AMONGST transmission towers at a converter station nestled in the mountains of eastern China, a quadruped robotic dog trotted back and forth, conducting a thorough inspection of the grid facilities.

“The robotic dog is equipped with two visible infrared cameras capable of identifying equipment defects such as mechanical looseness and gas leakage,” said Sun Chaopeng, a maintenance personnel of Guquan station in Chizhou, Anhui Province.

The program-controlled robot sets out to undertake its tasks at a fixed time every day and automatically returns to recharge its battery. This is a prominent example of widely used automation technology ensuring the power supply during the winter peak in China.

The grid that underwent inspection is part of a 1,100-kilovolt ultra-high voltage (UHV) power line starting from Northwest China’s Xinjiang to the country’s eastern province of Anhui, stretching 3,284 kilometers.

Lack of sufficient manpower posed a grave challenge in maintaining such super-engineering projects, especially in remote areas.

Now, robots have begun to alleviate some of the workforce shortages.

Firefighters at the Guquan station also use a fire-detection robot. The remotely controlled device is capable of working in extreme conditions.(Xinhua)