A Biomimetic Pose Estimation and Target Perception Strategy for Transmission Line Maintenance UAVs

High-voltage overhead power lines serve as the carrier of power transmission and are crucial to the stable operation of the power system. Therefore, it is particularly important to detect and remove foreign objects attached to transmission lines, as soon as possible. In this context, the widespread promotion and application of smart robots in the power industry can help address the increasingly complex challenges faced by the industry and ensure the efficient, economical, and safe operation of the power grid system. This article proposes a bionic-based UAV pose estimation and target perception strategy, which aims to address the lack of pattern recognition and automatic tracking capabilities of traditional power line inspection UAVs, as well as the poor robustness of visual odometry. Compared with the existing UAV environmental perception solutions, the bionic target perception algorithm proposed in this article can efficiently extract point and line features from infrared images and realize the target detection and automatic tracking function of small multi-rotor drones in the power line scenario, with low power consumption.