---
title: "How to check utility poles with computer vision"
description: "Cameras on a patrol truck, a crew phone or a drone take pictures of each pole along the line, and the model marks poles that may need a closer look, such as leaning or bent poles, cracked, split or rotted wood near the top or ground line, damaged or tilted crossarms, loose or broken guy wires and anchors, woodpecker holes, and missing tags or signs. Each mark is saved with the photo, the pole ID or GPS spot and the date, so crews can plan work by priority. A qualified line engineer or crew lead decides every job, and the usual inspections, tests, safety rules and records stay in place."
url: https://lidvizion.ai/answers/how-to-check-utility-poles-with-computer-vision/
site: Lid Vizion
index: https://lidvizion.ai/llms.txt
---

[Direct answers](https://lidvizion.ai/answers/)

# How can an electric or telecom utility use computer vision to spot utility pole problems such as leaning poles, damaged crossarms or loose guy wires between hands-on inspections?

Cameras on a patrol truck, a crew phone or a drone take pictures of each pole along the line, and the model marks poles that may need a closer look, such as leaning or bent poles, cracked, split or rotted wood near the top or ground line, damaged or tilted crossarms, loose or broken guy wires and anchors, woodpecker holes, and missing tags or signs. Each mark is saved with the photo, the pole ID or GPS spot and the date, so crews can plan work by priority. A qualified line engineer or crew lead decides every job, and the usual inspections, tests, safety rules and records stay in place.

## What this means in practice

- Cameras on a patrol truck, a crew phone or a drone take pictures of each pole, crossarm and guy wire along the line, ideally from the same sides and distance each pass.
- The model is trained on the utility own pole images. It marks leaning, bent or broken poles, cracked, split, checked or rotted wood near the top or ground line, damaged, tilted or burned crossarms and braces, loose, slack or broken guy wires and anchors, woodpecker and insect damage, and missing or unreadable pole tags and warning signs.
- Each mark is saved with the photo, the pole ID or GPS spot and the date, so the team can compare against the last pass, see which lines and areas need work most often and plan repairs and replacements by priority, with leaning or broken poles sent straight to the crew lead.
- A qualified line engineer or crew lead reviews every mark and decides what gets fixed, replaced or left as is. Photos only show the outside of the pole, so internal rot and strength still need hands-on tests, and any people, homes or plates caught in view are blurred.
- Start with one circuit or one area, compare the marks with what crews find on their own patrols for a few weeks, and keep the existing pole inspections, tests, safety rules, work orders and records in place. Camera checks add to those inspections and never replace them.

## How Lid Vizion approaches it

We start with the business decision and operating context, define ownership and measurable milestones, then use configuration, integrations, automation, or custom software only where each earns its place.

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