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February 1, 2018

Robots in the Sky™ Detect – Engage – Neutralize™Robots in the Sky™ Detect – Engage – Neutralize™Excerpts from PowerMag.com: The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) standard on physical security—known as Critical Infrastructure Protection-014 (CIP-014)—includes six basic requirements, but perhaps the most challenging for power companies is to develop and implement a documented physical security plan. Tower-mounted robotics powered by artificial intelligence could make that easier.

The U.S. power grid is wide open for attack. More than 200,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines, interspersed with hundreds of large electric power transformers and substations span the country, often in remote locations. In response to growing threats, NERC issued requirements for the physical security of critical transmission stations and substations, and their associated primary control centers. Meeting these mandates is costly and complicated for utility owners and operators. Fortunately, new advancements in technology—particularly in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence—can offer proactive protection against attackers at a reasonable cost and help utilities achieve compliance.

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