Handheld PDAs and Mobile Inspection Software for Electrical Utilities
Sho -Me Power owns 1,663 miles of transmission line, and is responsible for inspection and maintenance of the transmission line. Sho -Me power works directly with power suppliers to help transmit power to rural areas. Sho -Me Power provides services for 131 customer delivery points in 125 distribution and transmission substations. Sho -Me Power used paper forms to perform inspections of transmission lines in rural areas, which resulted in many challenges. Inspections were performed twice per year, once in the fall and again in the spring, transmission line poles and pole attachments were inspected for damage. Areas surrounding the transmission line were also inspected for overgrown trees and undergrowth to determine trimming needs if necessary. Many inspections were done during poor weather conditions which made it difficult to collect data, juggle necessary paperwork, and caused lost or smudged paperwork because of weather conditions. The paper forms were also time consuming to fill