Active Translatory Drive System with Docking Capability for UAV Power Line Inspection

This paper proposes a mechanical system that can easily engage, disengage and move along a cable, such as a power line or similar objects. The system is attached on top of a multi-rotor UAV and used to suspend the UAV from a cable. The device moves along the cable by using two actuators that drive the sheaves of the mechanical pillar, enabling power-efficient movement along the cable. This significantly increases the deployment duration for a UAV used in a possible inspection task. The targeted usage case for this work is the assistance of inspection personnel of power lines to monitor and inspect high-altitude cables on a daily basis. The ability to suspend a UAV from a cable and operate it from the ground would minimize the risk of injury due to falling and also avoid the risk of electric shock compared to traditional manual inspection methods. The mechanical system is developed with the goal of a simple structure, low cost and ease of operation in mind. The effectiveness and reliability of the system is analysed and attested in field experiments.