This project is focused on new ways to collect asset data safely and efficiently. SA Power Networks has an extensive year-round asset inspection program including a detailed annual cycle of inspections in high and medium bushfire risk areas. Helicopters and ground patrols are currently used for these inspections. Use of helicopters has inherent risks, and utilising robotics and drones would provide a safer alternative.

SA Power Networks is on a significant development path to use drones for our specialised needs, starting with the training of Spot the Robot Dog, but with the intention of transferring the learning and technology to flying drones which will significantly increase our asset inspection agility.

We have spent the last 18 months training Spot. We’re using the programmable application software development kit (SDK) to teach Spot how to complete the tasks we need it to do. This is our first piece of artificial intelligence (AI) driven robotics software that we’re developing in-house. We’re using a relatively new technique called reinforcement learning. It’s a form of artificial intelligence (AI).

Reinforcement learning for Spot is much like teaching a pet. In the same way as you give a pet treats to teach it a trick, Spot is rewarded with points when it does what we want. Spot’s training is like playing a video game. If it does a good thing, such as take a photo of a pole, it gets a positive reward, and if it does a bad thing such as go onto the road, it gets a negative reward. It is always trying to get a high score.

We have provided Spot with geographic information such as latitude and longitude and Spot can work out where to navigate. It can see the poles, navigate towards, and take pictures of them. Spot wears a high-resolution camera that can pan, tilt, and zoom, to photograph the assets and surrounding environment.

This offloads the task of collecting asset imagery from our Asset Inspectors to Spot. This frees them up to apply their knowledge and skills on inspecting the assets, and for raising any maintenance requests as needed.

The ability to gather quality data safely and efficiently, inspect more assets, and increase the rate of maintenance and bushfire inspection cycles would be of significant benefit to SA Power Networks and the community.

Keeping our community and employees safe is SA Power Networks’ biggest priority.

South Australia’s unique climate conditions, such as an increased bushfire risk, mean that we need to be constantly working towards more effective and efficient ways to ensure that our electricity infrastructure can continue to operate safely.

The project was run using the SA Power Networks Innovation framework and was in a lean and agile manner to iterate and learn as the project progressed.

Winning this award would assist us in highlighting the innovation underway in SA Power Networks – both in supporting South Australia’s energy transition, and in developing new and efficient ways to manage and maintain the State’s electricity distribution network.

We are using robotics and reinforcement learning (a form of artificial intelligence) to take our asset inspections to a new level. Spot represents the pinnacle of converging technologies (robotics, digital and AI). We are adapting the robot dog to suit our organisation by developing customised software and reality capture equipment. This is an investment to improve safety in the field, and to develop skills within our organisation for the use of future drone technologies.

We are proud that South Australia is leading the world in grid-scale renewables adoption, and proud to work in a business that is helping make the energy transition happen.

Our electricity distribution network is at the heart of the energy transition, and SA Power Networks is developing innovative solutions to meet the changing energy needs of our customers, while ensuring the continued affordability, safety, and reliability of the electricity supply.

A transformation is underway in how we make and use electricity, and South Australia is leading the way. The energy system is being reshaped by the rapid adoption of distributed energy resources (DER) such as solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles.

The uptake of rooftop solar in South Australia, already among the highest in the world at more than a third of our customers, continues to grow.

It means we are all playing a key role in meeting our state’s goal of net-100% renewable energy by 2030, and zero emissions by 2050.

Our electricity distribution network is at the heart of this transition and SA Power Networks is developing innovative solutions to meet the changing energy needs of our customers, while ensuring the continued affordability, safety, and reliability of the electricity supply.

It’s a great opportunity to promote and expose the good work happening in the industry. In engineering circles we’re generally really good at solving problems, but not as great at sharing our successes. If we are to attract good people into the industry, we need to show them what exciting opportunities there are.

When we got a photo of one of our assets that had been taken completely autonomously by Spot, it kind hit me that we had done something pretty amazing. The photo itself is quite innocuous, but the work and innovation behind it was absolutely cutting-edge.

There was a rising tides effect with this project:

1. Lean and agile – We iterated quickly using easily available prosumer grade equipment. We showed that genuinely agile projects can deliver results without being top heavy.
2. With our own people – We didn’t increase head count, using almost entirely existing knowledge in the business. This exposed the business to latent skills and knowledge of our employees, who were excited to lend their capability to the project.
3. Embedded in the business – We didn’t spin this out to an external group, or dedicated project team: we delivered in an almost ‘skunkworks’ way while still doing our ‘day jobs’. It showed that innovation can and should be part of everyday work.

World class wine, beaches, festivals. In that order.

Seek out the wicked problems to solve, generally the industry is eager to solve them and open to test new and novel solutions.