Energy supply
Power grid infrastructure is the most developed field of application for mobile inspection robotics. The reason is simple: inspection tasks in substations and switchgear are highly standardised, they recur at short intervals, and a considerable share of them consists of measurements that a person carries out with an instrument anyway.
Typical scope of an inspection round: thermographic imaging of terminal points, disconnectors and busbars, reading meters and pressure gauges, checking oil levels and oil collection pans, visual inspection of insulators for contamination and damage, checking the desiccant colour on transformers, condition of cable terminations and earthing connections. All of this can be captured optically or thermally.
The sensors required are correspondingly specific: a bi-spectrum camera with optical zoom and thermal imaging is the basis. For partial discharge detection, acoustic methods are added; for gas-insulated switchgear, reading of the insulating gas pressure.
In addition, there is the classification as critical infrastructure. Grid operators are subject to increased requirements for the IT security of their systems. A robot with a network connection thus becomes part of the security assessment. Questions about data flows, update mechanisms and manufacturer access are not optional here; they are asked in the procurement process.
Economically, deployment pays off above all at unmanned or rarely staffed sites, where every inspection means a journey.
In detail: Robot-assisted inspection in energy supply – with a catalogue of inspection tasks, the three particularities of grid operation and a site checklist.
Change log (1)
- 5 October 2026 Initial publication First publication of the English version.
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These articles are available in German.
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