South Korea’s Joowon Industrial Selects Aeva 4D LiDAR for Automated Power Line Inspection Program

Aeva (NYSE: AEVA), a leader in next-generation sensing and perception systems, and Joowon Industrial, a South Korean global distributor and supplier of world-class testing equipment, today announced that Joowon has selected Aeva’s Aeries II 4D LiDAR for its automated power line inspection and analysis system.

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A vehicle equipped with Joowon TADS and Aeva 4D LiDAR for power line inspection (Graphic: Business Wire)

Power line inspection and analysis is a crucial yet predominantly manual process for most utilities. The inspection process entails deploying a considerable number of inspectors who physically survey the utility's service area and assess the condition of the lines. Their tasks encompass identifying worn components, pinpointing hot spots that may signify issues, and noting potential interference from vegetation. This process is costly and time-intensive, necessitating regular inspection to uphold the reliability of the power grid.

Joowon Industrial's TADS (Thermography Auto analysis Diagnosis System) is an automated solution for this process. A vehicle outfitted with sensors including GPS, azimuth sensors, traditional cameras, infrared sensors and LiDAR automatically capture images of the lines and analyze them for potential issues. According to Joowon, the automated TADS system can process up to three-times more locations than the previous manual process, and the system improves the issue detection rate from 120%-200%. TADS empowers electric contracting companies to achieve approximately 80% savings on overhead power line inspection and management. Recently, Joowon's TADS system adopted Aeva’s 4D LiDAR technology to construct a multi-dimensional model of power lines and the surrounding vegetation swiftly and accurately. This advancement is expected to yield further reductions in costs and enhancements in the quality of powerline inspection processes.

“Joowon’s TADS system represents a step-change in bringing safety and convenience to power grid maintenance, and with the use of Aeva’s 4D LiDAR technology, a new layer of accuracy and reliability is added,” said Barrs Lang, Vice President of Global Sales at Aeva. “We look forward to working with Joowon to help them scale their solution in the market.”

“We selected Aeva’s 4D LiDAR technology because its Ultra Resolution feature delivers high resolution sensing capabilities at long ranges, easily capable of detecting overhead power lines. This allows us to detect potential areas of concern more clearly so our global customers can ensure the reliability of their power grid,” said Mr. Doo Hoon Yoon, Joowon Industrial's President. “We are pleased with the results and look forward to a long-standing collaboration with Aeva as we continue to bring innovative solutions to market to improve the quality of life in the 21^st century.”