner-layer strands, often located beneath a hardware clamp. As
robotic technologies enter the systematic inspection programs of utilities, it is reasonable to foresee
that they acquire greater autonomy eventually allowing not only autonomous crossing of obstacles, but
also detection and identification of potentially defective components.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] K. Toussaint, N. Pouliot, and S. Montambault, “Transmission Line Maintenance Robots Capable
of Crossing Obstacles: State-of-the-Art Review and Challenges Ahead”, (Journal of Field
Robotics, Wiley, May 2009, pages 477 – 499).
[2] British Columbia Transmission Corporation,, System Planning and Asset Management Division,
“Transmission Technology Roadmap – Pathways to BC’s Future Grid Research and
Development Program Office”, Last revised: Sept. 2008.
[3] Bonneville Power Administration, “Transmission Technology Road Map”, Retrieved Nov. 2008
from the web site: http://www.bpa.gov/
[4] S. Montambault and N. Pouliot, “The HQ LineROVer: Contributing to Innovation in
Transmission Line Maintenance”, (Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on
Transmission and Distribution Construction, Operation and Live-Line Maintenance, ESMO 2003,
6 – 10 April 2003, pages 33 – 40).
[5] S. Montambault and N. Pouliot, “LineScout Technology: Development of an Inspection Robot
Capable of Clearing Obstacles While Operating on a Live Line”, (Proceedings of the 11th
International Conference on Transmission and Distribution Construction, Operation and Live-
Line Maintenance, ESMO 2006, 15 – 19 October 2006, pages 15 – 19).
[6] N. Pouliot and S. Montambault, “Geometric Design of the LineScout, a Teleoperated Robot for
Power Line Inspection and Maintenance”, (Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on
Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2008, 19 – 23 May 2008, pages 3970 – 3977).
[7] N. Pouliot, P. Latulippe, S. Montambault, and S. Tremblay, “Reliable and Intuitive Teleoperation
of LineScout: a Mobile Robot for Live Transmission Line Maintenance”, (Proceedings of the
IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, IROS 2009, 11 – 15 Oct.
2009).
[8] N. Pouliot and S. Montambault, “LineScout Technology: From Inspection to Robotic
Maintenance on Live Transmission Power Lines”, (Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE International
Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2009, 12 – 17 May 2009, pages 1034 – 1040).
[9] S. Montambault and N. Pouliot, “Design and Validation of a Mobile Robot for Power Line
Inspection and Maintenance”, (Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Field and
Service Robotics, FSR 2007, 9 – 12 July 2007).