All-weather autonomous inspection robot for electrical substations

Electric utilities that operate power transmission networks must periodically inspect their numerous substations which contain diversified types of equipment (power transformers, circuit breakers, etc.). Completing all the inspection tasks is challenging for a geographically distributed network like the one operated by Hydro-Quebec. Using remote robot systems´ to accomplish those tasks is beneficent in terms of personnel safety, operational efficiency and asset management. The robot system must, however, be capable of operating reliably in harsh winter conditions. This paper presents a new robot system developed at Hydro-Quebec capable of addressing these specific´ inspection needs. It provides an overview of the system and its main components followed by a more detailed description of the software and algorithms required for autonomous operation of such an inspection robot, particularly in winter conditions.