We, Robots: How robotics could revolutionize the smart grid

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By Jesse Berst

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My Discovery Showcase series is designed to give you an early look at game-changing technologies, approaches and companies. This time, I'm providing a sneak peek at something way ahead of the curve. But even though it's years away from the mainstream, it's an idea that bears watching.

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In 2010, SGN told you about an EPRI robot that inspects and assesses street light efficiency. And we linked you to a short video of Hydro Québec's Line Scout. This small "robot" patrols energized transmission lines to spot broken strands.

But what if that robot could then install compression splices where needed, replacing the costly three-person team of a high wire lineman, a helicopter pilot, and a ground coordinator?

That's the dream of Robert McPherson, CEO of Colorado-based LatchTool Group. His motivation is to spur the adoption of his company's patent-protected technology. He claims his firm's "FastFlow fluidics" can deliver miniaturized high-force actuators and swaging tools in a fraction of the space and at 1/10 the cost of traditional approaches.

"We are talking about a component part weighing ounces that can convert pounds of torque [from a robot's motors] into tons of linear force," McPherson asserts. If true, it is a power density breakthrough that could give tiny robots the ability to heft weighty loads and apply tons of force.

Could robotics someday revolutionize the smart grid? Or is the story even bigger? Is it a way for developed countries to reverse the flow of manufacturing facilities to low-cost nations? Itron has been using robotics to make smart meters in the U.S. since at least 2009.

In addition to the line-repairing robot described above, other applications might include underwater robots to swage tubes and splice cables. What other smart grid tasks might be suitable to a tiny robot with massive strength? Use the Talk Back form to tell us about other robotic applications and what they could mean to the future of the smart grid.

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