The State Grid Chifeng Power Supply Company in Inner Mongolia, northern China has begun conducting inspections of critical infrastructure using drone technology, which offers more safety, speed, and cost-effectiveness than traditional methods.

Workers of the State Grid Chifeng Power Supply Company operate a drone controller. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The company has deployed drones in line inspection as well as defect identification and repair, making it the first city-level company under State Grid to achieve adaptive drone inspections.

By integrating drones and AI technology into traditional manual inspections, the company has created a more economical and efficient power grid management system. Technologies like visible light imaging and infrared temperature measurement are employed to ensure a thorough examination of power lines.

This approach has improved its inspection efficiency by 45%.

For instance, drones equipped with AI visual recognition capabilities can autonomously plan flight paths and collect critical data that are transmitted real time to the drone inspection control system. By intelligently analyzing inspection images and data, drones can automatically identify 14 types of defects, including road obstructions and equipment faults, while simultaneously generating detailed inspection reports. 

In addition, drones are also used to perform tasks such as substation inspections and preliminary infrastructure surveys, making them a speedy, flexible, and real-time alternative for the company.

As of May 2024, drones had completed inspections of the company’s 1,003 overhead 10kV distribution lines, covering 740,000 poles and towers with a total flight distance of 46,000 kilometers ,and identifying 33,000 defects.

According to the State Grid Chifeng Power Supply Company, it will continue to accelerate the adoption of digital intelligence to enhance efficiency and expand application scenarios.

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