A new era in wooden power line pole inspections: Latvia and Norway join forces for project MUPSIS 2024

Maintaining an electrical grid often means not only a technological challenge but also a significant investment of time and resources. One of the most labor-intensive tasks in Latvia is the regular inspection of wooden power line poles – and there are many of them: approximately 840,000 across the country. Until now, this has mostly been a manual process, but that is about to change.

InPass, together with grid operator AS “Sadales tīkls”, Norwegian drone and aerial data technology specialists Aersea, and the research center Norce, has launched the MUPSIS 2024 project. Its goal is to develop the first mobile smart system in Europe capable of automatically diagnosing the condition of wooden poles using the latest sensor, imaging, and data analysis technologies.

How will the new system work?

The prototype is planned to integrate several technologies:

• Radar sensors for detecting internal wood damage.
• Multispectral and RGB imaging for assessing surface wear.
• LIDAR measurements for analyzing the shape and geometry of poles.
• Artificial intelligence to interpret detected damage and predict its progression.
• IoT solutions and drones to make the system mobile and quickly deployable in various locations.

This approach will make it possible to detect issues such as rot or insect damage much earlier, reducing unplanned power outages and optimizing grid maintenance costs.

A cross-border effort with a long-term vision

The total budget of the project is EUR 1.96 million, and it is being implemented under the Eurostars program of the European Partnership for “Innovative SMEs,” with co-funding from the Latvian Council of Science and the Research Council of Norway.

The system will be completed by May 31, 2028, and will be tested within Latvia’s electrical grid. MUPSIS 2024 was selected for funding in an international competition with around 700 innovation proposals, confirming its potential and importance both locally and on a European scale.

What does this mean for the power supply industry?

With MUPSIS 2024, we are taking a step towards sustainable, efficient, and data-driven infrastructure management. Automated pole inspections will enable companies to better plan maintenance work, avoid unnecessary costs, and improve power supply reliability.

As InPass CEO Raivis Ekšteins emphasizes:

“MUPSIS is a step into the future – it will help power supply companies maintain infrastructure more efficiently, sustainably, and with far greater precision.”

At InPass, we’re proud to be part of this forward-thinking project and excited for the day when MUPSIS is ready to transform grid maintenance across Europe.