Enerza, a Canada-based grid analytics company, is attempting to predict power outages before they occur by using robotics.

In a bid to make power grids potentially safer and more reliable, Enerza is reportedly attempting to provide a conditional risk assessment tool to electrical utility providers via autonomous on-wire robotic monitoring.

Using a robotic device, Enerza is removing workers from dangerous work environments by switching from manual inspections to robotic ones. This is expected to reduce the incidence of human error and subsequently enable safer automated processes.

“The most common inspection method now is primarily done manually,” the researchers explained. “People go out in rural areas, they have to go out in ATV trucks, and they’re basically inspecting the line visually.”

Instead Enezra’s robot, outfitted with propellers, would fly itself up and attach to the line. Once attached, the robot would use thermal cameras and depth cameras in combination with other stereoscopic cameras to measure distances.

Further, the new robot can reportedly detect failing infrastructure and potential grid issues — like branches growing too close to the electrical lines. The robot can make predictions about issues before they occur.

The Enezra team also suggests that their robot, which offers real-time data, will enable utilities to cover entire grids while also reducing costs by an estimated 1,220 times and increasing efficiency by an estimated 200%.