How the UV EYE Family Powers Diverse Industry Applications: Continuous Substation Monitoring, Robotic Inspections, Vehicle-Mounted Inspection and Rail Inspections.
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The DayCor® UV EYE family includes three solar-blind UV camera cores: UV Eye, UV Eyelite, and UV EyeScope – each offering a unique balance of optical performance, size, and integration flexibility. All models are designed to detect and visualize corona PD and arcing activity with high sensitivity and precision, even in demanding environments.
With robust IP65-rated protection and a developer-friendly API, the UV EYE family is used across a wide range of field-proven applications:
Continuous Substation Monitoring
UV EYEs are deployed in substations as part of either fixed installations or PTZ-mounted systems, providing continuous, real-time monitoring of critical high-voltage components. These installations are designed for long-term, unattended operation in outdoor or high-stress environments and serve as a key enabler of predictive maintenance strategies.
By automatically scanning transformer bushings, insulators, conductors, busbars, and other substation assets, UV EYEs support early detection of corona activity and arcing—conditions that indicate emerging faults. The collected data is stored and managed through Video Management Systems (VMS), typically ONVIF-compatible, allowing seamless integration into existing infrastructure and inspection workflows.
UV EYEs can be combined with thermal and RGB sensors to provide a comprehensive, multi-spectral view of substation health. This layered inspection approach improves diagnostic accuracy and helps utilities correlate visual, thermal, and UV indicators of asset degradation.
Automated reporting converts inspection data into actionable insights, enabling maintenance teams to respond faster and plan interventions based on real conditions rather than calendar intervals. This reduces unnecessary fieldwork while ensuring that emerging issues are addressed before they lead to failures.
By continuously monitoring corona-related anomalies and trending their development over time, utilities gain a powerful tool for managing risk, optimizing asset performance, and maintaining high levels of grid reliability.
Robotic Inspections
UV EYEs are integrated into robotic platforms that perform autonomous or remote-controlled inspections in substations and HVDC converter stations. These robots carry out routine patrols or targeted diagnostics with high precision, minimizing the need for manual intervention in high-voltage environments.
Whether following pre-programmed routes or controlled in real time, the system provides live corona visualization, enabling immediate assessment of electrical components. UV EYEs can also be paired with thermal and RGB cameras, supporting a multi-layered inspection approach. This allows utilities to detect issues early, reduce maintenance frequency, and ensure stable, uninterrupted operation. Designed for seamless compatibility with a wide range of robotic systems, UV EYEs enhance the automation and reliability of substation monitoring – particularly in high-risk, high-demand installations such as HVDC systems.
OFIL UV camera integrated on Ross Robotics autonomous platform for HVDC hall inspection.
Robotnik robot with OFIL UV camera, deployed by BCB for substation inspection
Vehicle-Mounted Power Line Inspection
UV EYEs can be mounted either on a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) system or fixed directly to inspection vehicles that patrol transmission and distribution lines. These vehicles are often purpose-built or retrofitted specifically for utility inspection tasks, allowing for continuous and systematic scanning of overhead infrastructure.
This setup is highly efficient for utilities, enabling large sections of the grid to be inspected quickly. The system can operate as a standalone UV inspection tool or be integrated with thermal and RGB sensors, creating a powerful multi-sensor platform. This combination enhances detection accuracy, improves fault classification, and accelerates decision-making.
Vehicle-mounted inspections are particularly well-suited for routine patrols, emergency response after storms, and verification of asset condition in remote or difficult-to-access areas, saving time, reducing operational risk, and supporting more effective maintenance planning.
Train-Mounted Rail Inspections.
Installed on high-speed railway inspection cars, UV EYEs are used to monitor railways overhead lines in real time. Positioned on the roof of laboratory or passenger railcars, they provide clear visibility of insulators, conductors, and supporting hardware along the track.
These systems are specifically designed to detect corona partial discharge activity while the train is in motion – capturing critical data without disrupting rail operations. By identifying PD-related anomalies on overhead line components, UV EYEs help operators locate developing issues before they escalate into failures.
The system can operate independently or feed data to onboard analytics tools for post-run analysis. This capability enables maintenance teams to schedule targeted interventions, improve network uptime, and reduce reliance on manual inspections across large rail corridors.
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