At the operation site of the 10 kV Yanghua line in Ezhou, the intelligent insulation coating robot smoothly slid along the bare wire, evenly sprayed out the insulation coating, and did not affect the normal electricity consumption of any household along the line throughout the entire process. The first robot operation implemented by State Grid Hubei Ezhou Power Supply Company breaks the traditional practice of power outage for bare wire transformation in distribution networks, and the operation mode of distribution network upgrading is ushering in a new transformation. In the first half of 2026, the completion rate of bare wire insulation renovation in the national distribution network increased by 38% year-on-year, and the popularization of intelligent operation equipment is continuously releasing the efficiency potential of power grid upgrading.

This intelligent insulation coating robot can autonomously walk on bare wires running at 10 kV without the need for power outages. The coating length can reach 120 meters per hour, and the operating efficiency is more than three times that of traditional manual live working. The high-precision visual recognition system carried by the robot can automatically calibrate the coating thickness, and the coating thickness is uniformly controlled within a standard range of 2 millimeters, fully meeting the insulation protection requirements of the distribution network. The user has zero perception throughout the operation, and it will not cause any interference to the production and residential electricity consumption of enterprises and residents along the line.

The traditional insulation transformation of bare wires often requires advance notice of power outages, and a single operation can affect the electricity consumption of at least hundreds of households. Additionally, manual high-altitude operations pose high safety risks and slow progress. Relying on the live working mode of intelligent robots, Ezhou Power Supply Company has reduced the construction period of the entire line renovation by 60% compared to traditional solutions, while achieving zero safety hazards and zero power outage perception for users, providing an efficient and replicable new path for upgrading old urban distribution network lines.

From high-altitude manual wiring to autonomous robot gliding, the operation mode of distribution network maintenance workers is being redefined by intelligent equipment, and the livelihood experience of power grid upgrading is also continuously optimized.Editor/Cheng Liting