Domestically Produced Robot Achieves Unmanned High-Altitude Power Operations

Recently, the “Twin-Bundle Conductor Spacer Installation Robot,” developed by the State Grid Hubei Electric Power Transmission & Transformation Company, was unveiled at the 3rd National Craftsmen Innovation Exchange Conference, showcasing new achievements of Hubei’s intelligent manufacturing sector in the field of high-risk electric power construction.

The “Twin-Bundle Conductor Spacer Installation Robot” operating in a high-altitude environment

Photo by Fang Wei

The robot system, which has undergone two generations of research and development, consists of upper and lower modules. Utilizing technologies such as UAV-based lifting, BeiDou positioning, and robotic arm gripping, it can complete the full automated installation of a spacer within five minutes. This has realized unmanned high-altitude operations in power grid construction and addressed the challenges of high labor intensity and safety risks in traditional manual installation.

The “Twin-Bundle Conductor Spacer Installation Robot” operating in a nighttime environment

Photo by Fang Wei

This achievement has won a bronze medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions and resulted in multiple patents and industry standards. It has been promoted and applied in 16 provinces and municipalities across China, generating over RMB 47 million in sales revenue. In July this year, the technology was successfully applied in the Qubuxiong 220 kV power transmission and transformation project in Xigazê, Tibet, at 3,900 meters above sea level, verifying its reliability in high-altitude environments.

The “Twin-Bundle Conductor Spacer Installation Robot” operating across river and lake environments

Photo by Fang Wei

In the future, the State Grid Hubei Electric Power Transmission & Transformation Company will advance innovation through the Technology Innovation Studio Alliance for Intelligent Equipment for High-Altitude Power Line Stringing. Guided by the principle of accelerating the establishment of a vital strategic fulcrum for the rise of China’s central region, and with the goal of strengthening the enterprise through science and technology, it will contribute Hubei’s expertise to the digital and intelligent transformation of the national power grid.