The Joint Workshop on Robot Assisted Inspection and Maintenance Technology for EHV Power Transmission and Distribution Equipment, cosponsored by Shenyang Institute of Automation (SIA) and Hydro-Québec’s Research Institute (Hydro-Québec), was held in SIA on May 12th, 2011. Five Canadian guests came to SIA to attend the workshop and they were Mr. Régis Houde, chief of the Robotics Department, Mr. Julien Beaudry, senior researcher of the Robotics Department, Ms. Zhu Weiyi, the China Business Representative, Mr. François Vaillancourt, project director of Québec-China Business Center, and Ms. Min Lin Hsieh. Before the workshop, Wang Yuechao, director of SIA, met with these Canadian guests.

Han Jianda, director of SIA’s Robotics Laboratory and nearly 80 staff and graduate students attended the workshop. During the workshop, Mr. Régis Houde, Mr. Julien Beaudry, Wang Hongguang, vice director of the Center for Space Automation Technologies & Systems, Wu Xuemin, vice director of Office of General Affairs, Wang Ting and Qing Juntong, associate professors of the Robotics Laboratory gave their reports respectively. The aim of the workshop was to communicate and exchange the ideas on research and application of robotic technology in electric power industry, including electric power production, transmission, maintenance and inspection, and to seek possibilities of technical cooperation. The participants had a deeper discussion with the reporters on technical details, future prospects, etc.

After the workshop, the guests paid a visit to the S&T Achievements Exhibition Hall and the related laboratories of SIA, and both sides had a formal discussion on technical cooperation, exchange of visiting researchers and other issues.

With 23600 staff, Hydro-Québec is the largest state-owned company in Québec and the only electric power enterprise which has its own research center in North America. Hydro-Québec’s Research Institute has more than 500 scientists and technical personnel, and they provide various technical supports to Hydro-Québec for power generation, transmission, maintenance and consumption.