After the gripping mechanism secures the powerline, a circuit adjusts the transformer’s magnetic field, ensuring strong grip and battery recharge.Researchers have proposed an autonomous self-recharging drone system that can operate continuously over extended periods.
According to the study, researchers claim the project is the “first-in-the-world system with the ability to sustain operation throughout many inspection/charging cycles powered by energy harvesting from power lines in a real outdoor environment.”These missions have proven crucial for gathering precise and up-to-date information about the linear assets’ structural integrity, greatly enhancing their safety and upkeep.
The base for the research was a commercial Tarot 650 Sport carbon fiber drone frame equipped with an electric quadcopter propulsion system and a 7,000-mAh lithium-polymer. Electronic components include a Raspberry Pi 4 B microcomputer, a Pixhawk V6X autopilot module, a millimeter-wave radar unit, and an RGB video camera.
The drone can find power lines and get close to them for a landing thanks to its powerful onboard perception and navigation system. To provide enough holding force and to recharge the batteries, a control circuit modifies the magnetic field within a split-core current transformer once a passively actuated gripping mechanism grasps the power line wire during landing.