Intelligent UAV pod for rapid inspection of power transmission lines

With the rapid growth of electricity demand, efficient inspection and maintenance of power transmission lines have become critical. Traditional manual inspections are costly, time-consuming, and constrained by weather, terrain, and safety risks. This paper presents an intelligent UAV pod for rapid inspection of power lines, integrating a visible-light camera, inertial measurement unit (IMU), GNSS receiver, and onboard computing unit. The system fuses visual-inertial and GNSS data to achieve high precision real-time pose estimation and 3D mapping, while its lightweight design extends UAV flight endurance and operational flexibility. Extensive tests in both conventional and low-texture environments demonstrate the system's ability to generate accurate maps under challenging conditions. Field experiments along transmission line corridors show that the pod can efficiently reconstruct georeferenced 3D point clouds, supporting timely fault detection and post-disaster assessment. The proposed system not only enhances inspection efficiency and accuracy but also provides a practical solution for digital and intelligent management of power infrastructure.