STTR Phase II: Development of a Remote Climbing Robot for Automating Welding Processes in the Shipbuilding Industry

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第二阶段研究项目将推进移动的机器人焊接系统（MRWS），以显着提高自动化船舶制造技术在美国。为美国造船业提供自动化带来了巨大的挑战。传统的机器人系统在诸如以尺寸和规模为特征的造船等行业中是不够的，因为它们固有地不能在保持焊接的同时在不平坦甚至倒置的环境中粘附和操纵。该团队通过将最近为电力行业远程检查任务开发的攀爬机器人技术与自动焊接设备相结合来解决这些问题。该项目将推进这项技术，将其从实验室转移到现场，并解决现实世界条件带来的技术挑战。这将包括车辆和机械手在动态环境中的相互作用，能够处理可变条件的传感器系统，以及具有自我保护和校正行为的鲁棒导航和控制算法。这项工作的重点是技术创新，通过自主的，移动的攀爬机器人，大大推进制造，检查和维护过程的自动化。如果成功，该项目的成果将进一步推进在非结构化环境中远程执行机器人任务的知识状态。机器人技术对这种能力的普遍需求是巨大的。在美国，造船业是一个劳动密集型产业，价值150亿美元，其成功取决于生产力的提高。2005年至2030年期间，全球基础设施支出将超过40万亿美元。美国将花费6.52万亿美元，其中1.53万亿美元用于能源/电力领域，包括管道，存储设施和替代能源。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II research project will advance a Mobile Robotic Welding System (MRWS) to significantly improve automated ship fabrication techniques in the United States. Providing automation to the American shipbuilding industry poses significant challenges. Traditional robotic systems are inadequate in industries such as shipbuilding characterized by size and scale because of their inherent inability to adhere and maneuver across uneven and even inverted environments while maintaining a weld. The team addresses these problems by merging recent climbing robot technology developed for remote inspection tasks in the electric power industry with automated welding equipment. This project will advance this technology, moving it from the laboratory to the field and address the technical challenges posed by real-world conditions. This will include vehicle and manipulator interaction in a dynamic environment, sensor systems capable of handling variable conditions, and robust navigation and control algorithms with self preserving and correcting behaviors. This proposed effort focuses on technology innovation to significantly advance automation of manufacturing, inspection and maintenance processes through an autonomous, mobile climbing robot. If successful the outcome of this project will additionally advance the state of knowledge in performing robotic tasks remotely in unstructured environments. The general need for such capability in robotics is immense. Shipbuilding is an extremely labor-intensive, $15 billion dollar industry in the US, and its success depends on improvements in productivity. Over $40 trillion will be spent worldwide in infrastructure spending between 2005 and 2030. The US will spend $6.52 trillion overall and $1.53 trillion in energy/power segment with includes pipelines, storage facilities and alternative energy.