Obstacle Avoidance Mechanism for Transmission Line Inspection Robot

Abstract

In this paper, a robot which can travel on over head cables and overcome spacers, suspension clamps and other obstacles is proposed for power transmission line inspection. Power supply security and reliability are two major concerns of any power industry. Regular inspection of power transmission line equipment is necessary to ensure an uninterrupted transmission. Manual inspection is time consuming and involves risk of injuries and even loss of life. Hence alternative to manual inspection is necessary and always appreciated. The robot is teli- operated and it has intelligence to protect itself from colliding with any object which may come across it. With three arms and flexible joints it can negotiate obstacles like spacers and suspension clamps. A counter weight mechanism is provided for center of mass adjustment of the robot body while the obstacle avoidance. Accelerometer and Gyroscope are used as orientation sensors. A number of infrared distance sensors are used for obstacle detection.