Electricity grids are the backbone of our power supply. But few people are aware that high voltage cables which transport energy over long distances not only have to be built – they also need to be constantly monitored and serviced. Today, for the most part the job is done with the help of helicopters and industrial climbers. This however is very expensive. The idea behind the development of the e.flux robotic analysis unit was to make power grid monitoring speedier, more accurate and above all less costly. The robot travels along the cable, for the most part automatically, and creates ultra-violet pictures with the help of a built-in corona camera, on which any defects can easily be seen. If damage is detected, the e.flux unit tells the service team the nature of the problem and where it is located. The energy needed for the operation is taken by the robot directly from the power cable it is investigating.