DroneCAS

The target is to capture digital data in the medium voltage grid, which supplies energy to European rural areas through over 4 million kilometers of power lines. On-foot inspections are cost-effective but do not capture digital data, limiting the implementation of AI analysis. Drones can provide high-quality data at a lower cost but require authorization for long-range flights. The specific challenge is the risk of drone collisions with vegetation and obstacles in the medium voltage grid. To address this, a pre-flight Collision Avoidance Software (CAS) will be developed to ensure drones never crash into obstacles. This software will be integrated into the Long Range Planner project and tested in real power line inspections for Naturgy, aiming to digitize the medium voltage grid safely.