How Robotics Technology Can Benefit Utilities

There have been tremendous advances made in robotics technology over the past decade, providing numerous potential benefits to utilities, as well as companies in other industries.  From a utility perspective, these advancements can help enhance employee safety, improve productivity, and remotely handle dangerous tasks that previously had to be done manually.

Utility Use Cases for New & Emerging Robotics Technology

First and foremost, devices like industrial robots and drones can improve employee safety by performing dangerous tasks that previously had to be done by workers.  For example, drones can be used to conduct inspections of power lines, damaged infrastructure, and narrow tunnels or other types of confined spaces, eliminating the need for human workers to put themselves at risk.

Not only does safety improve, but these technologies can help identify impending equipment malfunctions before the equipment actually breaks down.  And they can definitely speed up the damage assessment process, leading to faster outage restoration times.

Another use case for emerging robotics technology relates to addressing the growing labor gap in the utility industry.  One example of how this might be accomplished is tunnel construction.  Instead of having a 5-person crew manually dig a tunnel, this task can now be accomplished via remote-controlled tunneling or demolition robots.

Another productivity-enhancement example is using robots to bury and repair underground power lines.  Here again, multi-person work crews that were previously required for most undergrounding jobs can now be replaced with autonomous line repair robots.

As you can see, new technology such as this clearly has a place in the utility industry, from construction to operations to emergency restoration.  Drones and industrial robots (even so-called “biobots”) can perform tasks that are difficult, monotonous and unsafe, sparing employees from having to perform them directly and putting themselves in harm’s way.

And, as robotics technology continues to evolve, it is likely that it will become increasingly autonomous, helping utility companies increase productivity and efficiency even more.