Editor’s Note
The development of talent is a major national issue. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the Central Talent Work Conference the need to deeply implement the strategy of strengthening the country with talent in the new era, accelerating the construction of a world-class talent center and innovation highland, and outlining a grand blueprint for talent work in the new era.In recent years, Yongchuan District has firmly established the strategic position of talent-led development, vigorously implementing the action plan for science and education to invigorate the district and strengthen talent, with a total talent resource of 167,000, gathering 202 high-level talents, and 34 selected for the “Chongqing Talent Program”, effectively promoting Yongchuan to accelerate the construction of an influential talent highland in the Chengdu-Chongqing region. Talents in Yongchuan have long innovated and contributed in various fields and fronts, using their wisdom and sweat to promote the high-quality development of Yongchuan’s economy and society. To strengthen the demonstration and leading role, inspire party members, cadres, and the masses in various industries to learn from and strive to catch up with the virtuous, and further create a strong atmosphere of valuing, cherishing, utilizing, and retaining talent. Recently, the “Yongchuan Party Building” WeChat public account will publish a series of talent stories, sharing the outstanding deeds of various talents pursuing dreams, innovating, and contributing.
In 2016, he spent a month successfully developing the first quadrotor fire-clearing drone; subsequently, not satisfied with the status quo, he developed the second-generation hexacopter fire drone and the third-generation clearing drone; in 2019, his fourth-generation clearing drone was successfully put into use.
In four years, with four generations of products, this person who is “obsessed” with drone development is He Tao, a drone inspection engineer at the State Grid Chongqing Yongchuan Power Supply Company.
Long committed to drone research and manufacturing, He Tao is not only a drone inspection engineer at the State Grid Chongqing Yongchuan Power Supply Company but also the president of the Yongchuan Model Aircraft Association. He has been awarded titles such as “Chongqing Talent” program technical skill leader, Chongqing municipal-level skill master, Chongqing technical expert, Bayu craftsman, State Grid craftsman, and one of Yongchuan’s top ten craftsmen, and has received the Chongqing May Day Labor Medal and the National May Day Labor Medal.
Determined Direction
Not Giving Up on Achieving His Dream
At 40 years old, He Tao was born in Nanchong City, Sichuan Province. As a child, he became acquainted with various mechanical parts and electronic components because there was a television and washing machine repair shop near his home.
At the age of 8, He Tao could “play around” with various mechanical and electronic components, earning the nickname “little inventor” from his neighbors. In middle school, it was common for him to be called by neighbors to help repair home appliances. It was during that time that he assembled his first creation—a transistor radio.
He Tao recalls that in his memory, the sky in his hometown was always a deep blue, and occasionally, when an airplane passed by, it planted a seed of flight in his heart.
Located in the western part of Sichuan, the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture has complex terrain and dense forests. In 2007, after graduating from Sichuan University of Science and Technology, He Tao quickly felt the inconvenience of work due to the terrain while working as a comprehensive planning specialist in the Development Department of the Garzê Power Supply Company.
“At that time, the road traffic conditions meant that line inspections were almost entirely done on foot,” He Tao said. It was during that time that he conceived the idea of using technology to improve work efficiency.
From 2008, when he first encountered remote-controlled model aircraft, to 2010, when he first came into contact with drones, He Tao’s desire to use technology to enhance work efficiency grew stronger.
To further understand drones, He Tao spent his free time browsing forums, watching videos, and joining various drone groups for discussions. To build his own drone, he personally spent nearly 200,000 yuan purchasing lathes, milling machines, engraving machines, 3D printers, flight controllers, remote controls, and other drone components.
Starting anything is difficult. At that time, He Tao often fell into a cycle of repeated designs, constant modifications, and continuous crashes. Even during testing, he suffered injuries when the propellers cut through the main vein of his left wrist and the tendon of his right wrist, yet he did not give up, firmly believing that he could succeed.
Leading the Team
Working Tirelessly to Overcome Technical Challenges
In 2012, He Tao transferred from the Garzê Power Supply Company to the State Grid Chongqing Yongchuan Power Supply Company.
In July 2015, the Yongchuan Power Supply Company equipped its first quadrotor drone and began to attempt using drones for power inspections. He Tao, who was still working in the Development Planning Department, was so excited to hear this news that he couldn’t sleep all night. The next morning, he proactively approached his leaders, applying to become a full-time pilot, hoping to change traditional work methods through drones.
That year, to facilitate technical exchanges regarding drones, He Tao took the lead in organizing enthusiasts in the Yuxi area to establish a model aircraft association and recruited five model aircraft apprentices, voluntarily teaching them the skills of making and operating model aircraft; to better integrate emerging technologies with drones for transmission and distribution inspections, He Tao led the establishment of the State Grid Chongqing Yongchuan Power Supply Company Drone QC team, focusing on drone innovation to improve the industry’s transmission and distribution inspection business level.
While researching and developing self-made drones, facing a series of technical challenges, team members forgot their fatigue and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to product development. Recalling those hard times in drone development, He Tao still remembers vividly: “When we were busy, we only slept two or three hours a day.”
Hard work pays off. In 2016, He Tao successfully developed the “Quadrotor Fire-Clearing Drone” in just one month, which was also the first fire-clearing drone in Chongqing. That year, this drone successfully cleared over 20 foreign objects from the lines and helped brother units in Kaizhou, Bishan, Tongliang, Tongnan, and Fengdu clear foreign objects like nests, kites, and balloons from the lines, eliminating safety hazards. But he was not satisfied and continued to optimize the design, producing the second-generation hexacopter fire drone, the third-generation clearing drone, and the fourth-generation clearing drone.
In addition to focusing on the research and manufacturing of new drone products and technologies, He Tao and his colleagues developed a remote control device for the 10KV pole-mounted switch in 2017, which reduced the safety risks for operators during the switching process, winning the QC first prize from the Chongqing Quality Association and the QC third prize from the State Grid Corporation; in 2018, He Tao led the development of a remote control device for the 10KV switch in the switching station, which reduced the safety risks for operators in the switching station, winning the QC second prize from the Chongqing Electric Power Company; in 2019, to solve the problem of limited shooting angles with handheld ultraviolet imaging devices, He Tao overcame a series of technical challenges and successfully integrated ultraviolet equipment with the drone system, with the “Aerial Ultraviolet Imaging Technology Project” winning the “Golden Inspection Award” for national drone power inspections.
The success behind this is the result of He Tao and his team’s relentless efforts. With continuous technological innovation and improvement, the number of power workers climbing towers and the number of inspectors has significantly decreased, improving the efficiency of transmission line inspections by five times.
Another point that makes He Tao particularly proud is the lightweight drone ultraviolet detector he led the development of, which fills the gap in domestic drone ultraviolet detection, with typical experiences promoted within the State Grid Corporation.
Updating Products
Contributing to Achieving Industry Leadership
Currently, the Yongchuan Power Supply Company’s intelligent inspection center drone operation team has 16 professional pilots, equipped with 38 drones carrying various inspection equipment such as visible light, infrared thermal imaging, and 30x optical zoom, achieving rapid increases in the number of inspected poles and detected defects, creating a situation of “two increases and two decreases” with a significant reduction in manual climbing and inspection personnel.
“In recent years, Yongchuan District has seized historical opportunities, continuously accelerated its pace, innovated work mechanisms, optimized the talent ecosystem, and vigorously implemented the action plan for science and education to invigorate the district and strengthen talent, which makes me full of confidence in Yongchuan’s future development,” He Tao said. This year, the Yongchuan District government work report mentioned the need to stimulate the innovative vitality of talents, allowing more outstanding talents to have space for development, platforms for work, and value realization in Yongchuan, which greatly boosts his confidence.
He Tao stated that drones are his lifelong passion. Benefiting from talent incentive policies such as the “Yongchuan Talent Cultivation and Introduction Incentive Measures”, he will continue the research and development of drone products, continuously update products, expand the application scope of drone inspections in work, and enhance the skill level of the drone inspection team, contributing to achieving industry leadership.
Source: Yuxi Metropolitan Daily
Organizer: Organization Department of the CPC Yongchuan District CommitteeUndertaker: Chongqing Yongchuan District Media CenterEditor: Li Jinjing
