Taking Technology has launched a series of intelligent inspection solutions with Gimbals for the energy sector. Built upon highly integrated three-axis three-sensors and four-sensors Gimbal products, the solutions incorporate high-precision infrared thermography, ultra-high-definition EO zoom and AI vision algorithms. Mounted on UAV platforms, they form a fully automated, all-weather three-dimensional inspection network. Designed to transform the conventional manual inspection model, the system delivers real-time, long-range and high-precision condition perception and defect diagnosis for energy infrastructure including transmission lines, substations, photovoltaic arrays and wind turbine blades. It enables early warning and precise localization of hazards such as thermal faults, structural defects and environmental intrusion, supporting energy enterprises in the transition toward intelligent, refined and preventive operation and maintenance.
Refined Inspection of Transmission Lines: For power transmission corridors, UAVs equipped with pods efficiently inspect conductors, ground wires, insulators, fittings and tower structures. The high-magnification visible light zoom enables detection of pin-level defects, while infrared thermal imaging identifies abnormal heating at wire joints, connection points and insulators to discover potential faults in a timely manner.
Automatic Inspection and Hotspot Detection for PV Power Stations: For large-scale photovoltaic arrays, pod-mounted UAVs perform inspection via autonomous waypoint flight. The system collects infrared hotspot data, and AI algorithms automatically analyze and locate faulty PV modules with local overheating to assess the severity of hotspot effects. UAVs also capture high-resolution orthophotos to analyze panel breakage, dust coverage and vegetation encroachment, providing accurate data support for cleaning and maintenance work.
Daily Patrol and Fault Early Warning for Substations: For complex equipment and connection points inside substations, UAVs conduct close-range, multi-angle flights. Visible light and infrared thermal imaging jointly deliver comprehensive checks on temperature rise and operating status of transformers, circuit breakers, disconnectors, bushings and other equipment, detecting overheating anomalies such as discharge and loose connections that are hard to spot by naked eyes.
Intelligent Inspection of Wind Farm Blades: Leveraging the high-magnification zoom capability of the visible light camera, the pod captures high-definition images of rotating or stationary wind turbine blades from a safe standoff distance. Combined with AI vision algorithms for analysis of inspection images, the system automatically identifies and locates structural damages including cracks, lightning burns, surface peeling and coating defects on blades.
Case 1: Intelligent Inspection Project for a 200 MW Desert PV Power Station in Northwest China
To address challenges of large site area, difficult manual inspection and low efficiency for PV power stations in desert environments, this project deployed an inspection system equipped with Taking TZ101TA micro 3-axis 3-sensors Gimbai based on UAV auto hangars. The system adopts automated flight routines. Using infrared cameras (640×512 resolution, temperature sensitivity of 0.05 K), it scans around 450,000 PV modules within the power station. Single data acquisition takes only 2 days, compared with 15 days required by conventional manual methods. Backend AI software automatically analyzes infrared images to accurately identify electrical faults such as hotspots, bypass diode failures, MPPT anomalies and junction box overheating. GPS coordinates are used for precise positioning, enabling closed-loop management covering fault detection, maintenance work order generation and final repair verification. The fault detection accuracy exceeds 96%, greatly improving the safety and O&M efficiency of the power station.
Case 2: Cooperative Autonomous UAV Inspection Project for a 500 kV Transmission Line in South China
Drawing on successful experience from industry UAV inspection demonstration zones, this project integrates multiple UAVs and auto hangar systems, equipped with Taking Technology TZ130TM 3-axis 3-sensors Gimbai, to carry out regular and intelligent inspection of a 500 kV extra-high voltage transmission line crossing complex mountainous terrain. During missions, UAVs fly along pre-planned routes and activate the pod’s infrared mode, which can detect temperature anomalies above 2 °C at conductor tension clamps, splice sleeves and other locations during flight, effectively preventing line failures caused by overheated joints. Meanwhile, its visible light camera with up to 33× optical zoom can clearly identify damage or burst insulators several kilometers away. All inspection data (visible images, thermal temperature field maps and positioning information) are transmitted in real time via a 100 Mbps network. Diagnostic reports are automatically generated after integrated analysis. The average inspection time for each tower is just over one minute, representing a 3-fold efficiency gain versus manual inspection. It serves as a model for smart O&M of power grid assets.
