Localization and archiving of inspection data collected on power lines using LineScout Technology

Over the past few years, a considerable amount of data has been collected during several field deployments of LineScout Technology for the inspection and maintenance of power line infrastructure. A number of lessons have been learned during this time, more specifically regarding the problem of localizing the findings and archiving them for quick future reference. First, the authors discuss the influence of wheel odometer precision and how enforcing constraints from the known position of towers and the expected theoretical catenary curve of the power line reduce the errors introduced by GPS. Second, a simple three-step file process is presented to properly plan, conduct and report inspection missions. Camera enhancement parameters and file format for storing the data collected are also presented.