The Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Cooperative Research Centre Spatial Information (CRCSI), and Ergon Energy’s Flight Assist System (FAS) technology reduces pilot workload, enhances pilot safety, and enables rapid data capture to help improve the task of state-wide power line network inspection. 

The costs of managing a large power line network are significant, including high physical demands on, and personal risk to, workers. Queensland’s Ergon Energy’s network includes over 150,000 kilometres of power lines, 100 million trees, and 600 towns and cities.

Traditionally, the vital task of inspecting vegetation encroachment on powerlines was performed by time-consuming and expensive ground crew inspection. The alternative of using inspection aircraft requires flying for long periods of time at low altitude above power lines, which is potentially unsafe and tedious for pilots. To overcome these issues, QUT, CRCSI, and Ergon developed the FAS aircraft autonomy technology. This includes optimised flight planning, in-flight quality assurance, and resilient flight control technology that plans and then executes semi-autonomous flight over power line infrastructure at low altitudes to capture high-quality sensor data. The aerially-collected data is the key enabler for the Remote Observation Automated Modelling Economic Simulation (ROAMES) system. ROAMES has enabled a substantial reduction in the maintenance costs of Ergon Energy’s power line network (by $AU40 million per year) and has changed the way large-scale power infrastructure is managed. For example, in February 2015, Category 5 cyclone Marcia destroyed 350 homes. ROAMES enabled rapid prioritisation of recovery activities and Ergon Energy restored power to more than 51,000 customers (80 per cent of those impacted) within a record 10 days, saving more than $AU10 million. In 2015, the ROAMES system was awarded an International Edison Award for Innovation and a Queensland Spatial Excellence Award.