Aracnocóptero, the drone that watches over the wind turbines

28 Apr 2014

Aracnocóptero is the spider-shaped drone that allows you to keep the operation of wind turbines under control and guarantees rapid intervention in the event of a breakdown.

Used by Google to combat the digital divide from China to disperse pollution, drones are once again descending into fields ensuring fast and efficient monitoring of wind farms. The new device presented in Barcelona last month was baptized as Arachnocóptero and is responsible for inspecting turbines to ensure their regularity of operation. Developed by Arbórea Intellbird, a spin-off of the University of Salamanca of which Iberdrola is also a part, the drone is equipped with high-resolution cameras and high-performance sensors to control turbines in flight without the need for a pilot, thus reducing scanning times and monitoring costs.

Shaped like a spider, the drone has a flight autonomy of 35 minutes and is managed thanks to a joystick that allows immediate maintenance interventions in case of failure or erosion of the rotors, providing operators on the ground with a detailed series of images recorded by camera that allows easy identification of the necessary interventions.

Until now, maintenance has required the installation of a crane and the presence of an operator capable of detecting damage and malfunctions. The presence of a remote-controlled drone and ensuring faster detection of damage guarantees faster interventions and the reduction of costs related to the possibility of simply moving the device and loading it in the trunk of a regular car. The project required an investment of around half a million euros provided by Iberdrola and the Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), an agency of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

Source: Rinnovabili.it