Krypton 36 was informed that the power grid artificial intelligence technology company – Nanjing Saturn Information Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Saturn Technology”) has recently completed Pre-A round of financing million for 1000 + by BondsInAsia capital lead investor, venture capital Kaifeng with investment.Saturn artificial intelligence technology to provide solutions for the grid, and to achieve a high accuracy transmission line defect detection, this round of financing is mainly used for hardware product development, optimization algorithms and market promotion.The company had in April 2019 Kay wind angel round of venture capital financing.
Circuit inspection, operation and maintenance work is always one of the important work of the three power grid company.Traditional transmission line inspection, operation and maintenance work, there are several major problems: 1) the size of a large grid, the traditional manual inspection workload, high labor intensity, while increasing the cost of operation and maintenance of the power sector inspection; 2) transmission line multi deployed in remote mountainous areas, wilderness remote places, such as inclement weather over long distances, there are many hidden dangers of large-scale logging operations; 3) traditional manual inspection from a large number of images need to manually analyze the possible presence of dozens to a hundred kind of defect, delay serious, but easy to miss many defects.
“Saturn Technology” AI provides solutions based on visual recognition as the home of the grid inspection company, born at the beginning is committed to address these issues.Company customers from the grid algorithms, software platforms, data analysis, intelligent detection devices to intelligent terminals, set one hardware and software solution that enables AI transmission line defect monitoring, intelligent anti-abduction, staff conduct electricity grid wisdom and intelligence analysis safety oversight functions.
Solution “Saturn technology” to provide the main transmission includes two aspects.On the one hand for the transmission channel security issues, through visual recognition on the high-voltage tower camera captured image based on the visual analysis, visualization achieve transmission channel, 24-hour monitoring equipment surrounding environment, the timely warning of possible threats.
On the other hand defects for transmission tower, programs drones patrol picture was taken back to the cloud server, do visual recognition and analysis of data on a server, and a key generation defect inspection reports.Compared to traditional manual recognition accuracy rate of 70% of the large number of pictures, the company’s artificial intelligence algorithms can achieve more than 80% accuracy, and detect missing cotter pin consists of three in-house experts are hoping to achieve grid problem.
AI core point is that the above-mentioned program on the accuracy of the analysis of visual recognition artificial intelligence algorithms, the “big picture, small targets, interference and more”, to identify the pins, cable, grading rings, nuts, Insulator and other minor but then Transmission security is extremely important parts of the algorithm requires high.This also requires a sufficient amount of data for training.Unlike conventional art but the amount of data security, and other unmanned sufficiently large, the valid data is not much power grid.
According to company founder Chen Shuanghui introduction, “Saturn science and technology” since its inception in 2017, in cooperation with the electricity sector, the company’s UAV program, have first-mover advantage on the data, combined with the power industry is familiar with the business specially built depth neural networks and artificial intelligence program, already commercialized.
36 Krypton founder told: “We have encountered artificial intelligence machine vision manufacturers try to enter this vertical industry, but we have experienced will not save them time, from the last option customers can also see.There is no algorithm or a program can cover all industries, even two common pitfalls category requires a different algorithm, if manufacturers do the same need to accumulate a long time, we did all the dirty work they will experience.”
And this year for the three power grid to tighten the confidentiality of data, AI company wants to approach the latter not only takes a long time to accumulate in the familiar business, in terms of the amount of data or face greater challenges.
At present, the “Saturn Technology” artificial intelligence solutions have been multiple network clients and the adoption of UAV.According to company co-founder, Dr. Zhang Feifei reports, communicate with customers, get feedback if the recognition accuracy of defect detection can reach more than 50% can be applied, however, most manufacturers only 20-30% accuracy on the Oscars with, the company’s products can be stabilized at over 80% accuracy a great advantage such cases.Customers choose products core considerations is accuracy, “Saturn Technology” doing communication with the customer when usually bring testing equipment, test spot.
In the business model, the company on the one hand to take cooperative mode, UAV manufacturers agent or use the company’s products, is currently undergoing such operations with several UAV’s business docking; on the other hand, the company has direct contracts with the Party providing a complete set of solutions and private cloud deployments.
In terms of charging mode, on the one hand, and the cloud platform device uses a one-time payment model, one-year warranty, three-year maintenance services, post operation and maintenance upgrades for a surcharge; on the other hand, with the UAV company, part of the electricity when sectoral cooperation, adopt SaaS service model, charged according to the number of picture analysis.
On the future plans, “Saturn science and technology” will be launched in the second half has the computing power of front-end camera, the performance defect detection equipment, and to enter this new field grid safety supervision, safety supervision occupy comparison grid safety assessment in an important position, the company will do in-depth research and development scene on the algorithm.
Team members, the company team members a total of 30 people, including 24 technical personnel and R & D algorithm.Senior team has years of experience in artificial intelligence and related fields.”Saturn Technology” CEO Chen Shuanghui have more than ten years of machine vision and software product management experience, chief scientific adviser, Dr. Shen Chunhua machine learning and computer vision field internationally renowned experts.
Currently in the field of power inspection, are due to the camera as a front end image pickup device, image processing performed by the server and cloud computing, etc., in addition to the UAV competitor on the track and service providers, as well as Shang, open view, in accordance with plans and other AI companies.According to the founder of introduction, when customers select products considered standard product core recognition accuracy, which is the key reason customers choose Saturn technology.
The power industry of high technology investment.According to the 2010 release of “total national power grid intelligent planning report (revised version),” from 2009 to 2020, State Grid plans a total investment of 3.45 trillion yuan, of which, intelligent investment over 380 billion yuan, accounting for about 11.1%.2019-2021 years, the annual national network of artificial intelligence-related investments rose from 10 billion to 60 billion.In the past, serving the power industry has been listed on the company including information technology market NARI, Minjiangshuidian, State Department intelligence network in addition to market NARI, as well as Ka billion and, power marketing system market are mainly Lang new technology, Neusoft Group.