Manipulator system for constructing overhead distribution lines

In recent years, large-scale and highly dense city construction has placed greater demands than ever on the reliability and quality of power supply. To address this situation, live line construction has frequently been carried out. However, during construction, linemen must wear insulating protectors and work for long stretches at high elevations and in an unstable posture. For improved work conditions and effective construction with safety maintained, the authors have developed two manipulator systems that have different remote control methods. They have evaluated their serviceability on real-scale model lines, with reference to EPRI reports. The principles and performance of such manipulators are discussed