Technology evaluation of robotics technology in power industry

The electric power utilities as important social infrastructures should be operated stably without any failure in supply of electricity. For stable operation, it is necessary to input huge amount of resource and investment throughout power generation, transmission and distribution facilities. Particularly, constant inspection and maintenance of the facilities requires highly skilled manpower and advanced technologies. In spite of endless efforts, the electric power industry is facing serious challenges from social, economic and environmental problems. In this regard, a number of robotic systems have been tested and applied for inspection and maintenance in nuclear power plants and high voltage power transmission lines. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) which conducts research, development and demonstration (RD&D) relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public has also required efficient technology management in providing a blue print of robotics technologies in electric power sector for the future. The organization wants to centralize the R&D capability of robotics technologies which are dispersed by each division in order to prevent duplicated investments and manage its R&D capability effectively. This research is a step towards assessing the current robotics technology being used in the power industry and identifying the technologies that would benefit the industry most by using the Technology Development Envelop (TDE) approach.