Robotic Systems Applied to Power Substations

A State-of-the-Art Survey
Jean-Francois Allan1, Julien Beaudry2
Hydro-Qubec Research Institute (IREQ)
Robotics and Civil Engineering
Varennes, Qubec, Canada
1
allan.jean-francois@ireq.ca, 2 beaudry.julien@ireq.ca
Abstract-- This paper presents a state-of-the-art survey of
robotic systems applied to power substations. Bibliographic
research for this paper identified some 75 scientific publications
and 39 patents dating from the late 1980s to 2013. Aside from
recent work at Hydro-Qubec (IREQ) in Canada on a field
robot for power substations, almost all the R&D work identified
comes from Asia, especially during the last decade, with the
main research developments involving a mobile robot named
SmartGuard from State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC).
The first section of the paper presents robotic systems dedicated
to inspection and security in power substations, while the second
part of the paper looks at robots for operation and maintenance
tasks in substations. A list of patents for robots for substations is
also provided.
Index Terms-- Inspection, navigation, robot, substation.

I.

INTRODUCTION

A literature review of robotic and remote control systems

for maintenance of transformer substations and overhead
transmission and distribution lines was conducted about 20
years ago [1]. At the time, robotics for power substations was
not a major research and development topic for electric
utilities; most robot applications were for teleoperated robots
used for live-line maintenance of overhead power lines. In
addition, there were no satisfactory technical solutions for
robot inspections of substations in 1993 [2]. The technology
has evolved over the last two decades, however, paving the
way for new robotic applications.
Furthermore, with the modernization of power grids, there
is a drive to include autonomous devices in substations [3]. In
this new context, robotics can play a role in the inspection,
maintenance and operation of substation equipment. The
following sections present existing robotic systems applied to
substations as described in the published literature.
II.

INSPECTION AND SECURITY TASKS

This section covers robotic systems that inspect and

monitor substations, often by using cameras (the robots are not
in contact with the equipment).

978-1-4799-6422-2/14/$31.00 2014 IEEE

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A.

Terrestrial robots

Two of the earliest publications on mobile robotics applied

to substations describe a patrolling robot developed by the
Chubu Electric Power Co. in the 1980s [4] [5]. This mobile
robot (1.3 m wide, 1.4 m long and 1.7 m high) was equipped
with an infrared camera, a color camera, an abnormal pulse
detector and a microphone, and it patrolled the substation with
the help of an electromagnetic detection system that followed
a guide wire buried 1 cm below the surface. Battery-powered,
the robot operated for 2.5 hours and could be recharged at a
charging station in the substation. A Japanese paper published
in 1999 describes the development of this patrolling robot [6].
In the 1990s, Hitachi, Toshiba and Mitsubishi developed
inspection robots for substations; a picture of a robot named
Big Mouse is presented in [15].
1) State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC)
A report published in 2004 describes the main R&D
advances in robotics for transmission and distribution in China
[7]. The work done between 2002 and 2005 was supported by
the National High Technology R&D Program of China, with
the first three years of the program dedicated to prototypes and
the last to their industrial application. A mobile robot for a
500-kV substation is described. The robot is equipped with a
visible and an infrared camera as well as a directional
microphone [8][9].
The Web site of the Electric Power Robotics Laboratory of
SGCC recaps the history of the robotics project supported by
the Chinese R&D program [10]. The first robots were used for
inspection tasks, and they went into operation in 2005 [11].
These SGCC robots are called SmartGuard, and several
generations have been developed since 2002. Fig. 1 shows
different versions of this substation robot and more detailed
information is given in [12], [13] and [14]. Technical
specifications for the robot are given in [15]. The robot has
two independent motorized wheels in front and two omnidirectional wheels at the rear. Several scientific publications
since 2008 describe the development of the SmartGuard robot.
One paper discusses the software control architecture under
Linux that improves performance and stability in real time,
allowing implementation of complex control algorithms [16].

Fig. 1. Different versions of the SmartGuard robot described by Guo et al. in

[12] (2010; 2010 IEEE) and Wang et al. in [13] (2010; 2010 IEEE)

A number of papers discuss methods of navigation for a

robot in a substation. A method of monocular navigation, with
the robot following a yellow line 10 cm wide on the ground by
processing image and ground markers indicating commands
the robot must carry out, is described [17] [18]. Robot
navigation using differential GPS navigation (DGPS) and
dead reckoning (DR) principles has also been investigated
[19][20][21][22]. Use of an omni-directional vision system
with infrared illumination is described, the system using a
Frontier-II robotic platform (Fig. 2) and having a positioning
error of 4 cm and 2.5 [23]. Details of this omni-directional
infrared vision system are provided by researchers from
Shanghai Jiao Tong University [24][25].

Fig. 3. Fusion of visible and infrared substation equipment images, Li et al.

in [29] (2010; 2010 IEEE)

2) Hydro-Qubec Research Institute (IREQ)

In 2012, field tests were performed in Hydro-Qubec
substations using a mobile robot developed by IREQ [34].
This robot (Fig. 4) was built on a Clearpath Robotics Husky
A200 mobile platform and uses a visible camera and a
Jenoptik thermographic camera for substation inspection
tasks.

Fig. 4. IREQ mobile robot, Beaudry et al. in [34] (2012)

Fig. 2. Navigation with infrared omni-directional vision, Guo et al. in [23]
(2009; 2009 IEEE)

A navigation system based on magnetic guidance is also

described [26]. A series of magnetic markers are placed on the
roadway, and sensors on the robot pick up signals; localization
is based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.
Positioning error is 0.22 cm with this method of navigation.
By the end of 2010, there were 13 SmartGuard robots serving
SGCC and the China Southern Power Grid: 12 SmartGuard
robots in 11 substations equipped with magnetic guidance
navigation, and one robot equipped with GPS-DR navigation
[15].
Two studies investigated navigation by laser (commonly
used in industrial robotics for autonomous guided vehicles)
using a Sick NAV200 laser sensor [27] [28].
For the inspection of equipment in substations, the
SmartGuard robot uses a vision system composed of a visible
light camera, an infrared thermal imager, a pan-and-tilt
mechanism and an image processing module. An algorithm
was developed for visual and infrared image fusion invariant
to changes in scale and illumination (see result in Fig. 3) [29].
Two SmartGuard robots have been equipped with this
technology [30]. A method for isolator status recognition was
also developed [31] [32] [33].

3) Other research developments

An article published in 2006 by the Chongqing Electric
Test and Research Institute introduced the concept of an
automatic guided vehicle (AGV) with laser guidance to
inspect substations [35]. A study by the Sichuan Electric
Power Research Institute and the Guangxi University of
Technology looked at navigation and positioning of the robot
using color vision (detection of edges by following a yellow
line on the road as a guide) and RFID technology (tags
installed on the road at desired locations that give commands
to the robot) [36]. Also, use of a line on the ground as a
navigation guide with an Uptech Voyager II mobile robotic
platform was studied at the University of Science and
Technology Beijing [37][38][39] and Jinan University [40]. A
paper issued by the Northeast Electric Power University and
the Heilongjiang Electric Power Co. describes the use of graph
theory in patrolling robot technology for unattended
substations [41]. RFID tags are used during navigation to
command a robot created at the Southwest University of
Science and Technology, and a visual camera is used for edge
detection [42]. Use of a Bumblebee2 stereo vision system
mounted on a robot for 3D reconstruction and obstacle
detection is also described [43] [44].
Described as well are a visual servo system for adjusting
robot gesture to center an image [45] and an algorithm for
path planning [46]. Studies at Chongqing University propose a
path planning strategy that considers road attributes [47] [48];
a Pioneer 3-AT robot platform was used [49]. At the 2012
CIGRE Congress, researchers from the Instituto de
Investigaciones Elctricas (IIE) in Mexico presented a

computer-simulated navigation algorithm based on a Markov

Decision Process that can be used to obtain an optimal robot
path [50].
B. Robots moving along cables
A mobile robotic system that moves on a steel cable and
uses an infrared camera to detect hot spots in a substation was
developed at the University of Sao Paulo [51]. This
technology is similar to that used for robots developed for
inspection of power transmission lines, but without the ability
to cross obstacles.
C. Aerial robotics
Orthophoto maps are used to manage the transmission
assets of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
(NGCP): power cables, transmission towers, substations, etc.
[52]. Orthophoto maps can also be used, in conjunction with
field data and satellite images, for other critical applications
such as vegetation management.
The use of unmanned air vehicles (UAV) and remote
sensing technologies seems a viable option for inspection and
condition assessment of overhead transmission lines [53], and
it is probably just a matter of time till these technologies are
transferred to substation applications.
D. Image processing
1) Security and surveillance
An article published in 1990 by authors affiliated with
Hiroshima University, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the
TOKO Electric Corp describes a system for real-time
detection of trespassers in substations [54]. Composed of a
video camera, an image processor system and a
microprocessor, this system detects intruders by measuring
changes of intensity level, with different thresholds for an
alarm signal.
Researchers from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and
the China Light & Power Co. report on the use of remote
vision for substation monitoring (real-time status of
equipment), security and fire safety [55] [56] [57].
An article published in 2001 [58] describes a Swedish pilot
project testing use of a movement detector that generates an
alarm when movement is detected in the substation together
with a camera that shows a picture of what occurred.
A study at Wuhan University looked at a multi-agent
architecture for intelligent video monitoring of unattended
substations using moving object detection and tracking
methods [59]. Researchers at the Shanghai University of
Electric Power describe a substation perimeter safety
monitoring system based on ZigBee communication
technology [60].
2) Inspection of substation equipment
Researchers at the North China Electric Power University
used a computer vision technique (a non-contact method that
allows remote meter reading) to monitor the condition of
substation equipment [61]. Another study describes the use of
image processing and recognition to monitor high-voltage

equipment running status [62], and yet another describes the

application of video image recognition technology to solve
problems of meter display information recognition (see Fig.
5), switch position recognition and transformer fan working
state recognition in substations [63].

Fig. 5. Meter display recognition, Sun et al. in [63] (2011; 2011 IEEE)

Researchers at Sabzevar Tarbiat Moallem University in

Iran used thermography images to detect electrical equipment
faults [64] [65]. And researchers at the State Grid Corporation
of China used fusion of visible and infrared pictures together
with an intelligent environment surveillance system to
enhance substation operation security, stability and reliability
[66] [67].
3) 3D reconstruction
The use of laser and optical geotechnologies to create
CAD models of substations is the main subject of a paper
published in 2012 [68]. These technologies provide the high
level of detail required to reconstruct existing models (reverse
engineering) and to establish control and security status over
time. One of the main goals with geotechnologies is semiautomatic modeling of three-dimensional CAD objects to
conceptualize a substation and define it dimensionally,
manage enlargements and maintain or replace equipment. An
experiment using a Trimble GX laser scanner, a digital camera
and computer vision algorithms (A-SIFT: affine scaleinvariant feature transform; and RANSAC: random sample
consensus) in an outdoor electrical substation in Jumilla,
Murcia, Spain, is described [68]. A comparison was
established with the constructed CAD models using the data
provided by the manufacturer, Iberdrola: an average
discrepancy of 9 mm was obtained, giving an overall accuracy
better than 98% for the CAD models.
Another paper also looks at 3D reconstruction applied to a
substation [69]. Two of the authors of this paper are associated
with Eletrobras Furnas Brazil. Discussed in another paper are
LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technologies and their
role in 3D modeling of substations, with the possible
advantage of virtual substation visits without ever leaving the
office [70].
III.

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TASKS

This section describes the literature on robots that perform

maintenance or operation tasks on power network equipment
in substations (involving physical contact between robotic
systems and substation equipment).
A. Cleaning insulators
A mobile HVCR (High-Voltage Cleaning Robot) system
was developed at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to clean
porcelain insulators of 220/330-kV substations. Incorporating
a scissor lift telescopic mechanism, the robot can reach a
height of 8 metres. The cleaning is done with a brush-spinning

device. Two papers discuss the robotic system architecture

[71] [72], and two others look at the insulation of the robot
given the high voltages concerned [73] [74]. Another paper
describes version II of the robot (HVCR-II) but does not detail
the differences between versions I and II [75]. A radius
variable manipulator for the HVCR that changes radius
continuously to adapt to the contour of the pyramid insulators
is described as well [76]. And in a paper published in 2010, a
new live-line work robot capable of ultrasonic detection of
flaws in porcelain insulators of 220-kV substations is
described [77].
Researchers at the Korea Electric Power Research Institute
(KEPRI) developed a robotic system to clean power insulator
suspension chains of transmission towers and substations [78].
B. Activating 735-kV disconnect switches
A Kinova Jaco robotic manipulator arm was integrated in
IREQs terrestrial mobile robot (initially as in Fig. 4) so it
could perform operation tasks in a power substation
activating 735-kV disconnect switches, for example. A field
test was performed in July 2013 at a Hydro-Qubec
substation, with the robot teleoperated to get it to its
destination in the substation, open a cabinet door and activate
735-kV disconnect switches (see Fig. 6).

Fig. 6. IREQ mobile robot with manipulator arm to activate 735-kV

disconnect switches at Hydro-Qubec power substation

IV.

PATENTS ON ROBOTS FOR SUBSTATIONS

Innographys patent search software and database were

used to draft a list of patents involving robots and substations.
As shown in Table 1 and Table 2, 39 Chinese patents were
identified. No worldwide (WO), U.S. or Canadian patents
were found. Most of the patents are for technologies
developed at the Shandong Electric Power Research Institute
or the Shandong Luneng Intelligence Technology Co. Ltd.,
organizations with ties to the SGCC.
V.

CONCLUSION

This paper presents a state-of-the-art survey of robotics

applied to power substations through a literature review of
some 75 scientific publications. Though terrestrial mobile
robotics applied to substations emerged in Japan in the 1980s,
the vast majority of the work was done in China in the last
decade, with considerable R&D effort devoted to SmartGuard
robot technology by the State Grid Corporation of China. In
fact, apart from the field robot system recently developed at
IREQ (Hydro-Qubec) for inspection, maintenance and
operation tasks, virtually all other initiatives were in Asia,
mainly in Chinaand all 39 identified patents are for Chinese
territory. In addition, other tasks that could potentially be

robotized (including inspections for partial discharges and

detection of SF6 gas leaks) have been identified for future
development [15]. Also, EPRI in the United States seems
interested in the development of robot technologies for
substation applications [79]. Clearly, we can expect more
studies on robots applied to power substations in the years to
come, and these could be added to this survey.
TABLE I.
PATENTS FOR TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED AT THE SHANDONG
ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE OR THE SHANDONG LUNENG
INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. IN CHINA
CN101604825 A, 12-16-2009, Robot used for intelligent substation patrol
CN101957325 A, 01-26-2011, Substation equipment appearance abnormality recognition method
based on substation inspection robot
CN202041851 U, 11-16-2011, Intelligent routing inspection robot of laser navigation transformer
substation
CN102255392 A, 11-23-2011, Method for controlling switching operation sequences of fullautomatic transformer substation based on mobile robot
CN202058039 U, 11-30-2011, Combined positioning system for substation intelligent inspection
robot with integrated multi-sensors
CN202166895 U, 03-14-2012, Laser navigation system of intelligent patrol robot at transformer
substation
CN202167774 U, 03-14-2012, Transformer substation patrolling and examining robot system
based on smart antenna technology
CN202171746 U, 03-21-2012, Transformer substation patrol robot based on wireless local
positioning system
CN202176206 U, 03-28-2012, Automatic door control system for charging room of intelligent
patrol inspection robot in substation
CN202205099 U, 04-25-2012, Intelligent inspection robot navigation and control system for
transformer substation
CN202230635 U, 05-23-2012, Transformer substation inspection robot simulation system based on
virtual reality technology
CN101957325 B, 05-23-2012, Substation equipment appearance abnormality recognition method
based on substation inspection robot
CN202282566 U, 06-20-2012, Transformer substation patrol inspection robot with bi-directional
voice communication function
CN202285342 U, 06-27-2012, Intelligent polling robot charging device for transformer substation
CN202334810 U, 07-11-2012, Two-way voice communication device for inspection robot system
in transformer substation
CN102566576 A, 07-11-2012, Many scanning test robots for sequential control system of
transformer substation, in coordination with the method of operation
CN202333477 U, 07-11-2012, Charging room for intelligent inspection robot of substation
CN202333525 U, 07-11-2012, Intelligent robot inspection system with long-distance video
instruction function for transformer substation
CN202333860 U, 07-11-2012, Charging docking assembly of transformer substation intelligent
polling robot system
CN202423926 U, 09-05-2012, Transformer substation polling robot gesture driving system based
on electronic map
CN202443332 U, 09-19-2012, Intelligent routing-inspection robot environmental information
measurement and control system of transformer substation
CN202495798 U, 10-17-2012, Automatic charging mechanism for transformer substation
inspection robot
CN102314615 B, 11-07-2012, Substation inspection robot-based circuit breaker state templatematching identification method

TABLE II.

OTHER PATENTS FOR ROBOT APPLICATIONS IN SUBSTATIONS

CN101984382 A, 03-09-2011, Method for intelligently inspection substation equipment by using

robot, Chongqing Power Company Extra High Voltage Bureau
CN102082466 A, 06-01-2011, Intelligent inspection robot system for transformer substation
equipment, Ultra-hv Transmission Bureau of Chongqing Electric Power Company
CN102097860 A, 06-15-2011, Intelligent robot patrol system for safety detection of substation,
Guodong Fengjie Science And Technology Co., Ltd.
CN201897822 U, 07-13-2011, Transformer substation inspection robot, Chongqing Chuangge
Technology Co., Ltd.
CN102169602 A, 08-31-2011, Structural design of inspection robot of transformer substation,
Shenyang Ultra-hv Bureau of Northeast China Grid Company Limited
CN102170146 A, 08-31-2011, A battery intelligent management system used for a patrol robot in a
transformer substation, Beijing Huadian Fengniao Technologies Co., Ltd.
CN202025365 U, 11-02-2011, Structural design of patrol robot in transformer substation,
Northeast China Grid Company Limited. Shenyang Ehv Bureau
CN101604825 B, 12-14-2011, Robot used for intelligent substation patrol
CN202092653 U, 12-28-2011, Navigation system for substation inspection robot, North China
Electric Power University
CN102430546 A, 05-02-2012, Insulating sub-band electro-cleaning robot of transformer
substation, Inner Mongolia Electric Power Science Research Institute
CN202238790 U, 05-30-2012, Live-line cleaning robot for substation insulator, Inner Mongolia
Electric Power Science Research Institute
CN202474607 U, 10-03-2012, Automatic patrol inspection robot system of intelligent transformer
substation, Hohai University, Changzhou

CN102736624 A, 10-17-2012, Intellectual scanning test robot of wall-mounted type of a kind of

transformer substation, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
CN202534975 U, 11-14-2012, Transformer substation inspection robot with infrared obstacleavoiding function, Changzhi Power Supply Branch of Shanxi Electric Power Company
CN202649815 U, 01-02-2013, Transformer substation panorama automation inspection system
based on robot technology, Kunming Nengxun Technology Co., Ltd.
CN202686368 U, 01-23-2013, Various track type carrier cart for transformer substation patrolling
robot, Liaoyuan Power Supply Co., Ltd. of Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd.

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