Grabbing power line conductors based on the measurements of the magnetic field strength

TL;DR

This paper introduces a magnetic field-based method for robot localization and grasping of power line conductors using magnetometers, tested with a 6-axis robot in laboratory conditions.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach for conductor localization and grasping relying solely on magnetic field measurements, enabling contactless and precise manipulation.

Findings

Successful localization of conductors using magnetometers

Effective robot grasping demonstrated in laboratory tests

Potential for contactless power line maintenance

Abstract

This paper presents the method for the localization and grabbing of the long straight conductor based only on the magnetic field generated by the alternating current flowing through the conductor. The method uses two magnetometers mounted on the robot arm end-effector for localization. This location is then used to determine needed robot movement in order to grab the conductor. The method was tested in the laboratory conditions using the Schunk LWA 4P 6-axis robot arm.