A low-cost robotic inspection platform for remote operation in aggressive environments

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Inspection in aggressive environments is time-consuming, dangerous and expensive. We will address this by developing a low-cost, autonomous robot platform based on Cadscan’s novel, patent-pending 3D imaging technology. This uses multi-illuminator phase-shifting to capture high resolution imagery inexpensively using just an array of LEDs, a printed mask and a camera. The sensing system will help navigate the robot and to construct a detailed survey of the environment. Making the platform low cost is an important enabler when harsh environments limit operational lifetime. In the Fukushima reactor incident radiation caused the wiring on all 5 clean-up robots to fail (dev cost $50m.) Lowering costs also means that multiple robots can be deployed simultaneously, cooperating to survey the environment much faster than individual units. We will focus primarily on ground-based platforms, although the sensor is suitable for drones too. We aim to change the game and take inspection to the limit.