Brief Challenge Description:

The proposed challenge aims to innovate and optimize the inspection process of AXIA Energy telecommunications towers, which is currently done manually, involving safety risks for employees and high operational costs. The solution we seek should digitize the process using drones to capture images of the towers, create a Digital Twin of the asset, apply artificial intelligence (AI) to detect structural problems, and inventory items such as antennas, radios, and other equipment on the tower. Furthermore, the solution must be able to integrate with other AXIA Energy corporate systems to ensure seamless management and monitoring of telecommunications infrastructure.

Solution Requirements

• Drone Usage: Drones must be equipped to perform aerial surveys of telecom towers, capturing images to create a Digital Twin using photogrammetry.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): The solution must incorporate AI algorithms to analyze images and videos, identifying defects and anomalies in towers (e.g., peeling paint, corrosion, cracks, antenna support issues, damaged or loose cables, lifeline and SPDA problems, among others).
• Automated Inventory: The AI must detect all equipment on the tower and generate inventory data, including at least the following parameters: equipment azimuth, elevation, mechanical tilt, dimensions (X, Y, Z), and height above ground level. The AI should also detect occupied and free space on the tower.
• Systems integration: The solution needs to be able to integrate with existing AXIA Energy systems, such as asset management and monitoring systems, so that the generated data can be shared and used for decision-making.
• User Interface (UI): The platform must provide a user-friendly, intuitive interface for operators to view inspection results, generate reports, and monitor tower statuses.
• Safety and Compliance: The solution must comply with relevant safety regulations for drone operations and data collection and storage.

Business Impacts

• Reduced Operational Costs: Automating tower inspections, replacing manual processes, will result in significant cost savings on team mobilization and reduced human errors.
• Increased Operational Efficiency: Rapid and accurate analysis of tower conditions enabled by AI will allow for early issue detection, facilitating preventive maintenance and avoiding failures or unplanned downtime.
• Improved decision-making: Integrating data collected in the field with corporate systems will allow AXIA Energy to have a clearer and more accurate view of infrastructure conditions, facilitating decisions regarding maintenance and equipment replacement.
• Enhanced Safety: Using drones for inspections will reduce the need for teams to climb towers, minimizing the risk of work-related accidents associated with the current manual process.
• Improved Asset Management: Integrating the Digital Twin with AXIA Energy asset management systems provides a detailed, real-time view of the condition of towers and their components, such as antennas, cables, and power systems. Furthermore, having an updated tower occupancy plan becomes a valuable tool for the engineering team when designing new projects.

Expected Benefits:

• Efficiency and Agility: Automating the inspection process with drones and AI will enable faster inspections, reducing operation times and increasing tower coverage capacity.
• Accuracy and Reliability: AI-driven analysis ensures more precise and consistent data interpretation, minimizing diagnostic errors and improving the reliability of information about tower conditions.
• Greater control and visibility: The automated inventory of antennas and equipment in operation, combined with integration with other AXIA Energy systems, will provide more rigorous control of telecommunications infrastructures.
• Scalability: The solution can be scaled to different locations and infrastructure types, applying the same automated process, facilitating system expansion without significant additional infrastructure investment.
• Sustainability: The solution contributes to sustainability by reducing the need for physical team mobilization, lowering carbon emissions associated with transportation and resource use.
• Innovation and Competitiveness: The use of advanced technologies, such as the Digital Twin, positions AXIA Energy as a leader in innovation within the telecommunications and energy sector. The implementation of these technologies not only improves internal processes but can also serve as a competitive differentiator by demonstrating that the company is investing in cutting-edge solutions to ensure the efficiency and security of its operations.

Deadline: Proposal submission form will be available until 02/02/2025


Questions: For any questions or additional information, please send an email with the subject line identifying the title of this challenge to innovationgrid@eletrobras.com