How Robotic Exoskeletons Could Help Optimize Storm Restoration
Robotic exoskeletons are being developed to solve a host of real-world problems, from helping people walk to shielding employees from hazardous situations to mechanically assisting workers execute repetitive tasks. But could this type of technology benefit utility companies from an outage restoration and recovery perspective?
The Nuts and Bolts of Robotic Exoskeletons
The largest use case for robotic exoskeletons at the moment is helping people walk. To accomplish this goal, scientists have developed lower-body exoskeletons that can best be described as robots strapped onto your legs. The downside of the current technology is that they typically require manual controlling via smartphone app or joystick to switch from one bodily process to another – for example, from sitting to standing to walking.
This requirement to manually control the mode of the robotic exoskeleton is a known problem that is actively being worked on. Until this is resolved, I’d be hard pressed to envision any kind of utility-specific use case for wearable exoskeletons. That said, the technology does seem to be rapidly evolving, with the use of sensors to bypass the manual requirement a key advancement.
Once the technology is better optimized, I can see it being used to assist with repetitive and/or strenuous and/or unsafe tasks in the utility industry. This might include digging trenches in the water or gas utility sectors to climbing poles, trimming trees or repairing transmission lines in the electric utility sector.
The beauty of this technology is that it can be improved with complementary technologies. For example, an exoskeleton could be equipped with 360-degree cameras to enhance visual capabilities, or it could be equipped with artificial intelligence technology to improve the analysis and navigation of compromised locations. They could even be equipped with augmented reality visual tools to provide real-time data and additional details on the wearer’s surroundings.
I definitely believe that robotic exoskeletons will find a place in utility operations. The deployment of the technology will initially be selective by design, but I predict that its use will expand dramatically as the technology becomes more cost-effective to develop, and more utilities gain a better understanding of the potential benefits.
