Project Objectives

Scientific Objectives

• To determine the optimal impeller size and speed to generate adhesion to carry a payload of up to 2kg while overcoming air resistance and impeller vibration.
• To develop novel sensor-centric data fusion models appropriate to fusion of disparate range image data.

Technical Objectives

• To develop a post process algorithm that will enable increased repeatability effectiveness and thus reduce the probability of error by 10%.
• To develop a 25 x 30cm vortex robot with payload capability of up to 2kg that is operated wirelessly by month 12.
• Image fusion and processing to categorize and quantify defects detected by the approach used, with a maximum variation of 5%.
• To develop portable GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) and UT (Ultrasonic testing) sensors with a combined weight of less than 2kg.
• To design and develop a dry couplant low frequency UT sensor to provide sufficient measurement accuracy to size defects as small as 1.5 - 2 times more than the average size of concrete grains.
• To design and develop GPR sensor with increased antenna sensitivity and penetration depth range of 40 –50cm.

Image Curtesy of Evgeni Dinev

A wall climbing robot applies NDT on large concrete structures

Large public infrastructure facilities around the world like dams, cooling towers and bridges use cement as the main building material. Although made from a durable material many of these large assets have begun to age and are in need of periodic inspection to ensure their integrity. Current inspection routine involves setting up scaffolds that have to be moved around for personnel to reach to the whole of the surface.

Image curtesy of xedos4

The VORTEXSCAN proposal seeks to develop a vortex robot that will autonomously navigate the vertical surfaces of such structures while deploying a combination of non destructive inspection techniques. Air suction through a nozzle of a specific geometry will create a vortex and initiate a force that attaches the robot to a vertical surface while its wheels move it around. Novel phased array Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) will be one of the two NDT equipment carried by the robot. Low frequency ultrasonics will also be deployed and an innovative fusion of data from the two techniques will be performed. The fusion will diminish the drawbacks of each technique and create an accurate representation of the underlying material and its defects.

VORTEXSCAN will create a system that can rapidly and economically inspect large vertical concrete structures saving huge amounts currently spent during the manual periodic inspections. The system will target EUs electrical power industry structures such nuclear reactor containment, dams and cooling towers as a large number of these infrastructure types are beginning to age; some of them having been built nearly a century ago.