Robots that inspect electric lines

According to Physorg, a new breed of robots is in the process of making its appearance. The surveillance and maintenance of kilometers of electric lines is often a very long task, extremely costly and also dangerous for humans. A single one of these new robots can monitor 260 km of electric lines per year and ensure that vegetation does not interfere with the installations. The Electric Power Research Institute, EPRI, in the United States is behind this new robotic prototype. The robot is loaded with sensors (electromagnetic noise detection amongst others) and a HD video camera to compare images with its previous passage and see if there are any obstacles. It weighs 65 kg, is 2 meters long and is powered by solar panels. Its unit price should be placed at a little under 500 000 dollars. Note that Hydro-Quebec in Canada is also in the middle of developing similar robots.