STTR Phase I: Wall-climbing robots for nondestructive inspection to ensure sustainable infrastructure

这一小型企业技术转让(STTR)第一阶段项目旨在研究创新方法，并为开发一种可靠且多功能的爬墙机提供研究基础，该爬墙机可以攀爬奇数表面(有深裂缝、壁架)，携带大量测试设备，到达难以进入的地方执行各种无损检测/评估(NDT/NDE)任务，以确保人工建造的基础设施的可持续性。技术创新包括：1)使用泡沫胎面和转子组件的新传动系统，不仅产生强大的附着力，而且有助于消除攀爬机器人与冲击回声测量之间的声学/振动干扰；2)传动系统中多腔密封的容错功能，使机器人能够跨越深间隙而不损失附着力；3)使用两个传动系统的差动驱动运动使机器人能够携带更大的测试设备的有效载荷；4)叶轮和螺旋桨的组合为机器人提供了一种处理台阶的手段，并允许在机器人意外失去接触时重新连接到墙壁；5)使用系绳有助于在电缆和机器人粘合机构之间分配有效载荷，并提高操作可靠性。此项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是，通过消除脚手架的使用，它允许以更低的成本更快和更彻底地检查人类建造的基础设施。它还通过消除检查员对高层建筑/结构进行外部检查的需要来提高安全性。除了表面缺陷的肉眼检查外，爬行机还将能够使用其他无损检测仪器，如冲击回波设备或探地雷达(GPR)，检测地下缺陷(即裂缝、分层、空洞)。一组这样的爬壁机器人可以在避开脚手架的同时完成检查任务，从而节省了时间和金钱，使国家民用基础设施更加安全。纽约市和世界上许多其他城市都有法律规定，每5年对高层建筑进行一次立面检查。美国和世界各地老化的基础设施和6层以下的住宅也对检查和物业维护有强烈的需求。考虑到每年需要检查的建筑物的数量，以及国内和世界各地数以百万计的建筑物、桥梁和隧道需要持续维护和检查，爬壁机器人技术的市场是巨大的。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to investigate innovative approaches and provide a research-based foundation for developing a reliable and versatile wall-climbing machine that can scale odd surfaces (with deep cracks, ledges), carry large payload of testing equipment, reach hard-to-access places to carry out various non-destructive testing/evaluation (NDT/NDE) tasks to ensure the sustainability of human-built infrastructure. The technical innovations include: 1) new drivetrain using foam tread and a rotor package which not only produce strong adhesion but also helps to eliminate the acoustic/vibration interference between the climbing robot and impact-echo measurements; 2) the fault tolerance feature of multiple chamber seals in the drivetrain that allows the robot to cross deep gaps without loss of adhesion; 3) the differential drive locomotion using two drivetrains enables the robot to carry much larger payload of testing equipment; 4) the combination of impeller
and propeller provides a means for the robot to cope with ledges and allows re-attachment with the wall if the robot accidentally loses contact; 5) the use of tether helps the distribution
of payload among cable and robot adhesion mechanism and enhances the operation reliability.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that it allows inspections of human-built infrastructure to be performed significantly faster and more thorough at a lower cost by eliminating the use of scaffolds. It also improves safety by removing the need for inspectors 
to scale high-rise buildings/structures to perform exterior inspections. In addition to visual inspection of surface flaws, the climbing machine will be able to detect subsurface defects (i.e., cracks, delamination, voids) using other NDT instruments such as impact-echo devices or ground penetrating radar (GPR). A group of such wall-climbing robots can do the inspection task simultaneously while avoid the scaffolding, thus saving time and money, making the national civil infrastructure more secure. New York City and many other cities in the world have laws that mandates the facade inspection of high-rise buildings 
every 5 years. The aging infrastructure and residential apartments lower than 6 stories in
 USA and around the world also have strong needs for inspection and property maintenance. Considering the number of buildings to be inspected every 
year, and over millions of buildings, bridges and tunnels in the country and around the world that require continuous maintenances and inspection, the market of the wall-climbing robot technology 
is vast.