If you've ever wondered how high-voltage lines are installed and maintained, imagine two guys with the courage of a tyrannosaurus on board a helicopter. That not only poses a huge risk to both technicians (regardless of their training), but also a very high operating cost. For some time, some companies have been looking to "automate" to a certain extent part of the line stringing, and that brings us to SkySkopes and Sharper Shape, which is using drones.
The e-commerce titans are still struggling to speed up the implementation of drones in their delivery services, but everything seems to indicate that bureaucracy will delay the process several more years, unless an extraordinary development changes the rules completely. The latest reports are quite pessimistic, and we may not see anything like a drone dropping packages in our yard for the rest of the decade. However, there is a market where drones have made notable advances, and that is energy. The use of drones in high-voltage line inspection makes a lot of sense, and the overall risk is lower, but the industry is looking to raise the stakes by giving drones a more active role during stringing.
Drones + High Voltage = Pure Skill
Technically, what the drone is doing in the video is known as sock pulling, which consists of passing a strong and very light rope (light enough to be lifted from the ground) through a system of pulleys. At the other end of the rope, the high-voltage cable is connected, and by pulling the rope with the assistance of pulleys, it is "threaded" into the towers. In normal situations, sock pulling is handled by a team made up of a specialized technician and a pilot, using a helicopter. Needless to say, the skill needed to fly the helicopter near the lines and keep it stable so that the technician can work safely is chilling. For example...
The drone in question is a hexacopter Sharper A6, which can be equipped with multiple cameras, and a LIDAR sensor. The control system is based on four redundant cellular networks, meaning the probability of a transmission failure is low compared to other drones. There are still many tests ahead, but if drones manage to reduce risk for workers and minimize cost, they will surely be welcomed with open arms.
