With the development of the national power grid, the task of manual inspection for highvoltage transmission lines is becoming increasingly heavy. Therefore, the use of intelligent robot technology to replace the traditional inspection method has become a hot research topic at home and abroad. Based on the current research situation of inspection robots at home and abroad, the current research situation of their mechanical structures was analyzed, the types and structural characteristics of the walking mechanism and obstaclecrossing mechanism were summarized, and the development trend of the electric inspection robot was put forward.