Industrial Project to create a prototype climbing robot

An Industrial Project valued at £ 39,279 and led by Portech to develop a low-cost climbing robot capable of reaching remote parts of large structures.

The current state of the art in structural assessment was captured as a baseline to define user requirements and technological constraints.

Core technologies were developed, including a robot vehicle, robotic instrumentation mechanism, sensor payloads, and mission management software. Technical components were integrated. Technology was evaluated with field trials.

State of the art and requirements were captured, and the system designed;
Core robot, sensors and software technology were developed;
Systems were manufactured and integrated and baseline information gathered;
Benefits were measured against quantitative yard sticks;
A prototype robotic inspection system including vehicle, sensors and software was created.

An Industrial Project led by Portech Ltd to create a prototype climbing robot to investigate the robotic delivery of sensors to remote parts of large structures.

Developed:

- a low-cost climbing robot to convey sensors to remote parts of large structures;
- robotic methods of attaching sensors to the structure;
- a user interface supporting robot navigation, data acquisition and display, and analytical facilities;
... and quantified and disseminated benefits for the ability of operators to meet structural assessment standards.