AIRBORNE LASER SYSTEM

The Airborne Laser System is a component of the Power Line Maintenance Inspection System. It is used for Track Clearance / Right-of-the-Way Inspection.

This system performs automatic and real time inspection of the line track (right-of-way) featuring obstacle detection and classification, report generation, sag computation and line profiling.

The Airborne Laser System works automatically while the inspection team focuses on other inspections. It features a laser measurement system that sweeps the line track (top image).

The software identifies the ground, conductors, towers and other objects in real time (middle image). If the free envelope around the power line conductors required by regulations or safety practices is breached, an anomaly (distance = 3.95m) is identified and communicated to the operator.

A video image is associated to each laser profile to support fault classification. In the example, the inspector readily identifies the anomaly as an eucalyptus at 3.95m from the line.

• the track clearance inspection is performed in real time and permits immediate human validation,
• combines laser, video and GPS (see images below) to create a thorough geo-referenced model of the power line,
• the anomaly report is generated immediately following the mission,
• the inspection data can be reprocessed at a later date to detect critical spans, determine catenaries profiles and estimate ground clearance under different current capacity,
• the data can be uploaded to asset management databases supporting preventive maintenance schedules, power capacity optimization tools and contingency operation plans.

This system can also be used for Airborne 3D Models.