Condition monitoring |
Robotics reshape hydro operations
Autonomous drones, aquatic robots and digital inspection systems are
moving from pilot projects into operational hydropower and dam management, with utilities and research institutions targeting lower inspection costs, improved safety and more continuous environmental monitoring
HYDROPOWER OPERATORS ARE under increasing pressure to extend asset life, improve environmental performance and manage more dynamic operating regimes. Across the sector, robotics and autonomous systems are beginning to address those challenges in ways that conventional inspection and monitoring approaches cannot. Recent projects in the US and Sweden show how utilities, national laboratories and technology suppliers are shifting from isolated demonstrations toward operational deployment of drones, robotic inspection tools and autonomous environmental monitoring systems. The emphasis is less on replacing core hydropower infrastructure than on improving how facilities are monitored, maintained and licensed. The technologies under development target several
persistent operational constraints: difficult access to dams and waterways, safety risks for inspection teams, the need for more frequent condition monitoring, and the growing complexity of environmental compliance.
Environmental monitoring One of the more advanced examples is the “eDNA-bot”
Project lead Kristine Moody, center, joins the team behind the eDNA-bot as they gather around an early version of the device. Credit: ORNL, US Dept. of Energy
under development by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and biological surveying equipment company Smith- Root, Inc. Environmental DNA monitoring has already become an important tool for aquatic species detection, but current workflows still rely heavily on manual sample collection and laboratory processing. The technology has direct relevance for hydropower
operators because biological monitoring forms part of licensing, relicensing and environmental compliance processes in many jurisdictions. Conventional fish and species surveys based on netting, trapping or electrofishing remain labour intensive, expensive and
episodic. ORNL project lead Kristine Moody said the robotic approach could fundamentally alter monitoring frequency and site accessibility.
“It would let us sample continuously and unobtrusively for months at a time,” said Moody. “The bot also would allow us to access sites that are too remote or too dangerous to easily accommodate human surveyors.” The laboratories began investigating hydropower- specific eDNA applications in 2020, focusing on reservoirs and waterways connected to generating assets. Researchers identified several challenges unique to hydropower systems, including fluctuating flows, sediment movement and highly variable hydraulic conditions that complicate sample consistency. Testing at multiple hydropower reservoirs, including facilities operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, demonstrated that eDNA techniques could identify elusive species not detected through conventional survey methods while also confirming known populations. Current prototypes combine off-the-shelf and custom-built components, but the development teams are now focused on miniaturisation and field deployment. Moody said the target is a battery-powered unit weighing less than 100 pounds and transportable by two people.. The project illustrates a broader shift in hydropower
environmental monitoring toward persistent sensing rather than periodic field campaigns. Instead of short- duration biological snapshots, operators could eventually obtain near-continuous datasets covering seasonal and operational variations. Researchers are working to harden the system for
corrosive saltwater environments ahead of marine testing at PNNL’s Sequim research centre in Washington State. Austen Thomas, scientist at Smith-Root, emphasised the importance of national laboratory partnerships in reducing development risk. “Some of the components of this system are at an R&D level that we can’t achieve, so having the engineering and biology staff of the national labs available to develop that technology is a huge benefit. It reduces our risk as a company.””
Inspection robotics While aquatic robotics remain in development,
aerial drone inspection programmes are already becoming operational at scale. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) recently received a Federal Aviation Administration waiver allowing one pilot to supervise up to four drones simultaneously during beyond-visual-line- of-sight operations.. Utilities have used drones for years for visual inspections, but most programmes remained constrained
38 | June 2026 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
