Observa designed and operated to deliver AI-driven intelligence from satellite imagery. Its transformer-detection capability automatically identifies and geo-references distribution transformers, helping utilities close the gap between what exists in the field and what appears in digital records without relying on expensive, slow, and hard-to-scale ground surveys.
The service is purpose-built to address illegal electricity usage for agricultural irrigation, where traditional, complaint-driven inspections often arrive late and lack consistent evidence. By shifting to periodic satellite monitoring with automated analysis, Observa flags irregular irrigation activity patterns and turns wide-area uncertainty into prioritized investigation targets, improving both the speed and accuracy of revenue protection operations.
The prototype was trained on regional data and successfully tested using high-resolution imagery from leading providers, with outputs compatible with platforms and standard satellite data formats. Following the demonstration phase, feedback from a major distribution utility emphasized cost efficiency, guiding ongoing development toward a layered, more efficient algorithm that can leverage more affordable satellite data sources, enabling scalable, proactive monitoring at full utility scale.