Wireless Sensors To Monitor Power Grids

Roland Piquepaille writes "Major power outages like the ones which affected the New York state last month or Western Europe ten days ago are becoming more frequent — even if their causes were different. In some cases, the utility companies have to dispatch electricians all over the place to discover the cause of the power failure or simply to restore power. Engineers at the University of Buffalo think they have a better solution: deploy wireless 'nanotech' sensors to monitor the networks and to find the exact location of a failure. They also say that even if the technology is almost available, several years of research are necessary before such a solution can be used by electrical companies. Read more for additional details about this attractive solution."

is this really necessary?

[User 956]

One of the many implications for the developing nanotech sensors is their ability to pinpoint the exact location of a power outage

I'll give you a hint. It's the area where nobody seems to be able to use any electrical equipment.