A drone-based X-ray inspection system was tested on power transmission towers in Yinchuan, in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The system uses two drones—one carrying an X-ray generator and the other a detector—to identify deteriorati
See moreA drone-based X-ray inspection system was tested on power transmission towers in Yinchuan, in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The system uses two drones—one carrying an X-ray generator and the other a detector—to identify deterioration in a structure positioned between them. It can detect damage or deterioration in clamps that keep transmission lines taut and in connections between conductors, relaying the results to the ground in real time. Although the equipment suspended from the drones may look unstable, the system allows inspections that previously required workers to operate at height to be carried out more safely and with greater accuracy. The same technology is now being used to inspect transmission lines at a growing number of sites. (Jan 2025)
