State-owned New Zealand power transmission firm Transpower is aiming to reduce unnecessary call-outs and improve efficiency with a four-week trial of two robots, developed in partnership with Massey University. Named Wall-E and Eve, the machines have been fitted with HD cameras, infrared technology and sensors, enabling them to assess power equipment and determine whether a human engineer needs to be called out. the robots will live on site in a charging shed at some of Transpower's most remote substations. The robots are being tested at three sites around Auckland – one on each side of Auckland’s central business district, another near the city’s airport and a third at an industrial site close to the airport.
State-owned New Zealand power transmission firm Transpower is aiming to reduce unnecessary call-outs and improve efficiency with a four-week trial of two robots, developed in partnership with Massey University. Named Wall-E and Eve, the machines have been fitted with HD cameras, infrared technology and sensors, enabling them to assess power equipment and determine whether a human engineer needs to be called out. The robots are being tested at three sites around Auckland – one on each side of Auckland’s central business district, another near the city’s airport and a third at an industrial site close to the airport.