Meta Platforms, Inc.

Ulc Robotics, Inc.

John L Jayne

G Gregory Penza

Robert E Kodadek, Iii

Jonathan M Kuriloff

Xinghua Jia

The disclosed systems for suspending cable (e.g., fiber optic cable) from an overhead powerline may include a payload subsystem for housing and dispensing a cable along an overhead powerline, a rotation subsystem for winging the cable from the payload subsystem around the powerline, an extension subsystem for moving the payload subsystem to avoid obstacles, an obstacle detection subsystem for automatically detecting obstacles encountered along the powerline, a drive subsystem for driving the system along the powerline, and at least one processor for controlling the payload subsystem, rotation subsystem, extension subsystem, obstacle detection subsystem, and drive subsystem in a manner that avoids obstacles as the system moves along the powerline. Various other related systems, devices, components, and methods are also disclosed.

Robotic system obstacle recognition

An apparatus for detecting a cross-bore between a first pipe and a second pipe that are installed underground includes a support and an electronic circuit assembly. The support is movable through the first pipe. The electronic circuit assembly is mounted to the support to move through the first pipe with the support. The electronic circuit assembly includes a controller and a capacitance sensor. The capacitance sensor outputs a capacitance value based on an interaction of an electric field generated by the capacitance sensor with an environment of the first pipe. The capacitance sensor outputs to the controller a given capacitance value when the capacitance sensor is at a location where the environment of the first pipe is a cross-bore intersection with the second pipe. The controller generates an indicator indicative of a presence of a cross-bore upon the capacitance sensor outputting the given capacitance value.

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Hauppauge, NY, United States of America

John L Jayne