The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has officially handed over the Substation Inspection Robot (SIR), developed at its SMSS Laboratory, to POWERGRID at GRIDCON 2025, held in New Delhi from March 9 to 11. The exchange took place after the successful demonstration of the new robot in front of Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power, Government of India and Ravindra Kumar Tyagi, Chairman and Managing Director, POWERGRID.

Developed by IIT Kanpur in collaboration with POWERGRID, SIR is an advanced autonomous mobile robot designed to enhance the safety and efficiency of substation inspections. It is equipped with AI-driven navigation, LiDAR, depth camera, IR and an array of motion sensors, enabling it to autonomously manoeuvre across substations, inspect critical components, and detect potential faults that could impact power transmission reliability. The robot was successfully field-tested on July 13, 2024, at POWERGRID Kanpur substation, demonstrating its capability for real-time condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Highlighting the significance of this technological advancement, Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, stated, “India is on the path to becoming a developed nation, and uninterrupted energy supply is crucial to achieving this goal. SIR, a testament to IIT Kanpur's commitment to innovation, utilizes advanced vision processing and machine learning algorithms to perform repetitive and time-consuming inspection activities at substations on a regular basis. This is expected to enhance operational efficiency and worker safety by reducing human intervention in high-risk environments.” 

Prof. Bishakh Bhattacharya, HAG Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IITK, who spearheaded the development, added, “SIR integrates AI-driven path planning and state-of-the-art thermal, visual, and ultrasonic sensors to detect anomalies such as overheating, leaks, and structural damage. The robot transmits real-time data to maintenance teams, enabling swift decision-making. With its remote-control functionality and wireless charging capabilities, SIR is built for continuous, autonomous operation in all-terrain and all-weather conditions.”

A POWERGRID spokesperson noted that the adoption of robotics in Operation & Maintenance (O&M) marks a transformative shift from periodic inspections to continuous monitoring. SIR's machine-learning-based condition monitoring algorithms will help identify, classify, and predict failures in substation components, extending asset lifespan and improving operational efficiency.

POWERGRID, which operates 1,70,224 circuit kilometers of transmission lines and 262 substations with a transformation capacity of 4,51,351 MVA, remains committed to leveraging cutting-edge technologies for enhanced network reliability. The integration of robotics in its infrastructure underscores its focus on efficiency, minimizing downtime, and ensuring worker safety.