Siemens Energy ' s new helicopter high-voltage inspection service uses AI to drive operational and environmental efficiencies
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Siemens Energy ' s new helicopter high-voltage inspection service uses AI to drive operational and environmental efficiencies
WRITTEN BY : DOMINIC ELLIS
German grid operators Schleswig Holstein Netz and Bayernwerk Netz have commissioned Siemens Energy to inspect almost 4,000km of high-voltage overhead lines .
The inspection involves a helicopter equipped with a high-tech multi-sensor system using the ' SIEAERO ' service concept .
Developed by Siemens Energy , the system collects all the necessary data during the flight , which can later be evaluated with the help of AI and analysed by other software tools . In the near future , this kind of holistic inspection of overhead power lines can also be performed with large drones .
For the inspection , Siemens Energy attaches SIEAERO ' s multi-sensor system to the underside of a helicopter . Equipped with 19 cameras and state-of-the-art 3D laser scanning sensors , it then captures all relevant inspection data in a single flight over the power line , resulting in up to 12,000 images and detailed 3D data per kilometre of power line .
The SIEAERO ’ s software can evaluate the images in just a few hours , whereas a human would need a few days . The AI was previously trained with over two million images of European and North American grids to automatically detect faults in the images .
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