Digitizing agents, those ambassadors of a future that is already present, proliferate everywhere. Some of them aren’t even human. Look if not the case of Iberdrola, which has had a new ally for a few months in the process of digitizing its electrical networks. It is about R0V3RT, patrol robot, indefatigable digitizer. This agile, state-of-the-art robotic tank, about one meter tall, is in charge of assisting its human companions in the inspection tasks of the company’s substations. It has remote control and autonomous navigation capacity and has a 360º camera that provides a virtual vision of its surroundings, microphone and optical zoom. But, very especially, it is endowed with extensive artificial intelligence capabilities, which allow it to detect anomalies and anticipate possible incidents within its radius of action. The substations play an important role in the ambitious digitization project that Iberdrola is undertaking in its service network. These sites are spread throughout the Spanish geography, often in remote locations, and are responsible for distributing electricity. In short, they are essential to guarantee decentralized renewable generation and optimized distribution of a network of thousands of kilometers of cable that provides service to millions of customers.
This formidable labyrinth of infrastructure requires regular maintenance and supervision. And that is where R0V3RT bursts in, the latest in a generation of collaborative robots from Iberdrola. The company has used other robots, such as Antecursor I, an automaton in charge of inspecting substations in Castilla y León. His first services to the company were provided in El Torrao, in Zamora.
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The newest offspring of that lineage, R0V3RT, can take on awkward commutes to remote locations and, according to company sources, is designed to take over more mechanical processes to help out i-DE’s colleagues. As soon as it reaches its destination, it “scans the entire substation to make a complete composition of the place and move easily through the environment.” From there, “it goes to work”. Its remote control allows the virtual control center with which it is connected to be alerted about any potential risk, which is an invaluable aid in the incident prevention process. R0V3RT, in short, reduces risks, assumes repetitive and potentially demanding tasks from a physical point of view, and ensures quick and easy access to information. At Iberdrola they joke that, “for now, he is still a somewhat shy partner”, who is rarely seen because his presence on the ground is still oriented towards testing, but they plan in the medium term “to use him in different places to continue guaranteeing the best service”. It will soon have successors in other parts of the world, such as Spot, a detective robot that will detect and analyze incidents through high-definition photos. This prototype, created by AVANGRID, a subsidiary of Iberdrola in the United States, has just been presented at a public demonstration in Brewster, New York.
Technological innovation is key to integrating renewable generation, self-consumption, mobility and air conditioning into the system
Estibaliz Goñi, Director of Processes and Technology at Iberdrola
Estibaliz Goñi, Director of Processes and Technology at Iberdrola, frames the use of technological allies such as R0V3RT in the company’s disruptive transformation plan: “Innovation and the introduction of technologies in the management of electrical networks are key to allowing the connection and the integration into the distributed renewable generation system, self-consumption, mobility and air conditioning”. This commitment has materialized in a global strategic design and in a series of digitization initiatives. The main one is the creation of the Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub, a world reference center for innovation in smart grids, whose headquarters are in Bilbao. From there, projects related not only to the digital transition, but also to the integration of renewable energies, energy storage systems or deployment of electric vehicles are promoted.
The numbers of the networks of the future.
For decades, the energy system has responded to an analogical and unidirectional model. The energy was produced in power plants and distributed to homes, factories, shops and public facilities. Technology and the energy transition have brought revolutionary changes to this conventional system, making it possible for electricity to circulate through much more robust, flexible, intelligent and sustainable networks and allowing consumers to also act as small generators, thanks to self-consumption . The company’s commitment is to digitize more than 80% of its transmission and distribution networks before the end of 2025. A part of the 27,000 million euros of total investment globally will be directed towards this. 5% of the sum, 1,350 million, will go to Spain.
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