Orchestrating the grid with visual precision

GridOS® Visual Intelligence has always been a crucial part of our GridOS grid orchestration software portfolio, for its ability to visually identify ways to mitigate risk and maximize resilience. And as climate change continues to drive disruptive events that tax grid resilience to its limits, that importance increases with each passing month. 

Recently we made an announcement that underscored the importance of Visual Intelligence and the value it brings to our larger portfolio. We declared our intent to acquire Alteia SAS, a French software company specializing in computer vision, machine learning, and AI to bring visual intelligence into operations by transforming visual data into actionable insights. We’ve worked with Alteia since 2020 to develop and deliver Visual Intelligence software, and we are excited to share the value of its visual and actionable insights with the rest of the GridOS portfolio.  

To understand the significance of this decision, consider that Visual Intelligence is already one of our most versatile software applications for utilities. It directly addresses four key challenges utilities face: 

Clearly, the visual data of Visual Intelligence offers huge benefits in the above use cases by giving users the ability to not just sense the state of their grid but see it too.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Those visual insights hold significant value for the broader GridOS portfolio too.

And it all starts with the network model.

Consider that Visual Intelligence provides grid operators with a real-world view of their networks, helping them transition from abstract schematics to a precise, visual model. By integrating the software’s visual insights into grid network models, operators gain enhanced situational intelligence, operational excellence, and the ability to both identify and mitigate risk. It is these capabilities that makes Visual Intelligence the most advanced AI-enabled software suite that integrates and contextualizes visual data with the grid network models that feed downstream operational systems to deliver actionable insights for grid orchestration.

For example, consider the aftermath of a severe storm. The storm has passed, but the damage that remains is extensive. After a disruptive event, it often takes utilities days to assess damage and deploy crews, leaving customers in the dark. And as we all know, when customers are in the dark, their number one question becomes, “So when will I have power back?”

That scenario looks much different with Visual Intelligence. Within hours of an event, utilities can use virtual patrols to assess damages like fallen poles, lines, and debris. The visual insights gleaned from those patrols can be fed into Visual Intelligence, which can then incorporate them back into the network model to better inform core software applications like ADMS. ADMS can leverage this new information to both guide recovery personnel and more accurately assess an Estimated Time of Restoration that can be shared with customers.

There are numerous opportunities like the above to enrich and advance the applications of the GridOS portfolio with the visual insights of Visual Intelligence, and we are eager to make that happen as we continue our journey to acquire Alteia.