Prometheus - A reconfigurable robotic platform(s) with advanced sensing for confined spaces

“创新公司资助的普罗米修斯项目将开发一种完全自主的机器人，能够在未知的空间进行地质技术调查，用于采矿、水利基础设施监测和海上工业。该机器人将能够通过直径为150mm的标准受限通道自动部署和回收，大大增加了现有系统的潜在用例。在项目期间，将与铁路网一起进行关键的示范，以探索和绘制在现有铁路基础设施下延伸的矿山作业。此外，在供水基础设施老化的水行业中也有应用。这给社会带来了重大问题，如漏水、水管爆裂、水浸、污染等。这给基础设施供应商带来了巨额的罚款、法律费用和复杂的维修费用。该系统本身将由Headlight牵头的一个财团设计、制造和测试，该财团是一家中小企业，拥有领先的传感器和数据处理技术。合作伙伴包括专门从事机载机器人系统开发和部署的中小型企业Callen-Lenz。他们将与曼彻斯特大学、皇家霍洛威大学和布里斯托尔大学密切合作，将最新的传感器、控制和制造技术整合到一个真正新颖、功能强大的平台中。这将包括泰雷兹公司和Headlight公司提供的传感器和自适应传感软件。完全自主超视距操作（BVLOS）的联合要求，结合通过有限通道150直径井眼的部署，将在大学实验室环境中进行演示，并在与Network Rail联合进行的关键里程碑演示中进行演示。这将是机器人、自主和人工智能在极端环境下广泛应用的绝佳例证。最终的系统将展示自主能力的逐步变化，高度灵活的操作和部署，满足实际和现有的工业需求，快速检查难以进入和复杂导航的区域。”

"The Innovate funded Prometheus project will develop a fully autonomous robot capable of geo-technical surveys in unknown voids for use in the mining, water infrastructure monitoring and offshore industries. This robot will be able to be automatically deployed and recovered through a standard restricted access bore of 150mm diameter, significantly increasing potential use cases over existing systems. Key demonstrations will be carried out during the project in conjunction with Network Rail - to explore and map mine workings that extend under existing rail infrastructure.Further, applications are also within the water industry with aging water infrastructure. This is presenting major issues to societies, in terms of leakages, burst water mains, flooding, contamination, etc. This is resulting in significant costs to infrastructure providers in terms of fines, legal fees, and complex repairs.The system itself will be designed, built and tested by a consortium led by Headlight -- an SME working with leading edge sensor and data processing technologies. Partners include Callen-Lenz, an SME with expertise in airborne robotic systems development and deployment. They will work closely with the Universities of Manchester, Royal Holloway and Bristol to integrate the latest sensors, control and manufacturing techniques into a truly novel and highly capable platform. This will include sensors and adaptive sensing software provided by both Thales and Headlight.The joint requirements of fully autonomous operation beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), combined with deployment through a limited access 150-diameter borehole will be demonstrated both in a university lab environment and at key milestone demonstrations in conjunction with Network Rail. This will be an excellent illustration of robotics, autonomy and AI in extreme environments with widespread application. The final system will demonstrate a step change in autonomous capability, highly flexible operation and deployment, meeting a real and existing industrial need for rapid inspection of areas that are difficult to access and complex to navigate."