Bird guards are devices that improve the visibility and detection of power lines by birds, reducing the likelihood of collision with them.  Red Eléctrica, thanks to both its commitment to the conservation of birdlife and as part of its compliance with current law, installs various types of these devices on its lines to improve the safety and protection of birdlife.  

There are different models which differ mainly in their assembly and dismantling conditions, which is important because these systems have a certain useful life span and need to be replaced depending on their condition. Among the most commonly installed designs is the spiral type bird guard, a double recessed helical model that requires manual installation and removal by accessing the cable directly or by lowering the cable into conductors. 

In this way, and with the aim of favouring the processes of adapting electricity grid infrastructures for the conservation of birdlife and reducing the risks inherent to working at heights for professionals, the "Project for the automatic dismantling of spiral type bird guards" was set up in collaboration with Red Eléctrica and SAPREM.

This project is based on the development of a machine to optimise the dismantling of these devices, which provides greater physical safety and greater efficiency thanks to its semi-automatic operation. 

Since its commissioning, a prototype of a semi-automatic spiral bird guard dismantling system has already been developed and a very successful field test has been completed, enabling bird protection devices to be dismantled in a real environment while the robot was remotely operated by a professional on the ground. The results of tests in a real environment have been key to further improving this solution to come up with a system that contributes to the improvement of the safety and sustainability of the company’s activity.