Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SIMAR (Safe Inspection and Maintenance supporting workers with modular robots, Artificial intelligence, and augmented Reality)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-03-01 al 2025-08-31
SIMAR proposes a new type of inspection robot that is composed of an aerial system with advanced navigation capabilities that will allow to safely land on pipes, even if they are located in complex and cluttered locations and deploy and light-weight crawlers that integrate either adapted X-ray or PEC (Pulsed Eddy-Current) sensors to perform complete inspections of insulated pipes.
The main purpose of SIMAR resides on keeping the human workers of dangerous industrial plants in a location, where inspection and maintenance activities can be performed in a safe and healthy way. This will be done by applying the MOVE, SUPPORT and UNDERSTAND functionalities, integrated into a unique system, validated in a controlled
environment, and finally demonstrated in a real operational industrial facility of the SIMAR end-users. MOVE will be implemented by robots with flying and crawling locomotion, SUPPORT by the application of Augmented Reality, and UNDERSTAND by means of Artificial Intelligence.
In order to overcome the above challenge, SIMAR will pursue four objectives:
1. Multipurpose aerial/ground robotic system to keep away workers from dangerous situations for a safe, robust, and trusted inspection
2.Artificial Intelligence and augmented reality systems to reduce human workload and level of stress
3.Human-centered robotics inspection system
4.TRL7 validation and demonstration on an operational petrochemical facility taking into account end-users' requirements.
SIMAR consortium is formed by 6 high-profile European partners (CATEC, AUTH, QUASSET, CHEVRON, USE and BASF) from 5 EU Member States, which have been carefully selected for their proven experience, as well as their complementarity and transnationality, in order to give the necessary knowledge, expertise, and cutting-edge background to assure the success of the project.
The main purpose of SIMAR resides on keeping the human workers of dangerous industrial plants in a location, where inspection and maintenance activities can be performed in a safe and healthy way. This will be done by applying the MOVE, SUPPORT and UNDERSTAND functionalities, integrated into a unique system, validated in a controlled
environment, and finally demonstrated in a real operational industrial facility of the SIMAR end-users. MOVE will be implemented by robots with flying and crawling locomotion, SUPPORT by the application of Augmented Reality, and UNDERSTAND by means of Artificial Intelligence.
In order to overcome the above challenge, SIMAR will pursue four objectives:
1. Multipurpose aerial/ground robotic system to keep away workers from dangerous situations for a safe, robust, and trusted inspection
2.Artificial Intelligence and augmented reality systems to reduce human workload and level of stress
3.Human-centered robotics inspection system
4.TRL7 validation and demonstration on an operational petrochemical facility taking into account end-users' requirements.
SIMAR consortium is formed by 6 high-profile European partners (CATEC, AUTH, QUASSET, CHEVRON, USE and BASF) from 5 EU Member States, which have been carefully selected for their proven experience, as well as their complementarity and transnationality, in order to give the necessary knowledge, expertise, and cutting-edge background to assure the success of the project.
Throughout the project, efficient management and coordination ensured proper governance, financial and administrative control, quality assurance, and scientific supervision across all partners. The consortium defined the system specifications based on real end-user needs, identifying technical challenges and designing the system architecture and validation plan accordingly.
A multipurpose modular inspection system was developed, combining aerial and crawler robots capable of operating independently or collaboratively. These robotic units were equipped with advanced sensing technologies and autonomous navigation functions to perform safe and precise inspections. Artificial intelligence modules were created to support data interpretation and reduce operator workload, while augmented reality interfaces and decision-support tools enhanced human–robot interaction and inspection efficiency.
All hardware and software components were integrated into a single, functional system that was thoroughly tested in controlled environments before validation. The complete robotic system successfully reached TRL 7 after demonstration in an operational petrochemical facility, where it met the predefined end-user performance requirements. Social, ethical, and legal aspects were continuously monitored to ensure full compliance with data protection, privacy, and ethical standards throughout the project.
A multipurpose modular inspection system was developed, combining aerial and crawler robots capable of operating independently or collaboratively. These robotic units were equipped with advanced sensing technologies and autonomous navigation functions to perform safe and precise inspections. Artificial intelligence modules were created to support data interpretation and reduce operator workload, while augmented reality interfaces and decision-support tools enhanced human–robot interaction and inspection efficiency.
All hardware and software components were integrated into a single, functional system that was thoroughly tested in controlled environments before validation. The complete robotic system successfully reached TRL 7 after demonstration in an operational petrochemical facility, where it met the predefined end-user performance requirements. Social, ethical, and legal aspects were continuously monitored to ensure full compliance with data protection, privacy, and ethical standards throughout the project.
The SIMAR project has achieved a technological breakthrough in autonomous inspection by developing and validating a field-proven aerial robotic based system capable of performing safe and efficient inspections of corrosion under insulation of pipelines in complex industrial environments. During a successful pilot at an operational petrochemical site, the system demonstrated robust navigation, precise payload deployment and retrieval, and reliable performance under real conditions, reaching TRL7. These results represent a new benchmark for industrial inspection by eliminating the need for human workers to operate at height, thus improving safety while significantly reducing inspection time and costs. The project has also generated strong scientific impact, with 30 publications, educational materials on AI and robotics, and participation in major events such as Sprint Robotics World Conference and ICUAS. SIMAR aims to advance from TRL7 to TRL9 and explore market adoption through a HaaS model, while efforts in IPR, commercialisation, and internationalisation could support scaling and strengthen Europe’s leadership in AI-enabled inspection robotics.