The Kanatokhod Robot Became Fully Automatically Controlled

13:53, June 11, 2020

This will allow to monitor overhead lines in hard-to-reach places and security zones, and eliminate pilot errors possibility

The Kanatokhod ('Cable Walker' from Russian) robot for diagnostics and maintenance of overhead power transmission lines switched to fully automated control. This will make it possible to use the Ural drone to monitor overhead lines in hard-to-reach places, eliminate pilot errors, and also minimize the presence of specialists in the security zone of power facilities. The first tests of The Kanatokhod bot took place at the facility of the Rosseti Ural company - the 110 kV transmission line Novo-Sverdlovskaya Power Plant - Dachnaya.

“According to a pre-designed mission, The Kanatokhod bot took off, went to a predetermined point above the wire and recognized it with a technical vision system,” says Alexey Sokolov, chief engineer of the Laboratory of the Future. - The positioning of The Kanatokhod bot and the landing on the wire were completed normally in automatic mode. Then the wheel module was launched, The Kanatokhod bot began to move along the span. At a predetermined distance from the support, the drone stopped, automatically took off from the wire and flew over the 110 kV power transmission line support to an adjacent span. The diagnostic team at that time observed the operation of all systems from the mobile control center using the telemetry module. ”

This is a major breakthrough for the electric power industry, says Alexander Lemekh, director of the Laboratory of the Future. According to him, the company is developing not only technologies with which it is possible to remotely monitor the status of power lines, carry out maintenance and repairs, but also are engaged in developments in robotics as a whole.

“A series of drones for various purposes are being developed on a unified platform, appropriate software for mission planning, various diagnostic equipment is being modified, devices and technologies for maintenance and local repair of overhead line elements are being developed,” says Alexander Lemekh. “The experience of working with foreign energy companies gives us a vector of further development - enterprises are interested not only in the purchase of complexes, but also in the construction of factories and the creation of training programs on the basis of the The Kanatokhod bot.”

For Your Inquiry

The Kanatokhod bot is an invention of the Laboratory of the Future company. This is a focal company of the Skolkovo Foundation and the Ural Federal University, a resident of the High Technology Technopark of the Sverdlovsk Region. In 2019, the project was approved by the NTI Interdepartmental Working Group. A new stage of financing and development of the “Rope Walker” has now been launched.