SBIR Phase I: Crab-like Robotic Platforms for Cutting Underwater Structures

SBIR 第一阶段：用于切割水下结构的类蟹机器人平台

• 批准号: 2335382
• 负责人: John Grezmak
• 金额: $ 27.5万
• 依托单位: CRABLINE ROBOTICS LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-12-15 至 2024-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2335382&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Crab; like; Robotic

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develops a dexterous, crab-like aquatic robot for underwater construction and decommissioning of structures. With growing efforts to develop sustainable offshore wind energy infrastructure, like wind turbines, new technologies are needed to make the management of this infrastructure safer and more efficient. Existing practices often put human divers at risk in deep, cold, turbid ocean environments while existing aquatic robots or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) cannot adequately manipulate tools to execute construction and deconstruction work underwater. This project seeks to develop a new class of aquatic robotics that are highly dexterous, inexpensive, and capable of expanding U.S. engineering knowledge and capabilities. This new type of robotic platform is needed by offshore construction and salvage contractors to reduce costs associated with infrastructure management and to improve safety practices. This technology provides underwater robotics capable of supporting the projected growth of marine construction and offshore energy development.This project creates a crab-like robot that utilizes multiple robotic legs to stabilize around a target and deliver a tool, such as an exothermic cutting rod, to the desired target. Inspired by living crabs and their ability to pull inward to grasp a substrate, this new robotic platform will stabilize on a substrate and trace a pre-defined tool path. Using the inward forces of legs combined with adjustable end effectors, the platform will demonstrate easy detachment and secure adhesion to a substrate at different phases of the gait cycle. Novel approaches will be developed to traverse challenging craggy, slippery, and bio-fouled marine structures in order to precisely deliver tools to targets. With legs with more actuated degrees of freedom than the six supports of a Stewart platform, the robot will still be able to stabilize if one leg cannot find purchase during walking motions. The goal in this SBIR Phase I project is to demonstrate a new type of aquatic robots capable of tool stabilization and manipulation at depth.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目开发了一种灵巧的、像螃蟹一样的水上机器人，用于水下建筑和结构的退役。随着开发风力涡轮机等可持续海上风能基础设施的努力不断增加，需要新技术来使这一基础设施的管理更安全、更高效。现有的做法经常将人类潜水员置于深水、寒冷、浑浊的海洋环境中，而现有的水上机器人或遥控潜水器(ROV)无法充分操纵工具来执行水下建筑和解构工作。该项目旨在开发一种高度灵巧、价格低廉、能够扩展美国工程知识和能力的新型水上机器人。海上建筑和打捞承包商需要这种新型的机器人平台，以降低与基础设施管理相关的成本，并改善安全做法。这项技术提供了水下机器人，能够支持海洋建设和近海能源开发的预期增长。该项目创造了一个类似螃蟹的机器人，它利用多个机器人腿稳定在目标周围，并将工具，如放热切割杆，运送到期望的目标。这个新的机器人平台的灵感来自于活的螃蟹及其向内拉以抓住基材的能力，它将稳定在基材上，并跟踪预定义的刀具路径。利用腿的内力和可调节的末端执行器，该平台将在步态周期的不同阶段显示出容易脱离并牢固地附着在基材上。将开发新的方法来穿越具有挑战性的崎岖、湿滑和生物污染的海洋结构物，以便准确地向目标运送工具。与Stewart平台的六个支撑相比，机器人的腿具有更多的驱动自由度，如果在行走运动中一条腿找不到买家，机器人仍将能够稳定下来。SBIR第一阶段项目的目标是展示一种新型的能够在水下稳定工具和操作的水上机器人。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。