Aditya Sehgal supervised by Dr. Nagamanikandan Govindan received his Master of Science – Dual Degree  in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECD). Here’s a summary of his research work on Towards Efficient Transmission Line Inspection: A Hybrid Rolling and Flight Approach with the WireFlie System:

 Power transmission infrastructure requires regular inspection and maintenance to ensure reliable operation, yet traditional methods involving human crews pose significant safety risks and operational costs, while autonomous aerial inspection systems face limitations in achieving close contact inspection due to collision avoidance requirements and existing wire-traversing robots struggle with obstacle navigation and complex deployment procedures. This thesis presents WireFlie, a novel hybrid robotic system that addresses these challenges by integrating aerial mobility with contact-based wire traversal capabilities through a dual-arm underactuated mechanism mounted on a multi-rotor drone platform, enabling seamless transitions between flight and rolling locomotion modes via a sequential two-phase operation for safe wire engagement. The system employs computer vision for autonomous wire detection and obstacle classification, coupled with hierarchical control for precise wire approach and an obstacle avoidance module that automatically selects appropriate operational modes based on detected obstacle types, en abling dual-arm rolling over common obstacles, single-arm rolling for spacer configurations, and f light mode transitions for larger obstacles like transmission pylons. Experimental validation demonstrates the system’s effectiveness across multiple scenarios, confirming stable operation on inclined transmission lines, consistent autonomous wire engagement, and successful obstacle navigation through various configurations, with real-world validation on representative transmission line setups demonstrating the complete operational sequence from autonomous wire detection through obstacle navigation to controlled detachment. This research contributes to robotic infrastructure inspection by demonstrating the feasibility of hybrid aerial-ground loco motion for power line monitoring, establishing a foundation for next-generation transmission line inspection systems that combine the mobility advantages of aerial platforms with the precision requirements of contact-based inspection, ultimately enhancing power grid maintenance capabilities while improving operational safety and efficiency. Keywords: Transmission line inspection, underactuated mechanisms, hybrid locomotion, obstacle avoidance, autonomous control, robotic infrastructure monitoring.

October 2025