Empowering Success Together
Revolutionizing Power Grid Reliability:
An AI-Powered Solution for Automated VLS Monitoring
Key Benefit: Eliminate human error and reduce inspection time by up to 75% while improving defect detection accuracy.
Advanced Defect Detection
01
Excessive sag of the power lines.
Impact:
Reduced ground clearance, increasing the risk of contact with objects or people below.
Increased stress on tower structures and insulators, potentially leading to long-term fatigue and failure.
The lines may fall out of compliance with regulatory safety standards for clearance.
Solution:
Autonomous drone fleet performs scheduled LiDAR and photogrammetry missions, creating precise 3D models to quantify sag with centimeter accuracy. This data, integrated via the Ravam.co platform, automatically flags sag exceeding design parameters by approximately 12%, generating prioritized work orders for maintenance crews to conduct tensioning or reconductoring, thereby mitigating the risk to public safety and infrastructure.
02
Structural failure of the utility pole, causing it to lean and the power lines to sag.
Impact:
Extreme danger to maintenance crew due to an unstable structure and potentially live,
sagging lines.
High risk of electrocution or injury for anyone in the vicinity.
Extensive damage to infrastructure, requiring complex and hazardous repair or replacement.
Solution:
Drones conduct close-proximity visual and thermal inspections from a safe standoff distance, identifying critical structural defects like wood rot, base cracking, or hardware failure without exposing personnel to the unstable asset. The data provides engineers with a detailed damage assessment to plan a safe, precise reconstruction operation, drastically reducing crew exposure to hazardous conditions.
03
A heavy tree branch has fallen onto the power lines.
Impact:
Imminent line failure due to the extreme weight and tension.
High risk of electrocution or injury for maintenance crew due to the unstable branch and
stressed lines.
Power outage and extensive damage to the lines and pole structure.
Solution:
Autonomous drones provide immediate emergency situational awareness, safely assessing the branch’s position, conductor stress, and potential collateral damage. High-resolution imagery and LiDAR data enable remote diagnosis and planning for a controlled removal operation, allowing crews to approach the site with full knowledge of the hazards and the exact equipment required, minimizing their time in the danger zone.
04
Severe ice and snow accumulation on power lines.
Impact:
Catastrophic failure of lines or tower due to extreme weight and tension.
Widespread power outage.
Extreme safety hazard for maintenance crew due to the unstable structure and dangerous
weather conditions.
Solution:
Drones, equipped for all-weather operation, perform critical damage assessment flights in conditions too hazardous for ground crews. Using specialized sensors and LiDAR, they accurately measure ice accretion thickness, map the extent of the event, and identify structures at imminent risk of failure. This real-time data is streamed to the command center, enabling utilities to prioritize de-icing efforts, allocate resources efficiently, and keep personnel safe until controlled mitigation or emergency response can be executed.
05
Tree branches in close proximity.
Impact:
Arcing and short circuits.
Power outages.
Physical damage to lines.
Fire hazard.
Solution:
Autonomous drone fleet executes precision vegetation management missions, using high-resolution imagery and LiDAR to create detailed 3D models of the clearance between conductors and surrounding foliage. The platform’s analytics automatically identify and classify vegetation incursions, generating predictive trim plans and work orders long before branches reach a dangerous proximity. This proactive, data-driven approach transforms vegetation management from a reactive cost center into a predictable, efficient program that prevents outages and mitigates fire risk.
06
Active construction with heavy machinery.
Impact:
Accidental contact with live lines.
Equipment damage.
Worker injury or electrocution.
Solution:
Drone platform provides a critical pre-work and continuous monitoring solution. Prior to construction commencement, drones conduct automated flights to map the worksite, precisely measuring and geo-tagging the location and height of all power lines. This data is used to establish and communicate exact no-go zones and safe working distances to crews. During active construction, scheduled autonomous monitoring flights can detect machinery operating in pre-defined exclusion zones in real-time, sending immediate alerts to both the construction foreman and utility safety officers to prevent an incident before it occurs.
07
Severe vegetation overgrowth (vines) on the pole and lines
08
Power lines routed through a densely forested area.
09
A faulty electrical connection or component, indicated by a severe hot spot on
the thermal image.
10
A severe thermal hot spot at the base of the tower, indicating a failing or
overloaded ground connection.
11
Severe weather, including lightning and high winds.
12
The inadequate clearance between trees and the power lines is the root cause.
13
Cause: A severe ice storm, causing heavy ice accumulation on the power lines and pole.
15
The bare branches of the tree are in close proximity to the power lines.
