13.08.2025
Latvian technology company SIA InPass, in cooperation with the electrical network maintenance company AS Sadales tīkls, the Norwegian drone and aerial data technology company Aersea, and the research centre Norce, is developing a state-of-the-art smart inspection system for inspecting wooden utility poles. The solution will automate the process of inspecting wooden poles, reducing long-term maintenance costs for the electrical network. The total budget of the project is EUR 1.96 million, and it is implemented within the European Partnership “Innovative SMEs” activity “Eurostars”, with co-funding from the Latvian Council of Science and the Research Council of Norway.
AS Sadales tīkls oversees about 840 000 wooden utility poles across Latvia, which need to be inspected regularly to ensure their technical condition. The project “Mobile utility pole smart inspection system” (MUPSIS 2024) will develop a mobile wooden pole inspection system that plans to integrate various smart technologies, including:
- radar sensors to detect internal wood damage,
- multispectral and RGB imaging to assess the condition of the pole surface,
- LIDAR measurements to analyse the shape and geometry of the poles,
- artificial intelligence for damage interpretation and prediction,
- IoT and drones, providing flexibility and rapid deployment in different areas.
The prototype of the MUPSIS 2024 mobile test system will be tested in the Latvian electricity distribution network infrastructure. It will be the first solution of this kind in Europe. It’s expected to significantly increase the efficiency and accuracy of wooden pole diagnostics – especially for distribution system operators, for whom wooden poles are an integral part of the infrastructure.
“We are delighted to be working with international partners on an unprecedented European solution that will allow us to significantly improve network surveys ourselves. With the newly developed system, Sadales tīkls will be able to detect damage to wooden poles, such as rot or pest infestation, much more efficiently, while significantly reducing time-consuming manual operations and optimising overall network maintenance and development costs in the long term. The reliability of the electricity supply and the resilience of the network will also be improved, as the early detection of defects in wooden poles will help to reduce unplanned power outages. It is important that Sadales tīkls will be able to integrate this mobile solution both in the production of wooden poles and drones used for electrical network surveys,” says Vīgants Radziņš, Member of the Board and Chief Development Officer of Sadales tīkls.
“MUPSIS is a step into the future – it will help electricity distribution companies maintain their infrastructure more efficiently, sustainably, and with much greater precision,” says Raivis Ekšteins, CEO of InPass.
The development of the solution has to be completed by 31 May 2028. The project received co-funding through an international tender, which received around 700 project proposals related to various innovations. This evaluation confirms the high innovation potential of the project, providing an opportunity to strengthen international partnerships and promote technology transfer between Latvia and Norway.
