Improvement of LineROVer: A mobile robot for de-icing of transmission lines

Abstract

This paper describes the improvements of LineROVer, a mobile robot for de-icing of overhead transmission lines. A low-voltage DC motor and a Lithiumion battery are used which increase the duration time without increasing the weight of the robot. A wireless transmission module that can be expanded arbitrarily with bidirectional transmission is applied. The electrical control box and battery are specially dealt and a new kind of water resistant joint is used. All these measures improve the waterproofness of the robot and enhance its reliability. Outdoor de-icing experiments were carried out, and the de-icing tools were then modified according to the results. An improvement of the performance was measured.