- Three and a half-year program to inspect and digitalize Evergy’s 9,000+ mile transmission system.
- The collaboration will bring a new wave of techniques to Evergy’s existing inspection program by utilizing eSmart Systems’ AI-powered image recognition solution, Grid Vision® that enables engineers to inspect assets with greater depth and accuracy.
eSmart Systems has announced a multi-year partnership with Evergy, a regulated electric utility that serves more than 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, to inspect and digitalize their entire transmission system. The goal of the partnership is to create a digital inventory of all assets and improve the accuracy and consistency of inspections by utilizing virtual inspections and artificial intelligence. In addition to improving reliability and resiliency, this partnership will create a baseline of data that can support predictive maintenance in the future, as well as reduce the expense of inspections and other asset management related activities.
eSmart Systems will lead the program working with EDM International and GeoDigital. GeoDigital is providing large-scale data acquisition and high-resolution image processing and EDM International will provide inspection subject matter expertise. The program will utilize eSmart Systems’ advanced solution, Grid Vision, which includes best practice Collaborative-AI. The solution is designed to analyze photographic images of assets to identify defects, catalog asset inventory and identify risk issues that need to be addressed.
This partnership is expected to accelerate image analysis capabilities and improve inspection processes while empowering Evergy to make better-informed decisions in their end-to-end inspection process that significantly reduce costs for inspections, maintenance, and repairs.
eSmart Systems is a key player in our grid modernization efforts as we continue to focus on energy reliability and grid resilience through innovation and adoption of new technologies. This is a big step that will accelerate identification and repair of defects and help us take advantage of predictive maintenance in the future
Our partnership with Evergy is an important landmark in maintaining a resilient grid for the future. The combination of knowledge and skills from bringing together experts from Evergy, our Grid Vision team, GeoDigital, and EDM International, will improve the visibility and awareness of critical infrastructure data including asset inventory and condition as well as decrease risks and operating expenses. We are looking forward to continuing the strong growth of this strategic partnership.
About Evergy
Evergy, Inc. (NYSE: EVRG), provides clean, safe and reliable energy to 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. The 2018 combination of KCP&L and Westar Energy to form Evergy created a leading energy company that provides value to shareholders and a stronger company for customers.
Evergy’s mission is to empower a better future. Today, half the power supplied to homes and businesses by Evergy comes from emission-free sources, creating more reliable energy with less impact to the environment. We will continue to innovate and adopt new technologies that give our customers better ways to manage their energy use.
About eSmart Systems
eSmart Systems is a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for the inspection and maintenance of critical infrastructure. With our software solution, Grid Vision®, we revolutionize how Power Utilities operate and maintain their transmission and distribution networks. eSmart Systems offers a data-driven and condition-based approach to infrastructure inspections that can be managed from one single platform. This platform also employs Collaborative AI, a method for combing the best qualities of Machine Learning and Subject Matter Experts to achieve the best near-term inspection outcome, while also automatically training the AI for long-term success. We support companies worldwide by ensuring reduced costs, safer inspections, and prolonged asset life. For more information, please visit esmartsystems.com.
About EDM International
EDM is an employee-owned alliance of engineers, scientists, technologists, and businesspeople providing innovative services and products to the utility industry since 1982. The company has become a leader in utility engineering, operations, and asset management by merging excellence in technical disciplines with a genuine concern for client needs. EDM is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, and has offices in San Diego, California, and Billings, Montana, and staff in other locations in North America. For more information, please visit edmlink.com
About GeoDigital
GeoDigital offers a distinct and fully compliant “Insight for Utilities” solution that delivers transmission aerial surveys, LiDAR & Imagery acquisition, FAC-003 vegetation analytics, web delivery with 3D right-of-way visualization, and a comprehensive vegetation and line inspection work management software. The WorkStudio Software Suite manages utility work, including engineering design, vegetation management, inspections, audits, and cycle-based maintenance planning. By combining Insight software with GeoDigital’s LiDAR and imagery data acquisition services, utilities can identify work required, cost-effectively allocate work to field personnel, track work as its being completed, and generate reports and analysis. For more information, please visit geodigital.com
We have seen during our work with over 40 global utilities that one key challenge of transitioning to virtual overhead line inspections is the quality and consistency of image capture. There are many factors that impact this process – from camera quality, to angle of image capture to flight patterns when utilizing flight or drones. In real-life conditions, these factors often lead to subpar image capture, and issues such as improper exposure, blur and framing are commonplace. Sometimes operators are even forced to refly the lines to get useful data for virtual inspections, leading to inefficiencies and high costs.
eSmart Systems is partnering with AISPECO in a project to develop edge computing algorithms for the improvement and automation of the image capture process for overhead line inspections. This will help utilities capture images of their assets in a more efficient and reliable manner, with the goal of reducing costs associated with image capture by ensuring the right images are captured the first time. High-quality, consistent images also contribute to a significantly more efficient AI-assisted inspection process.
The objective of Smart Falcon is to develop a solution that is able to identify in real-time when a target structure or part of the structure is in-frame, and automatically trigger a camera shot. The solution will also evaluate in real-time the quality of the image to determine if it meets the standards required, and otherwise another image is taken automatically without the need to circle back.
Having worked with over 40 utilities globally, we have heard from numerous customers that their image capture process is not as efficient as it could be, with the image capture teams sometimes having to refly the course to retake images. Smart Falcon project will help improve the efficiency of image capture, increase image quality and reduce the costs of the overall process
Smart Falcon enables eSmart’s customers to make the transition to virtual overhead line inspection by increasing efficiency of image capture, improving image quality and thereby reducing the costs of image capture.
AISPECO simultaneously will develop a versatile gimbal and steering system for helicopters’ rig and -in later stages – for planes, drones and cars.
This solution represents a major change in the way images are captured in the inspection process. As with all of our innovation projects, customers are at the heart of what we do. This program is open for utilities to join and contribute to the future of image capture, utilizing state-of-the-art edge computing.
Contact us today if you wish to find out more about this program or wish to be a part of this exciting development.
Project SMART FALCON – AUTONOMOUS DATA COLLECTION PLATFORM (LT07-1-EIM-K02-007) The project is co-financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms and the Republic of Lithuania, under the Business Development, Innovation and SMEs program.
Henrik Bache appointed CEO of eSmart Systems
Henrik Bache is appointed CEO of eSmart Systems, a leading provider of grid inspection AI-powered software. Founder Knut H. Johansen will become a board member with a focus on financing and strategy.
eSmart Systems was one of the first companies in the world to develop systems for the inspection of power grids based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Today, a large number of energy companies in the US and Europe use Grid Vision® to inspect and maintain their transmission and distribution networks. Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Henrik Bache will take on the position of CEO from 1 November 2021. Knut H. Johansen, who founded eSmart Systems in 2012, will become a board member and continue to work and advise on financing and strategy.
Henrik Bache is educated at Norwegian School of Management BI and has more than 10 years of experience in the financial industry. He joined eSmart Systems in 2015 and has held various senior leadership positions and previously worked in Singapore and Seattle, US.
“The company is in a unique position with Grid Vision and we have a fantastic momentum in a market that is growing strongly. The order intake for Grid Vision has increased by a factor of 3 compared to last year. We are therefore entering a period that will be characterized by scaling the company to meet the increased demand, as well as actively looking for opportunities to strengthen our offer through M&A,” says Bache.
International growth platform
This summer, eSmart Systems announced the combination with Verico, a company offering Enterprise Asset Management services and products to the utility sector. The combined company had total revenues of NOK 111 million in 2020 and 110 employees in Norway, Sweden, Germany, UK, The Netherlands, Sri Lanka and the US.
“We have fantastic staff, a high-tech and world-leading product, several of the largest global energy companies as customers and very solid investors with us on this journey. I’m impressed with what our highly skilled employees have achieved, and I am proud to have been at the helm of the company during this period,” says Knut H. Johansen.
“I’m very humble and proud of the trust shown to me by Knut and the board. eSmart Systems is entering a new phase as a company and I am very motivated to take the baton and build on the fantastic foundation that has been laid. Knut and I have worked closely and well together for the last 6 years and I want to thank him for an extremely educational period that has given me a strong platform,” says Bache and adds:
“With one of the world’s largest contextualized data sets within the industry, eSmart Systems is in pole position compared to its competitors. There is a significant network effect from aggregating customer expert input to create the best possible algorithm, resulting in a better product and more customers. The market is at a turning point, and I look forward to taking advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.”
About eSmart Systems
eSmart Systems is a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for the inspection and maintenance of critical infrastructure. With our software solution, Grid Vision®, we revolutionize how Power Utilities operate and maintain their transmission and distribution networks. eSmart Systems offers a data-driven and condition-based approach to infrastructure inspections that can be managed from one single platform. We support companies worldwide by ensuring reduced costs, safer inspections, and prolonged asset life. For more information, please visit www.esmartsystems.com.