Objective
The aim of this project is to fulfil a need throughout
industry for automated Robotic inspection systems that
perform remote in service inspection on large and complex
vertical surfaces and ceilings with far more versatility
and task repeatability than has been achieved hitherto.
The proposal is to build a single inspection instrument
that comprises of a compact climbing vehicle which can
move freely over large vertical areas carrying a
scanning arm with up to eight degrees of freedom and then
explore structures of almost any geometrical complexity.
The greater degrees of freedom will enable it to perform
a variety of scanning routines with a dexterity
approaching that of a human arm. It will be able to move
freely on vertical or horizontal surfaces and will thus
be able to inspect large surface areas and volumes that
can currently only be covered by very large fixed base
robot arms. At the same time, it will be light enough to
be easily transportable from task to task on sites that
are in different geographical locations. For example the
tool might be used to inspect in sequence a ship hull, a
nodal joint on a nuclear pressure vessel, a pipeline, a
storage tank, etc. It will be equipped mitially with
ultrasound inspection probes and eventually with a range
of sensors such as eddy current coil, gas sensor, etc.
Thus the inspection instrument will have all the
versatility characteristic of a human operative but with
the added advantage of faster inspection speed, ability
to work in hazardous environments, greater accuracy and
task repeatability and without the measurement errors
caused by human tedium. The proposed inspection
instrument will automate inspection tasks in the ship
building, nuclear power plant and oil industry that have
previously been performed either entirely manually or
with automation limited to travel on fixed rails, for
example along welded seams.
There is a need for a versatile, accurate and
transportable inspection tool because currently most
automated systems are tailored to do just one task,
frequently in just one place, and with Cartesian type
scanning arms that have limited degrees of freedom. Thus
the range of scanning routines that can be implemented is
very limited. Also the inspection of surfaces with
Cartesian devices is limited to flat or gentle contours
as they cannot scan structures of more complex geometry.
Although multi axis scanning arms with six or more
degrees of freedom are able to inspect more complex
surfaces and inspection systems based on these arms do
already exist in industry they. are usually fixed site
systems, for example robots constrained to translation
motion on monorails alongside a factory production line
or a long welded seam. They have been limited to fixed
site work because of an intrinsic limitation in locating
the spatial position of an inspection sensor precisely on
remote surfaces due to uncertain knowledge of the
environment. This uncertainty plus the invalid assumption
of perfect knowledge of robot dynamic and kinematics
models during control system design leads to poor task
accuracy and repeatability. An inspection tool on the
other hand must have sufficient spatial precision of
sensor positioning to permit high resolution C Scan
imaging with many types of NDT transducers.
To overcome these limitations the project aims to :
- develop a multi axis scanning arm that is
dextrous and can implement a variety of
scanning techniques.
- add mobility at the base of the redundant axis
scanning arm via the climbing vehicle to give
greater volume coverage for inspection purposes than
fixed base and dedicated devices constrained
to move on rails.
- investigate new control methods that use the "Task
Function" approach to improve task
repeatability at remote locations.
- make the arm and climbing vehicle much lighter
than has been achieved hitherto for the same
specifications of precision, through the uæ of composite
material for the arm links.
The versatility of the inspection tool will be tested on
a number of distinct tasks. One task is the inspection of
3D seam wleds on the hull structure of large ships. here
the vehicle could walk the length of a ship's floor or
side and the arm could deploly the sensor in the corner
weld between wall and ceiling. Another task is the
inspection of weld defects on a mock up of a nuclear
pressure vessel provided by one of the partners.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering control systems
- engineering and technology materials engineering composites
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies nuclear engineering
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering naval engineering sea vessels
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
SE1 0A LONDON
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.