Cloud to Cable: A Drone Framework for Autonomous Power line Inspection

A large percentage of current overhead power transmission infrastructure is becoming aged, raising the demand for frequent grid inspections in an efficient, and cost-effect manner in order to keep it functional. Autonomous drones are a promising solution for infrastructure inspection, but require further investigation and development to be a viable alternative. This paper proposes a drone framework based on open-source platforms for autonomous inspection of electrical grid infrastructure and for cable grasping. The framework incorporates a cloud service functionality to provide geo-location data of nearby power pylons; a localisation system for navigation near power pylons and grasping cables; and algorithms for finding and planning paths for navigation and grasping over cables. The proposed framework has been tested and validated in simulation, with the development of a UAV platform for future integration.