IEEE Electrification - December 2020 - 114

With automated
inspection and
image processing
tools, the level of
scrutiny can even
identify a broken
strand within
hundreds of miles
of a conductor.

hundreds of miles of a conductor.
Machine learning applications in soft
computing assemblies are expected to
change the landscape of UAV applications in the foreseeable future.
Complicated tasks require multiagent settings. Networked UAVs, an
eminent notion in 5G cellular networks, includes several interacting
UAVs that share information and
increase redundancy to improve
overall efficiency and reliability of
the mission.
The hierarchical design of data
flow and processing is a critical subject for the optimal operation of geographically dispersed systems. When
UAVs are equipped with processing power, it is a matter of
choice in the hierarchical design to compromise the balance of raw and processed data flows. The two extreme
ends of the decision are represented by cloud computing
and fog (edge) computing applications. The former has a
central processing architecture, though not necessarily a
single center, which transfers the data with no initial processing stage. Cloud data management supports flexible
and wide data accessibility that might be of interest in
specific applications. On the other hand, fog computing
relies on the computational power available at data sources (i.e., network edges) and transfers the processed data.
Any decision point between the two extremes might be
appropriate, enabling benefits from both computing architectures, optimized for the given circumstance. Applied
properly and effectively, this process for adaptive design
can yield various opportunities for networked UAVs.
The periodic maintenance approach is criticized for
neglecting certain remedial actions as they surface in
real time. Necessary maintenance might not take place
at the required time, resulting in higher operation and
maintenance costs. Condition-based maintenance (or its
counterpart which is labeled as reliability-centered
maintenance) was introduced as a viable substitute in
real-time operation. Condition-based maintenance
involves real-time inspection of components that are a
bottleneck in optimal system operation. UAV technology
will vastly increase proliferation of condition-based
maintenance activities by facilitating real-time inspection of components. Likewise, reliability-centered maintenance and asset management procedures can benefit
from UAV deployment.
Automatic meter reading (using an inexpensive
mobile or drive-by technology) is the wireless reading of
meters, using a short-range radio frequency receiver/
transmitter by a computer-equipped vehicle that traverses a neighborhood. Although automatic meter reading saves labor expenses for individual meter readings,
a simple UAV equipped with a computer and antenna is

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I E E E E l e c t r i f i cati o n M agaz ine / DECEMBER 2020

even more cost-effective to further
automate the meter reading routine,
keeping the metering infrastructure
untouched. UAV technology can
also offer shorter reading periods
and identify any deliberate or inadvertent anomalies in end-user
metering. In this regard, nontechnical loss is the electric energy consumed by customers but not paid
for, primarily due to energy theft.
Meter tampering, meter bypassing,
and unmetered supply are the common types of nontechnical loss. In
the latter case, an end user connects
two wires directly to the overhead
grid with no meter (and no protection device) in the middle. As UAVs become more precise and more nimble, testimonial data collected by
aerial inspections could be helpful for court decisions in
such cases.
Extensive planning stages and processes enable reliable and robust operation of electric power grids in
expanding constrained geographic regions and overburdened cities. UAV 3D mapping, spatial analysis, and visualization are fundamental ingredients that can streamline
infrastructure expansion. UAV technology can be critical
to identify necessary constituents and estimate growing
electricity demand, both basic inputs to electricity planning studies.
Environmental protection can be managed using pollution metering, along with necessary precautions to
enforce forest and wildlife conservations. Similarly, large
industrial complexes such as power plants require routine
inspection of exhausted/leaked gases into the environment and wastewater released into rivers and lakes. UAVs
equipped with specific gas or liquid sensors (for example,
measuring NOx or methane level) enable the practical
reduction of environmental footprints.
Due to high conductivity, certain minerals such as
copper and aluminum are considered essential materials
to manufacture various electrical devices. Over time,
mining companies have had to look harder and dig deeper to find new deposits of these minerals. UAV aerial
photography and mapping aided this work, enabling
mining companies to explore large geographic areas and
quickly identify the places where new resources and
reserves can be developed.

Challenges of UAV Technology Implementation
Considering the worldwide perspectives on UAV technology, the first and foremost inhibitor of extensive UAV
deployment is the lack of regulatory structures, registration settings, and legislation for the provision of training
certificates that will reinforce civil and commercial use.
In the United States, pressure from public and private

IEEE Electrification - December 2020

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