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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）的第一阶段项目开发了一个灵巧的，螃蟹状的水生机器人，用于水下建筑和结构的退役。随着开发可持续的海上风能基础设施（如风力涡轮机）的努力不断增加，需要新技术来使这些基础设施的管理更安全、更有效。现有的做法往往使人类潜水员在深海、寒冷、浑浊的海洋环境中处于危险之中，而现有的水生机器人或远程操作车辆（rov）无法充分操纵工具在水下进行施工和解构工作。该项目旨在开发一种新型的水上机器人，这种机器人高度灵巧，价格低廉，能够扩展美国的工程知识和能力。海上施工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，并改善安全措施。这项技术提供的水下机器人技术能够支持海洋建设和海上能源开发的预期增长。这个项目创造了一个像螃蟹一样的机器人，它利用多个机器人腿在目标周围稳定，并将工具（如放热切割棒）输送到所需的目标上。这种新型机器人平台的灵感来自于活蟹及其向内拉抓住基板的能力，它将稳定在基板上，并沿着预定义的工具路径运行。利用腿的内力与可调节的末端执行器相结合，该平台将在步态周期的不同阶段展示容易脱离和安全粘附到基板上。将开发新的方法来穿越具有挑战性的崎岖、光滑和生物污染的海洋结构，以便精确地将工具运送到目标。与斯图尔特平台的六个支撑点相比，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支撑点，机器人仍然能够稳定下来。SBIR第一阶段项目的目标是展示一种新型的水生机器人，能够在深度稳定和操纵工具。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.