National Grid rolls out automated drone inspections across transmission network

From automated home deliveries to widespread medical deployment, many predicted drone applications have yet to come true. But one use has just become reality, as National Grid launched automated drone inspections of its transmission network.

Describing it as “the world’s first centralised, autonomous aerial inspection capability for electricity infrastructure” in an announcement yesterday (4 September), the operator will use small uncrewed aircraft to capture images and data from its high-voltage pylons and cables. Flying dozens of metres above the ground, the drones will free up workers for other tasks.

Using a combination of autonomous capabilities and human pilots in a central control room, the drones will use technology from Boeing-backed Chichester firm Sees.AI. Based on four years of trials, the system will enable ‘beyond visual line of sight’ (BVLOS) flights close to live power infrastructure.

Collected data will inform National Grid’s maintenance and investment programmes across its transmission network in England and Wales. “Automised asset inspection using drones delivers significant benefits, including by increasing the speed, efficiency and consistency of data processing and reducing the risk and environmental impact of other methods of data capture,” the announcement said.

Science minister Lord Patrick Vallance said: “We want to see more innovations like drone technology becoming viable solutions that benefit people’s lives, which is why our Regulatory Innovation Office is working with companies and regulators like the Civil Aviation Authority to cut unnecessary red tape and unlock discoveries which can grow our economy.”

The roll-out underscores National Grid’s commitment to using innovative technologies, said overhead line operations director Kathryn Fairhurst. “By handling non-intrusive inspection tasks, this technology enables our highly skilled lineworkers to focus more efficiently on the complex, hands-on work that requires human expertise, and will form an important part of how we continue to manage our assets and deliver a safe and reliable network.”

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