Key facts
- Robotic snakes are inspecting power lines in Kunming, China, to ensure a stable power supply during the national college entrance exam.
- The snakelike robots detect hazards such as broken wires, worn components, and abnormal temperatures.
- The devices have checked over 130km of power distribution lines supplying exam sites.
- The developer claims the robots are three times more efficient than manual work.
- The robots overcome limitations of drones, such as flight restrictions and electromagnetic interference.
Robotic snakes have been deployed in Kunming, China, to inspect power lines and ensure a stable power supply during the country's national college entrance exam. These snakelike robots spiral around power lines to detect hazards like broken wires, worn components, and abnormal temperatures.
The developer, the power supply bureau of Kunming’s Guandu district, reported that the robotic snake had inspected over 130km of power distribution lines supplying exam sites. The bureau stated that the technology proved three times more efficient than manual inspections.
Manual inspection of power lines is described as labor-intensive, harsh, and dangerous. While aerial drones are also used for similar tasks, they face limitations such as restricted flight zones, susceptibility to high-voltage electromagnetic interference, limited battery life, and weather dependency.
Personnel from the power company tracked and addressed the identified hazards to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply to the examination venues, according to a social media post by the Kunming Power Supply Bureau, which is part of the state-owned China Southern Power Grid.