With the smooth landing of a high-definition camera-equipped drone in Dongchagan village, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, power line infrastructure maintenance has officially entered the era of smart patrols.

This application of drones marks the first successful aerial inspection of distribution lines by the State Grid Tongliao New Urban District Power Supply Company since its establishment.

The 10 kilovolt Industrial Zone I Line, spanning over 180 utility poles, has undergone a full-range intelligent "health check" under the drone's sharp-eyed scrutiny.

According to the State Grid Tongliao Xincheng District Power Supply Co, the drone system's user and its local power operator, the strength of drone inspections lies not only in their high-efficiency data collection, but also in the deep integration of artificial-intelligence powered backend analytics.

"In the past, visual inspections with binoculars often missed minor defects. Now, with AI technologies, even a 2-millimeter crack can be automatically flagged by comparing historical data," said Jin Yaopeng, head of the distribution network inspection department at the company.

By combining drone-captured imagery with AI recognition technology, the company's intelligent inspection management platform can automatically identify abnormalities such as loose bolts, corrosion, foreign objects, bird nests, insecure fastenings, and insufficient tree clearance, Jin added. The system can also generate a detailed diagnostic report, enabling maintenance teams to prioritize and address issues with precision.

To date, data from the State Grid Tongliao unit showed that the inspection of the 10 kV Industrial Zone I Line has uncovered 167 minor hazards and defects. This drone-assisted inspection initiative is expected to cover six 10 kV lines, involving over 4,000 utility poles and spanning more than 200 kilometers.

lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn