Manufacturing Machines

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The ocean is a hostile environment for humans, so much so that some would consider it even more hostile than space. Like space, the deep ocean is extremely cold and completely dark; but unlike space's absence of pressure, the deep ocean has extreme pressure. Deep ocean explorers can only reach these depths using either a submarine or a submersible.</p><p dir="ltr">Submarines, like those from the US Navy, are ships that can navigate long distances underwater without having to surface. They can navigate the world’s oceans with precision and at speeds upwards of 25 knots (46km/h). Their highly engineered hulls are constructed of layers of steel, titanium, and other metal alloys, capable of withstanding the extreme pressure of the ocean’s depths. These submarines are also highly compartmentalized to help mitigate any potential hull breach.</p><p dir="ltr">Submarines are sleek, self-contained ships with mission-critical redundant safety systems, pinpoint accuracy navigation capabilities, and powerful propulsion systems capable of circumnavigating the globe without refueling. For the most part, a submarine’s crew can move about freely and carry on with normal life, close quarters notwithstanding. &nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">A submersible’s mission typically revolves around exploration or excursions and, like submarines, they can descend into the ocean’s depths. But that is about where the similarities end. Compared to submarines, submersibles are almost the complete opposite. In general, submersibles tend to be small and clunky and lack sleekness. Submersibles are usually only capable of carrying a limited crew of 1–3 individuals who serve as operators and researchers. Also, their hulls are generally engineered as a unibody structure, not necessarily made of steel, and typically feature port holes or large plexiglass globes as windows for the crew—something submarines lack. Additionally, submersibles have limited propulsion systems powered by batteries that propel the vessel at low speeds.</p><p dir="ltr">Because of their size, submersibles lack water-tight compartmentalization, meaning a hull breach can have disastrous consequences. A submersible’s dive missions are typically short—in the order of hours— and typically rely on a surface mother ship for support, so many of their onboard safety, navigation, and life support systems do not typically employ redundancy.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Extreme Water Pressure</h2><p dir="ltr">To get an idea of the immense pressure at the depth of the Titanic wreckage, let’s consider that the air pressure that surrounds us (referred to as one atmosphere) is 1013mbar or 14.7 pounds per square inch (PSI). We humans do not feel this pressure because the fluids in our bodies are pushing out, helping to equalize this pressure. But this all changes the deeper you go under the ocean; the pressure of the water pushing down on you increases approximately one atmosphere for every 10 meters of water depth. For example, at the depth where the Titanic wreckage lies, the pressure is approximately 385 atmospheres, or 385 times greater than the pressure at sea level. The fact that numerous sea-dwelling creatures face no difficulty coping with this high pressure, frigid 2.5°C water, and total darkness is simply nature at work.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Featured Products</h2><p dir="ltr">This week's New Tech Tuesday introduces two sensing products. One enables wireless monitoring of water leaks, while the other allows monitoring of humidity and temperature in critical electronics. With precise measurements and ultra-low power consumption, these dependable products can help keep water and moisture under control in your future engineering projects.</p><p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://www.mouser.com/new/multitech/multitech-wireless-water-leak-sensors/">LoRaWAN®&nbsp;Wireless Leak Detection Sensors from MultiTech</a> offer a highly effective solution to mitigate water damage in a range of environments. These sensors are available as 1-meter rope sensors for indoor, outdoor, or industrial use. In puck form, these sensors can promptly send alerts over a wireless network upon detection of water to prevent catastrophic damage. Leveraging LoRaWAN technology, these remote detectors can be strategically placed near water heaters, standing tanks, toilets, septic systems, floor drains, and other potential leakage points to preempt costly water damage.</p><p dir="ltr">The sensors are built for IoT applications, engineered for long-range transmission, and offer an extended battery life of 5–10 years at an affordable cost. They feature an open architecture design, allowing for flexible integration with other systems. A notable advantage is the optional web-based console for real-time provisioning, monitoring, and configuration of sensors in the field.</p><p dir="ltr">These sensors also have applications in monitoring plumbing and reservoir leaks, burst water pipe surveillance, data center leak, and water intrusion monitoring. These capabilities make them ideal for complex facilities, with custom designs available to meet specific needs.</p><p dir="ltr">Integrating these sensors on the same network allows monitoring from even the most remote locations. The sensors also feature long-range, excellent wireless penetration through structures, enclosure tamper detection, automatic error reporting, and over-the-air configuration. All these features and benefits reinforce the role of MultiTech's wireless leak detection sensors in effectively managing and reducing liquid leak-related risks.</p><p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://www.mouser.com/new/sensirion/sensirion-sht4x-digital-sensor/">Sensirion 4th Generation SHT4x Digital Humidity and Temperature Sensors</a> offer a range of benefits for climatic management of critical electronics. These sensors feature high accuracy and ultra-low power consumption, making them ideal for mobile and battery-driven applications. With their extended supply voltage range and improved accuracy specifications, they are well-suited for climate control, anti-fogging, and relative humidity/temperature (RH/T) condition monitoring. The sensors are compact and housed in a robust DFN package, allowing for easy integration into challenging designs while meeting the highest reliability standards. Additionally, the <a href="https://www.mouser.com/new/sensirion/sensirion-senseval-sht4xv1-eval-board/">SENSEVAL-SHT4xV1 Evaluation Board</a> simplifies sensor evaluation and prototyping, with compatibility for various STMicroelectronics boards. The I²C interface provides flexibility, and the internal heater enables sensor operation in demanding environments. These sensors are packaged in a surface mount technology (SMT) compatible format, making them suitable for high-volume applications. Sensirion's proven sensor solutions are widely used across different applications and markets.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1730708637663-sensor.webp" style="width: 832px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">MultiTech LoRaWAN Wireless IoT Sensors</span></span></span></p><h3 id="isPasted"><br></h3><p><br></p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p dir="ltr">The ocean’s immense water pressure at great depths poses a significant threat to humans and machines alike.</p><p dir="ltr">In the realm of technology, this week’s featured products offer innovative solutions for detecting water leaks and monitoring moisture and temperature. The potential damage caused by water leaks and moisture to electronics cannot be overlooked. The featured products from MultiTech and Sensirion play a crucial role in preventing such damage by providing early detection and monitoring capabilities. Implementing these innovative sensing technologies enables engineers to effectively mitigate the risks associated with water leakages or moisture buildup, ensuring the longevity and optimal performance of critical electronic systems.</p>

This article introduces two sensing products. One enables wireless monitoring of water leaks, while the other allows monitoring of humidity and temperature in critical electronics. 

Perils of the Deep: Mission Critical Sensing Technology Solutions

<p id="isPasted">In today’s market, it seems like all 3D scanners have similar specifications, as if manufacturers look at their competitors’ data and use the same numbers. Datasheets, marketing videos, and even product appearances all look comparable, making it difficult to distinguish quality based on technical data alone.</p><p>So, when faced with multiple options, how can we identify a high-quality 3D scanner?</p><p>In this blog post, Creaform presents three practical tests that require no calibrated artifact to determine whether the <a href="https://www.creaform3d.com/blog/the-difference-between-stated-accuracy-and-accredited-accuracy/">performance claimed on technical specification sheets is achievable in real-life scenarios</a> or just numbers without tangible value on paper. These tests are intended to help you identify which manufacturers have rigorously developed and tested their 3D scanners.</p><h2 id="isPasted">Form Defect Measurement (Cylindricity)</h2><p>In <a href="https://www.creaform3d.com/blog/what-is-gdt-basics-and-definitions/">GD&amp;T</a>, a form defect is the deviation of a machined part from its ideal shape, such as a plane or a cylinder. A form defect measurement is a good indication of the 3D scanner’s quality because it shows the sensor’s ability to measure the true value of the form defect. <a href="https://www.creaform3d.com/en/portable-3d-scanners">High-quality 3D scanners</a> will provide measurements very close to the nominal value, while poor-quality 3D scanners may show significant deviations.</p><h2>Test #1: Cylindricity Test</h2><p>A simple cylindricity test can provide valuable insights into the 3D scanner’s raw data quality.</p><p>When assessing the quality of a 3D scanner, the primary consideration is the raw data, which undergoes an extensive point filtering process. No doubt, if the raw data is noisy and of low quality, it will lead to questionable 3D models.</p><p><u>See how to perform a cylindricity test</u></p><h3><strong>The Result: A Cylinder or a Mushroom</strong></h3><p>If, at high resolution, you are unable to obtain a good cylindricity value and clearly see the edge of the cylinder at right angles, it suggests that the sensor is capturing poor-quality raw data. This raises concerns about the entire data capture and analysis process.</p><p>When a cylinder looks like a mushroom, it indicates that the 3D scanner’s raw data is noisy. As a result, the software uses reconstruction algorithms to smooth the cylinder’s body and edges (and make the data look better), creating a mushroom shape. However, these algorithms can cause various unintended effects.</p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong>Poor-quality raw data with lots of noise means a thick point cloud. Therefore, how do we know where the real surface is in this point cloud? How can we ensure the mesh is created using accurate raw data and real surface points? Are there any hidden smoothed surfaces at high resolution that might affect the accuracy of the mesh?</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1730455359522-3-simple-tests-2-Low-Quality-3D-Scanners-Results-1536x864.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Mushroom effect visible with a low-quality 3D scanner</span></span></span></p><h2 id="isPasted">Creaform, Inventor of the Handheld 3D Scanner</h2><p>As the pioneer of handheld 3D scanners, Creaform possesses unique expertise that ensures the quality of acquired data with minimal noise. Consequently, surface reconstruction algorithms perform more effectively because they do not need to smooth low-quality surface points, thus guaranteeing <a href="https://www.creaform3d.com/blog/results-revealed-and-facts-exposed-benchmarking-two-3d-scanning-metrology-solutions-to-save-inspection-time/">consistently high quality</a>.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1730455385221-3-simple-tests-1-MetraSCAN-Black_Elite-results-1536x864.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Evidence supporting the claim: Cylindricity measured with Creaform’s MetraSCAN BlackTM|Elite</span></span></span></p><h2 id="isPasted">Test #2: Volumetric Accuracy Test</h2><p>This test aims to show the consistency of the 3D scanner’s measurements. A high-quality 3D scanner must be repeatable, i.e., produce repeatable measurements with minimal variation. In contrast, a low-quality 3D scanner may yield inconsistent results when measuring the same part multiple times or when measured by several operators.</p><p>Consequently, when measurements are taken multiple times on the same part, the results must be grouped and similar whether one or several operators take them.</p><p>Repeatability test: One operator performs five consecutive measurements</p><p>Reproducibility test: Five operators each perform the same measurement</p><p>Both tests should present grouped results.</p><p>A calibrated reference tool or artifact is not required to assess volumetric accuracy. You can measure any part within a certain period (e.g., same day, same hour). The results are even more evident on large parts.</p><p><u>See how to perform a volumetric accuracy test</u></p><h3><strong>The Result: Same Part, Identical Dimensions or Not</strong></h3><p>If the results are not grouped, it is a good indicator that the <a href="https://www.creaform3d.com/blog/do-you-have-confidence-in-your-3d-measurements-are-you-certain-they-are-accurate-repeatable-and-reliable/">volumetric accuracy</a> claimed on the datasheet is probably wrong.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1730455406648-Maximum-Deviation-Graph-1536x621.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Ungrouped results obtained with a 3D scanner of similar price (gray columns) compared with the volumetric accuracy measured with the Creaform HandySCAN Black+TM|Elite (Blue columns)</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">If you measure the distance between two planes that are 2 meters apart, and this distance varies by more than 15µm/m, meaning 30µm over two consecutive measurements, it is difficult to claim that the 3D scanner has a volumetric precision of 15µm/m.</p><p>In other words, if you measure a car twice in a row, and the first time it measures a certain dimension, and the second time it measures 2mm less, how can the sensor have a volumetric accuracy below 1mm/m? And, when two measurements differ, which one is the correct one?</p><h2>Creaform, 20+ Years of Innovation in 3D Scanning</h2><p>Creaform has encountered similar issues during its initial years of research and development but has developed the knowledge and expertise to overcome and solve them. Given Creaform’s 10-year lead in innovation and product development over other 3D scanner manufacturers in the market, we can see what problems some manufacturers have been unable to resolve.</p><h2>Test #3: Thermal Stability Test</h2><p>Another indicator of a 3D scanner’s quality grade is its performance under varying environmental conditions, such as temperature. High-quality 3D scanners are designed to remain stable under different conditions, while poor-quality scanners may be more susceptible to environmental changes.</p><p>Another way to distinguish high from low quality is the frequency to which the 3D scanner requires recalibration to maintain accuracy. High-quality 3D scanners generally remain calibrated for longer periods. In contrast, poor-quality 3D scanners might drift quickly and require frequent recalibration.</p><p>To perform this test, simply connect your 3D scanner and measure a part, any part. Then, repeat the measurement after 20 minutes, 1 hour, and 2 hours. Then, place the results on top of each other. Are the results consistent?</p><p><u>See how to perform a thermal stability test</u></p><h3><strong>The Result: Constant Recalibration Required or Not</strong></h3><p>With high-quality 3D scanners, various mechanisms (mainly software) manage thermal expansion within the sensor, ensuring stable and reliable measurements over a long period of time. However, these mechanisms are absent for low-quality 3D scanners, so results tend to drift.</p><p>The solution to address repeatability and thermal drift issues is to recalibrate the 3D scanner. However, it can quickly become inconvenient, even painful, for users to recalibrate their sensor each time they use it throughout the day.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1730455428978-Thermal-Drift-Graph-1536x849.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Drifted results obtained with a 3D scanner of similar price (gray line) compared with the thermal stability measured with the Creaform HandySCAN Black+TM|Elite over 15 minutes</span></span></span></p><h2 id="isPasted"><strong>Creaform: High-Quality Born from Rigor and Learning</strong></h2><p>Since 2005, Creaform has gained extensive knowledge and expertise in software development and mechanical design. This expertise includes lens design, finite element analysis of component heating, heatsink location, and more.</p><p>All this expertise in mechanical engineering has been developed for both the optomechanical structure (developing the lenses to the CMOS sensor) and the physical structure (precisely placing the handgrip on the external structure of the sensor to avoid applying pressure and moving the cameras). This insight also includes the user and factory calibration processes.</p><p>Thanks to this continuous learning and improvement, Creaform has consistently been able to subtract micrometers—not only on the specification sheet but in real life. This is what we refer to as&nbsp;<em><u>accredited accuracy</u></em> (link to previous blog). Our focus goes beyond numbers written on data sheets. We strive to demonstrate and maintain stability and repeatability in real-world applications, always aiming to showcase the high quality of Creaform 3D scanners.</p>

In this blog post, Creaform presents three practical tests that require no calibrated artifact to determine whether the performance claimed on technical specification sheets is achievable in real-life scenarios or just numbers without tangible value on paper.

3 Simple Tests to Recognize High-Quality 3D Scanners with no Calibrated Artifacts Required

In this episode, we explore how AI can help aerial vehicles adjust to extreme turbulence in real-time and enhance safety/stability, even in challenging driving conditions.

Scared of Turbulence? AI -Might- Fix That

<section id="isPasted"><p>When it comes to inspections in the maritime environment, the status quo has long been marked by challenges that impede efficiency and incur significant costs. Routine vessel inspections, vital for maintaining operational integrity, optimizing fuel efficiency, and ensuring safety underwater, have traditionally relied on divers or drydocking methods, both of which are inherently costly and time-consuming.</p><p>The emergence of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) promises a more accessible and cost-effective alternative, yet their usability has been hindered by the perennial problem of navigation beneath vessels' hulls.</p><p>This article provides a comprehensive exploration of Dead Reckoning and the seminal work undertaken by Deep Trekker in mini ROV technology, with a particular emphasis on its potential to transform routine vessel inspections. The focus is on highlighting the implications for fuel efficiency, defect detection, and the cost-effective optimization of vessel maintenance.</p><p>This innovative breakthrough was achieved by Deep Trekker’s pioneering work on Dead Reckoning technology. These latest achievements have the potential to advance underwater vessel inspections by providing a practical solution to the long-standing challenge of underwater navigation.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/3t6Sd0J8AmQJovMiFiUn2a/a62bd6232bd4c359e78a51496aabe8c7/Group_Glamor_Shot_crop1.jpg" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></section><section><h2>Applications of Dead Reckoning with Underwater Robotics</h2><p>Beyond just hull inspections, Dead Reckoning finds widespread application in the field of underwater robotics, where autonomous vehicles and ROVs navigate complex underwater environments for various tasks, including oceanographic research, underwater surveys, pipeline maintenance, and search and recovery, to name a few.</p><p>In oceanographic research, ROVs equipped with Dead Reckoning systems can gather data on ocean currents, temperature gradients, water quality, and marine life distribution. By continuously updating their positions through Dead Reckoning calculations, ROVs can execute predefined survey patterns, enabling scientists to study ocean dynamics and ecosystem health.</p><p>Similarly, in underwater inspections and maintenance operations, ROVs rely on Dead Reckoning to navigate complex underwater structures, such as offshore oil rigs and submerged pipelines. By accurately estimating their positions relative to target objects, ROVs can perform tasks such as visual inspections, structural repairs, and equipment installations with minimal human intervention.</p><p>Dead Reckoning also plays a vital role in search and recovery (SAR) missions, where time-critical decisions depend on accurate positional information. Deep Trekker ROVs equipped with Dead Reckoning systems can systematically cover large search areas, narrowing down the search radius based on calculated positions and sensor feedback.</p><p>Overall, the integration of Dead Reckoning with underwater robotics facilitates more effective navigation in challenging underwater environments, enabling a wide range of scientific, commercial, industrial, and humanitarian applications.</p></section><section><h2>The Significance of Dead Reckoning in Maritime Inspections</h2><p>Dead Reckoning is a key component in maritime operations, especially in underwater inspections, as it provides a fundamental means of tracking the position and movement of inspection equipment in underwater environments, such as ROVs. This enables inspectors to navigate, track, and collect data accurately in challenging subaquatic settings.</p><p>When combined with other navigation aids and sensors, Dead Reckoning contributes to the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of maritime inspections, ensuring that they meet their intended objectives.</p><p>Here are some key points highlighting the significance of Dead Reckoning in maritime operations:</p><h3>Navigating Underwater Without GPS or Electronic Aids</h3><p>Dead Reckoning serves as a valuable alternative for navigation in GPS-denied environments like underwater regions where GPS signals may be obstructed or jammed. In underwater inspection scenarios, GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable due to the water's attenuation of satellite signals. Dead Reckoning can provide positional data when these systems are unavailable, allowing for underwater navigation without the assistance of GPS or optics in underwater environments.</p><p>By harnessing a combination of inertial sensors, gyroscopes, accelerometers, and sophisticated algorithms, Dead Reckoning enables ROV operators to maintain accurate spatial awareness and navigate with confidence, irrespective of GPS availability.</p><p>Operators can rely on Dead Reckoning’s positional data to guide the ROV along predetermined routes and conduct thorough inspections, all without the need for GPS or optics assistance.</p><h3>Maximizing Inspection Efficiency with Position Tracking</h3><p>Dead Reckoning enables inspectors to continuously estimate the position of Deep Trekker ROVs as they move underwater during inspections. This information is critical for ensuring that the inspection covers the intended area. When you know where you are, you know where you have already inspected, and you know where you need to go next. Up until now, there has not been an effective method for position tracking for underwater ROVs near ships.</p><p>By integrating various sensors and algorithms, Dead Reckoning provides real-time feedback on the ROV's location, allowing inspectors to maintain control. By employing Dead Reckoning technology, inspectors can monitor the ROV's position relative to predefined waypoints or planned trajectories, ensuring that the inspection remains on course and covers all targeted areas effectively.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/76y0rV73H4Knpiq1h0jdGP/654a1b0426b093d3ada261e9c8bb45d7/gif-__ROV_MOVING_ALONG_HULL_OF_SHIP_WITH_TRACK_LINE_FOLLOWING.gif" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></section><section><blockquote><p><em>"Real-time position tracking enables inspectors to adapt to changing underwater conditions or unexpected obstacles, allowing for dynamic adjustments to the inspection strategy as needed."</em></p></blockquote><p>By maintaining accurate spatial awareness throughout the inspection process, inspectors can assess underwater assets, identify potential issues, and make informed decisions to optimize maintenance and repair activities.</p><h3>Enhancing Underwater Safety</h3><p>When working underwater, safety is a primary concern, both for the ROV operators and any accompanying divers - and knowing the location of the ROV and divers is essential for safety.</p><p>Dead Reckoning helps inspectors ensure that ROVs or divers do not stray into hazardous areas, such as underwater structures, shipwrecks, or areas with strong currents. By utilizing Dead Reckoning for tracking the precise location of ROVs relative to underwater structures and currents, potential risks can be identified and avoided, minimizing the likelihood of accidents or damage to equipment.</p><h3>Optimizing Maintenance Strategies through Data Driven Insights</h3><p>Positional data obtained through Dead Reckoning improves the quality of inspection data, enabling inspectors to navigate ROVs to specific areas of interest. This targeted approach ensures that inspections focus on the most important areas, reducing the chance of missing essential details and improving data accuracy.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/5sM6RDNMt3mhw0FFcZ4pfK/55f0e7b543ed7c1e8d6b733f221c3aa0/gif-__LOOKING_UP_CLOSE_AT_SHIP_WITH_DEAD_RECKONING_TRACK_LINE_ON_SCREEN.gif" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>This includes data such as the location of underwater structures, defects, or anomalies, which must be precisely recorded for effective analysis. Higher quality data can lead to more informed decision-making, potentially reducing the need for follow-up inspections that consume additional fuel and resources.</p><p>The data collected by ROVs utilizing Dead Reckoning technology provides valuable insights that can optimize vessel maintenance strategies. By accurately documenting hull conditions and identifying areas requiring attention, ROVs allow maintenance teams to prioritize repairs, schedule cleaning operations, and implement proactive maintenance measures.</p><p>This data driven approach minimizes downtime, reduces operational costs, and extends the lifespan of vessels, ultimately raising the bar for operational efficiency and profitability.</p></section><section><h3>Fuel Efficiency and Resource Management</h3><p>Dead Reckoning assists in efficient resource management by helping inspectors monitor the progress of inspections. It helps ROVs identify the optimal times to clean the ship, to ensure that the hull remains clear of biofouling. Fuel efficiency in maritime operations can be dramatically improved by regular inspections and keeping the hull clear of marine growth - which can potentially reduce fuel efficiency by up to 40% by creating drag from the rough surface.</p><p>Minimizing fuel consumption not only saves money but also reduces the environmental impact of maritime operations. Dead Reckoning, by ensuring efficient maintenance schedules, contributes to sustainability efforts by reducing emissions associated with fuel burning.</p><p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/5wlYcwl6ZPnGvJmvXR1PbL/23d532b66f95008b4391b9f560b8b9d5/Wed-Aug-7-12-56-13-2019-hi-res-date-removed.jpg" alt="Hull inspection biofouling" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p></section><section><h2>Integration of Dead Reckoning with Advanced Sensor Technologies</h2><p>Dead Reckoning technology is often integrated with advanced sensor technologies to further enhance the capabilities of ROVs during vessel inspections. Deep Trekker’s innovative Sensor Fusion algorithms is a great example of this.</p><p>Sensors such as acoustic positioning systems, imaging sonars, and 3D mapping cameras complement Dead Reckoning by providing additional spatial awareness and environmental data.</p><p>This integration enables ROVs to navigate complex underwater environments more effectively and capture comprehensive inspection data for thorough analysis and decision-making.</p></section><section><h2>Future Prospects and Innovations in ROV-based Vessel Inspections</h2><p>Dead Reckoning is a fundamental navigation technique that ROVs and underwater vehicles use to estimate their position and navigate in GPS-denied or challenging environments. While it provides continuous position estimates, it's important to combine with other sensor data and correction methods to maintain accuracy, especially in dynamic underwater conditions.</p><p>In the maritime industry where efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness are critical to operations, Deep Trekker's Dead Reckoning technology stands as an example of this innovation's potential to reshape long standing industry practices and overcome the historical challenges of underwater navigation.</p><blockquote><p><em>"The ongoing advancements in ROV technology, coupled with the continued refinement of Dead Reckoning algorithms, point to an exciting future for vessel inspections."</em></p></blockquote><p>Innovations such as autonomous navigation, machine learning algorithms, and advanced sensor fusion techniques promise to further enhance the capabilities of ROVs for conducting comprehensive and efficient inspections.</p><p>As these technologies continue to evolve, ROVs equipped with Dead Reckoning will play an increasingly prominent role in maintaining vessel integrity and ensuring maritime safety in the years to come.</p></section><section><h2>The Deep Trekker Advantage</h2><p>Deep Trekker ROVs, engineered with rugged industrial-grade materials, are designed for versatility and durability. They offer immediate deployment and a comprehensive variety of advanced features. These ROVs are highly portable and quick to set up, featuring powerful LED lighting, a live 4K video feed, and up to 360-degree field of view, imaging sonar, and flexible sampling tools.</p><p>Our experienced team is at your service to offer expert guidance for a wide spectrum of applications, ranging from inspecting hull vessels to water tanks to conducting underwater assessments across various industries. We ensure tailor-made solutions that precisely match your specific requirements. When you're prepared to acquire your Deep Trekker ROV, don't hesitate to <a href="https://www.deeptrekker.com/contact-us" target="_blank">get in touch</a> with us for a <a href="https://www.deeptrekker.com/request-quote" target="_blank">personalized quote.</a></p></section>

Operator piloting ROV with Dead Reckoning tracking

Discover how Deep Trekker's ROV technology transforms underwater navigation, overcoming traditional challenges in underwater positioning. 

Modernizing Vessel Inspections: Dead Reckoning for Mini ROVs

<p id="isPasted">As you might recall from <a href="https://cypherrobotics.com/2024/10/17/cypher-robotics-puts-captis-on-the-global-stage-at-gitex-global-2024-in-dubai/?et_fb=1&PageSpeed=off" target="_blank">this post</a>, Cypher Robotics and its <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/cypher-robotics-announces-captis-a-new-solution-for-industrial-scanning/" target="_blank">Captis</a> cycle-counting/inventory management solution recently attended the huge <a href="https://www.gitex.com/" target="_blank">GITEX GLOBAL 2024</a> event in Dubai. It’s the world’s largest technology and AI exhibition, with some 200,000 attendees. It was a *huge* show.</p><p>But a lot of the work – and the opportunities – for both Cypher Robotics and InDro Robotics (which incubated Cypher and has a technology agreement with the company) took place away from the show floor. Cypher Robotics CEO and InDro Vice President Peter King spent much of his time in high-level meetings with executives from five of the largest companies in the United Arab Emirates.</p><p>“These were C-Suite level meetings, where we were able to learn more about what these companies do – and discuss how both InDro and Cypher can offer solutions that could benefit them,” says King.</p><p>These aren’t companies where you can simply call and ask for a meeting with high-level executives. There needs to be a catalyst to facilitate such discussions.</p><p>And there was: The Government of Canada; specifically, the Canadian Consulate in Dubai.</p><p><em>Below: Cypher Robotics CEO Peter King on the floor at GITEX GLOBAL 2024. Much of his time was spent off the floor, meeting with executives from the largest companies in the UAE</em><em><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1729798081995-GITEX-Peter.jpg-2.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Cypher Robotics Booth at GITEX"></em></p><h3 id="isPasted">Trade Mission</h3><p>Among the many responsibilities of the Federal Government is promoting trade between Canadian firms and international clients. Sometimes, there are large “Team Canada Trade Missions” which are led by a Minister and often covered by media. With these missions, there’s a specific push on the Indo-Pacific region. On other occasions, however, the government pulls together smaller groups with a very specific focus. Months before GITEX GLOBAL 2024 was to take the world stage, planning began for a mission in Dubai that would take place the same week.</p><p>Government officials identified five Canadian firms in the Canadian high-tech sector it felt might be a fit for the UAE market. InDro Robotics was invited to participate – and was the only company among those five from the robotics sector.</p><p>“They identified that our solutions could be highlighted in Dubai – not only for trade reasons, but also to help solve some really hard problems,” says Peter King. “We were obviously really pleased to be one of a small handful of technology companies to be on the federal government’s radar.”</p><p>Canada’s Consul General in Dubai, H.E. Tracy Reynolds, was at the helm of this program and coordinated a series of meetings with “the UAE’s most influential business and technology leaders,” reads a Government of Canada document outlining the program.</p><p>“Consul General Reynolds will lead a two-day outreach program that will allow selected Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) clients to pitch their products and solutions to Dubai’s conglomerates, which are considered to be major buyers of ICT products and solutions. The meetings will also allow the delegation to learn about the latest technologies being adopted by these organizations,” it adds.</p><h3><br></h3><h3 id="isPasted">Why UAE?</h3><p>Though historically an oil-driven economy, the United Arab Emirates has diversified greatly in recent years. It has evolved, according to the CIA’s World FactBook, “into a trade-oriented logistics and supply chain leader (with) strong foreign direct investment orientation; building trade and investment ties through partnership agreements…” The UAE Gross Domestic Product is the fourth highest in the Middle East (after Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Israel), with an estimated USD 719.733 billion GDP in 2023.</p><p>In Dubai, the skyline has been utterly transformed over the past few decades. It’s home to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and other ultra-modern architecture. Known also for its luxury shopping and high-end autos, Dubai has also embraced technology in recent years. In fact, the local police count Tesla Cybertrucks among their fleet.</p><p>Dubai has never been as dependent on oil as the other six Emirates that comprise the UAE – and Dubai has led the way in the UAE in terms of economic diversification. According to Wikipedia, “Oil production, which once accounted for 50% of Dubai’s gross domestic product, contributes less than 1% today. In 2018, wholesale and retail trade represented 26% of the total GDP; transport and logistics, 12%; banking, insurance activities and capital markets, 10%; manufacturing, 9%; real estate, 7%; construction, 6%; tourism, 5%. The International Herald Tribune described it as ‘centrally-planned free-market capitalism’.”</p><p>In other words, Dubai – and the wider UAE – are a significant and growing global marketplace.</p><p><em>Below: The Dubai Skyline at night. Photo by Ivan Siarbolin – https://www.pexels.com/photo/city-skyline-during-night-time-3787839/, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95959711</em><em><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1729798138316-Dubai_Skylines_at_night_Pexels_3787839-scaled.jpg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Dubai Skyline"></em><br></p><h3 id="isPasted">High-Level Agenda</h3><p>With that context, it’s clear why the Canadian Consulate in Dubai sees opportunity. Being on the ground, Canadian&nbsp;Consul General&nbsp;Tracy Reynolds,&nbsp;Deputy Consul General Anthony Finch and Trade Commissioner&nbsp;Arun Basandai have an insider’s vantage point into the key economic players in Dubai and the UAE.&nbsp;And so, over the course of two days, they accompanied representatives of the five invited Canadian companies to five different high-level meetings.</p><p>The first was with one of the largest real estate developers in the entire UAE. Remember the earlier reference to the Burj Khalifa? This company owns it. In addition to real estate, its diverse portfolio includes&nbsp;retail, hospitality, and&nbsp;leisure. The firm’s Executive Director and its Head of Information Technology attended the meeting.</p><p>We don’t want to get into the details, but it was an excellent discussion – which included how solutions from both InDro Robotics and Cypher Robotics might be useful to that firm.&nbsp;</p><p>From there, it was off to a massive global investment company that has been a major driver of Dubai’s spectacular growth. It’s involved with 10 sectors,&nbsp;including real estate, hospitality, leisure&nbsp;&amp; entertainment, media, ICT, design, education, retail, manufacturing, and&nbsp;logistics and science. It owns hotels, parks, resorts, a huge arena, multiple large retail outlets – and is also involved in multiple projects to accelerate Dubai into a fully Smart City. There were fruitful discussions there as well.</p><p>Meeting three was with one of the largest retailers in Dubai and the entire UAE with an emphasis on the fashion and lifestyle industry. On the food and beverage side, it runs multiple name brand franchises throughout the UAE and is the distributor/retailer of major fashion brands. It’s a huge company with a massive rolling inventory across several sectors. As with the previous meetings, all five Canadian technology companies had a chance to discuss their offerings.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>And There Was More…</h3><p>Once again, it was C-suite meetings with the full support of senior Consulate staff. The group met with the CEO and Chief Strategy and Technology Officer (CSTO) of the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure company across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It owns and operates 27 major shopping malls, multiple hotels, cinemas, etc. and has assets in excess of USD 18 billion and 44,000 employees.</p><p>The final meeting was with “a multinational retail franchise operator of 70 brands in 20 countries.” Those brands include Starbucks, Chipotle and Cheesecake Factory. The company runs hotels and major retail outlets with names you’d recognize. The company’s Chief Strategy and Digital Officer attended this meeting, and was able to learn about solutions offered by all five Canadian technology companies.</p><p>“These meetings were a tremendous opportunity to learn not only about what these leading UAE companies do, but also explore some of the challenges they face with operations at that scale,” says King. “There was significant interest in solutions from both InDro and Cypher – and I’m confident these were just the first of many conversations to come.”</p><p><em>Below: The Cypher Robotics cycle-counting and RFID scanning Captis, which can operate autonomously for five hours and also capture precision digital twins. Below that is the InDro Robotics Sentinel, designed for remote asset inspection, security and surveillance and digital twins</em><em><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1729798194505-Captis-1-scaled.jpg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Captis Robot"></em><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1729798212185-Sentinel-in-substation-1.jpg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Sentinel Inspection Robot"></p><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3><p>We are pleased to have been selected to take part in this trade mission in the United Arab Emirates – and are exceedingly grateful to the senior staff at the Canadian Consul General in Dubai. These were exceptional meetings and, potentially, the beginning of new business relationships.</p><p>“These meetings were a significant step along Cypher’s long-term roadmap, which includes markets beyond North America,” says King. “Every business relationship begins with a discussion, and these were very productive introductory meetings for all of the Canadian firms on this trip. I’d like to extend our deepest thanks for Consul General Tracy Reynolds, Trade Commissioner Arun Basandani and Deputy Consul General Anthony Finch.”</p><p>InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece is also pleased.</p><p>“These meetings were a remarkable opportunity for not only InDro and Cypher, but for four other innovative Canadian tech companies,” he says. “The Government of Canada recognizes the global shift toward Industry 4.0 and the role Canadian technology companies can play in that. We are pleased that InDro had this opportunity and extend our thanks to all those involved.”</p><p>If you’d like to learn more about InDro Robotics solutions, contact us <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">here</a>. For Cypher Robotics and Captis, reach out <a href="https://cypherrobotics.com/contact-us/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><em>Cover image of Dubai at top of story via Wikimedia Commons by Tim Reckmann, CC BY-SA 3.0</em></p>

Exploring strategic partnerships and showcasing cutting-edge robotic technologies, InDro Robotics and Cypher Robotics attend pivotal trade discussions to expand their global impact.

InDro Robotics and Cypher Robotics attend High-Level Trade Meetings in Dubai

<p id="isPasted">Inspecting FPSOs in harsh marine environments is no easy task, especially with high temperatures, confined spaces, and the need for precise corrosion monitoring. Recently, a major breakthrough in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) was achieved during the inspection of an FPSO tank, where both Ultrasonic Testing (UT) and Visual Testing (VT) were conducted using SKYRON, an intelligent flying robot designed to perform NDT inspections faster, safer, and more cost-effectively.</p><p>This innovative approach allowed inspectors to gather crucial data while avoiding the dangers of traditional methods like rope access and scaffolding. From capturing HD images to delivering UT readings in temperatures up to 45°C, the inspection process was completed swiftly, safely, and more efficiently than ever.</p><p><strong>Watch the full inspection video to see how NDT is being transformed!</strong></p>

A Technological Breakthrough

Redefining NDT Inspections in FPSOs

<p id="isPasted">This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;</p><p><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/ba9d3b2c-0388-4b26-839e-f00c49d3ec84?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe></span><br></p><p>The full article will continue below.</p><hr><p data-block-key="yqyid" id="isPasted">In nature, flying animals sense coming changes in their surroundings, including the onset of sudden turbulence, and quickly adjust to stay safe. Engineers who design aircraft would like to give their vehicles the same ability to predict incoming disturbances and respond appropriately. Indeed, disasters such as the fatal Singapore Airlines flight this past May in which more than 100 passengers were injured after the plane encountered severe turbulence, could be avoided if aircraft had such automatic sensing and prediction capabilities combined with mechanisms to stabilize the vehicle.</p><p data-block-key="yqyid"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI5MDM4MjAxNjIyLUFuYW5ka3VtYXItR2hhcmliLVdpbmRfVHVubmVsX0ZhbGNvbi1XRUIud2lkdGgtNDUwLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">The team's experimental setup in the John W. Lucas Wind Tunnel at Caltech. A large black cylinder with a plate attached at the front creates irregular turbulence under the tunnel's high-speed winds. The airfoil wing system with eight pressure sensors and a pitot tube is mounted on a load cell to measure the lift experienced by the system. Credit: Caltech</span></span></span></p><p data-block-key="bg2ju">Now a team of researchers from Caltech's <a href="https://cast.caltech.edu/">Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies</a> (CAST) and Nvidia has taken an important step toward such capabilities. In a new <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44182-024-00013-0.epdf?sharing_token=6SA8UpWMvumTfhM3BzcI0NRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OYBT9CUtY2_MnOaaTlLg26HDgxOHgFndBOc1Ku9JjlUbinxhxQy2OVlESO-2I1ea10WRlqhnXFkZL3MD7WxjALanseKL57Txyt7Qm936pSVU30LsD6GimfDMNURtTs7_Q%3D">paper</a> in the journal <em>npj Robotics</em>, the team describes a control strategy they have developed for unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, called FALCON (Fourier Adaptive Learning and CONtrol). The strategy uses reinforcement learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to adaptively learn how turbulent wind can change over time and then uses that knowledge to control a UAV based on what it is experiencing in real time.</p><p data-block-key="83mj0">"Spontaneous turbulence has major consequences for everything from civilian flights to drones. With climate change, extreme weather events that cause this type of turbulence are on the rise," says <a href="https://www.eas.caltech.edu/people/mgharib">Mory Gharib</a> (PhD '83), the Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Medical Engineering, the Booth-Kresa Leadership Chair of CAST, and an author of the new paper. "Extreme turbulence also arises at the interface between two different shear flows—for example, when high-speed winds meet stagnation around a tall building. Therefore, UAVs in urban settings need to be able to compensate for such sudden changes. FALCON gives these vehicles a way to understand the turbulence that is coming and make necessary adjustments."</p><p data-block-key="djqb3">FALCON is not the first UAV control strategy to use reinforcement learning. However, previous strategies have not tried to learn the underlying model that truly represents how turbulent winds work. Instead, they have all been model-free methods. Such methods focus on maximizing a reward function that cannot be used to tackle different settings, such as different wind conditions or vehicle configurations, without retraining because they focus on just one environment.</p><p data-block-key="cs7cd">"That's not so good in the physical world, where we know that situations can change drastically and quickly," says <a href="https://www.eas.caltech.edu/people/anima">Anima Anandkumar</a>, the Bren Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Caltech and an author of the new paper. "We need the AI to learn the underlying model of turbulence well so that it can take action based on how it thinks the wind will change."</p><p data-block-key="45uau">"Advancements in fundamental AI will change the face of the aviation industry, enhancing safety, efficiency, and performance across a range of platforms, including passenger planes, UAVs, and carrier aircraft. These innovations promise to make air travel and operations smarter, safer, and more streamlined," says Kamyar Azizzadenesheli, a co-author from Nvidia.</p><p data-block-key="dsheu">As the FALCON acronym says, the strategy is based on Fourier methods, meaning that it relies on the use of sinusoids, or periodic waves, to represent signals—here, wind conditions. The waves provide a good approximation of standard wind motions, keeping needed computation to a minimum. Within those waves, when extreme turbulence arises, the unsteadiness shows up as a noticeable change in frequency.</p><p data-block-key="fekos">"If you can learn how to predict those frequencies, then our method can give you some prediction of what is headed your way," says Gharib, who is also director of the <a href="https://www.galcit.caltech.edu/">Graduate Aerospace Laboratories</a> at Caltech.</p><p data-block-key="fkq4t">"Fourier methods work well here because turbulent waves are better modeled in terms of frequencies, with most of their energy lying in low frequencies," says co-lead author Sahin Lale (PhD '23), now a senior staff research engineer at Neural Propulsion Systems, Inc., who completed the work while at Caltech. "Using this prior knowledge simplifies both the learning and control of turbulent dynamics, even with a limited amount of information."</p><p data-block-key="9hodp">To test the effectiveness of the FALCON strategy, the researchers created an extremely challenging test setup in the <a href="http://windtunnel.caltech.edu/">John W. Lucas Wind Tunnel</a> at Caltech. They used a fully equipped airfoil wing system as their representative UAV, outfitting it with pressure sensors and control surfaces that could make adjustments online to things like the system's altitude and yaw. They then positioned a large cylinder with a moveable attachment in the wind tunnel. When wind flowed over the cylinder, it created random, major fluctuations in the wind reaching the airfoil.</p><p data-block-key="3a2bc">"Training a reinforcement learning algorithm in a physical turbulent environment presents all kinds of unique challenges," says Peter I. Renn (BS '19, PhD '23) co-lead author of the paper who is now a quantitative strategist at Virtu Financial. "We couldn't rely on perfectly clean signals or simplified flow simulations, and everything had to be done in real time."</p><p data-block-key="b7d3m">After about nine minutes of learning, the FALCON-assisted system was able to stabilize itself in this extreme environment.</p><p data-block-key="2krh3">"With each new observation, the program gets better because it has more information," says Anandkumar.</p><p data-block-key="c19ni">"The future really depends on how powerful the software gets in terms of needing less and less training," says Gharib. "Quick adaptation is going to be the challenge, and we are going to push, push, push."</p><p data-block-key="btuk4">Looking to the future, he adds that the researchers envision giving UAVs and even passenger planes the ability to share sensed and learned information about conditions with each other. Such plane-to-plane sharing of sensor measurements and artificial intelligence–based learning, especially when in the vicinity of a disturbance, could help keep aircraft safe.</p><p data-block-key="4kdgk">"I believe that's going to happen," says Gharib. "Otherwise, things will get pretty dangerous as extreme weather events increase in frequency."</p><p data-block-key="d6a7o">The paper, "FALCON: Fourier Adaptive Learning and Control for Disturbance Rejection Under Extreme Turbulence," was published online on September 24. Babak Hassibi, the Mose and Lillian S. Bohn Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Caltech is also an author of the new paper. The work was supported by CAST and by grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Office of Naval Research.</p>

In nature, flying animals sense coming changes in their surroundings, including the onset of sudden turbulence, and quickly adjust to stay safe. Engineers who design aircraft would like to give their vehicles the same ability to predict incoming disturbances and respond appropriately.

AI-Trained Vehicles Can Adjust to Extreme Turbulence on the Fly

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The first element of this responsibility for employers is to conduct a stringent risk assessment. So let’s look at what this entails and demonstrate why risk assessments are so important to machine safety.</p><h2 dir="ltr">What Is A Machinery Risk Assessment?</h2><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1728911459985-1728911459985.png" alt="Risk Assessment" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p dir="ltr">A machinery risk assessment entails a comprehensive examination of your facility’s working equipment, from set-up to usage patterns and maintenance. It’s intended to identify the potential hazards of each machine and come up with ways to reduce the risk of those hazards occurring. Some areas come under particular scrutiny, especially those measures taken by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure their machinery is safe to use.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Safeguards</h3><p dir="ltr">Before anybody uses any piece of equipment, you should ensure that it’s complete, correctly installed and free from defects. It should be fitted with appropriate safeguards, such as physical protective guards for human body parts. Safeguards should also include other measures such as two-hand controls, interlocks, pressure-sensitive mats, light guards, etc.</p><p dir="ltr">Suppliers of safeguards are required by law to provide the appropriate protection and inform purchasers of equipment if there are any residual risks that they weren’t able to eliminate. You should be aware of these risks and figure out how to manage them. This includes risks inherent in safeguards that are badly designed, inconvenient to use or allow such dangerous evasions as an easy override.&nbsp;</p><h3 dir="ltr">Best Practice<strong>&nbsp;</strong></h3><p dir="ltr">Before you undertake any risk assessment, first identify each machine's characteristics and performance and how it contributes to the whole activity. Each piece of equipment forms part of a larger process that also embraces the products, the people and the working environment.</p><p dir="ltr">At the outset, it’s important to check that all static machinery has been correctly installed and is stable. Then, establish a&nbsp;<a title="Procedures" href="https://www.rowse.co.uk/blog/post/10-machine-safety-rules" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">set of safe procedures</a> for using and maintaining equipment, such as scheduling regular inspections of critical features and preventive maintenance. This should include any residual risks advised by the OEM.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Provision And Use Of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)</h2><p dir="ltr">The&nbsp;<a title="Regulations" href="https://www.rowse.co.uk/blog/post/puwer-assessments-guide" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">PUWER Regulations</a> cover the supply and installation of machinery, together with employers’ responsibilities for its safety in the workplace. They require that all equipment used in the workplace is:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Safe to use, regularly inspected and properly maintained</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Suitable for its intended use</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Supported by appropriate safety measures.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Used only by properly trained employees</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">In addition, there are specific requirements for specialised equipment. Separate legislation governs the use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), pressure systems and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment (LOLER).</p><h3 dir="ltr">What Are The Penalties For Non-Compliance?<strong>&nbsp;</strong></h3><p dir="ltr">At present, there’s no specific set of instructions for compliance with PUWER. The only way you can be sure is to be fully aware of its main provisions and legal requirements. Conducting an evaluation will help you apply these to your company’s specific workplace and institute proper systems and training. If an inspector comes to call, you’ll want to be sure you are complying with all appropriate regulations.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">If any violations of work equipment regulations are discovered, the HSE is empowered to serve non-compliance notices on duty holders, call a halt to your operations, prosecute and impose fines. Penalties can be severe: a recent LOLER prosecution incurred a fine of £430,000. Another company’s&nbsp;<a title="Risk Assessment" href="https://press.hse.gov.uk/2024/07/22/recycling-company-fined-3m-after-one-man-died-and-another-seriously-injured/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">failure to conduct a risk assessment</a> resulted in a £3m fine. You should note that the HSE’s conviction rate is consistently higher than that of conventional criminal courts.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Carrying Out Successful Machine Risk Assessments</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Hazard Identification</h3><p dir="ltr">Successful machine risk assessment relies on you identifying any equipment’s potential hazards and their possible effects. This means you need to determine what and how any harm might be caused and who’s at risk of such harm. To do this, start with the OEM’s instructions and information, which should help you identify potential hazards, including residual risks. They should also set out the predictable risks of misusing machinery, as this affects the OEM’s liability. If you have any doubts or queries, contact the OEM directly.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Risk Evaluation</h3><p dir="ltr">Once you’ve identified all the potential risks in all your working equipment, you need to evaluate their degree of risk. This includes possible physical hazards and dangerous parts, as well as risks to human health and safety. The machine operator and maintenance crew should also look at the surrounding environment and nearby workers. You should include the risks of unusual circumstances occurring, as well as risks in standard operating conditions. Your evaluation should conclude with how you’re going to mitigate the potential risks.<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><h3 dir="ltr">Risk Prevention</h3><p dir="ltr">The HSE requires you to prioritise the precautions and control measures you implement, to reduce risks to the minimum possible. To comply with H&amp;S regulations and be prepared for any possible inspection, you should also make a record of what you find and implement the necessary precautions. You must review and update this assessment regularly so that an up-to-date record is always available for inspection.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Expert Advice From Rowse On Machine Safety&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">Whether you use machinery or automated equipment in your business or supply it to others, the law requires you to manage its potential risks. Full risk assessments for machinery must be carried out according to the PUWER regulations – and this is a service we’re happy to offer.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Rowse has an experienced team of qualified machine safety experts who are happy to advise you at any point. We can help you develop a strategy and schedule for machinery risk assessments which comply with the law. We can also custom-fit the risk evaluation process to your business and its machine safety needs so you can be secure in the knowledge that your equipment and your employees are safe at work.</p>

As a business owner, you’ll be aware of the safety requirements for work equipment under Health and Safety law. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that all employers must ensure the safety of machinery on their premises.

Why Are Risk Assessments Important In Machine Safety?

<p id="isPasted">At least some of you will remember The Jetsons.</p><p>The television series, created by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Inc., was a space-age version of The Flintstones (another Hanna-Barbera production). It originally aired in 1962-1963 with later episodes created in a reboot from 1985 to 1987.</p><p>But while Fred Flintstone drove a stone-age car (complete with stone wheels) that he powered by pushing his feet along the ground, George Jetson and his family lived in Orbit City, where Jetson commuted to his two-hour per week job via a flying car with a bubble top. And instead of having dinosaurs (including pterodactyls) help carry out tasks, The Jetsons live in a future where they’re surrounded by automated devices. You could think of their surroundings as the 1960s vision of the Smart Home.</p><p>And an integral part of that home? Well, that would be Rosey (later changed to ‘Rosie’) the robot.</p><p>Rosey was the family’s robotic maid. She carried out tasks that weren’t performed by the many other automatic conveniences that filled the Jetson’s home. She had two manipulator arms and an internally stored vacuum that be deployed on demand.</p><p>She was very useful around the house, carrying out tasks to save the family time.</p><p>And this story? Well, it’s about our own Rosie – which is also very space-age.</p><p><em>Below: A Rosie the robot publicity cel, signed by show creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. The cel was auctioned in 2018; <a href="https://comics.ha.com/itm/animation-art/presentation-cel/the-jetsons-rosie-the-robot-publicity-cel-hanna-barbera-1985-/a/7193-97570.s#" target="_blank">image by Heritage Auctions</a></em><em><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI4NDAzNDIwMTI1LVNjcmVlbnNob3QtMjAyNC0xMC0wMi1hdC0xLjUxLjIwLVBNLnBuZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Rosie the Robot"></em><br></p><h3 id="isPasted">The Rosie Story</h3><p>So. What is Rosie? We asked Head of R&amp;D Sales Luke Corbeth for a snapshot.</p><p>“Rosie is a dual arm mobile manipulation robot designed for pick and place in an industry 4.0 setting,” he says. In other words, it has two arms and manoeuvres on a wheeled platform, and is capable of moving objects from one location to another or even manipulating a single object with both end effectors.</p><p>And Rosie has a few tricks up her sleeve. Or, more accurately, sleeves.</p><p>“The actual robot is very unique because it has six mounting points for the arms. So you can mount the arms on top, high on the side or low on the side to access shelving of different heights. In fact,&nbsp;you could actually mount one arm directly on the top right, for example, and then mount the second one on the bottom left. So you could grab something from the top of the shelf and from the floor at the same time, which is kind of cool, right?”</p><p>Yes, indeed.</p><p>Rosie’s home is not with the Jetsons (she has no vacuum cleaner) but in a new lab that hasn’t yet been officially launched at <a href="https://www.polymtl.ca/futur/en" target="_blank">Polytechnique Montréal</a>. It’s called the Intelligent-Cyber Physical System Lab, or I-CPS. So we contacted <a href="https://www.polymtl.ca/expertises/en/birglen-lionel" target="_blank">Lionel Birglen</a>, a professor with the Department of Mechanical Engineering. We wanted to learn more about what the lab does, what he does – and what plans he has for Rosie (which InDro built and shipped in 2023).</p><p>Dr. Birglen is a PhD Mechanical Engineer, with a specialisation in robotics. He’s particularly interested in – and an expert on – manipulators and end effectors and has designed and built them. He’s written two books, holds three patents, and is the author or contributing author of at least <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Lionel-Birglen-69852833" target="_blank">94 research papers</a>. He’s also – get this – been listed among the <a href="https://www.polymtl.ca/carrefour-actualite/en/news/50-polytechnique-montreal-researchers-among-top-2-most-cited-their-respective-fields" target="_blank">top two per cent&nbsp;most-cited scientists in the world</a> in his area of specialisation.</p><p>So it kinda goes without saying, but he’s a pretty big deal in this field.</p><p>Dr. Birglen has a deep interest in the role robotics will play in the future of industry. And, within that realm, he’s intensely interested in ensuring that robots, particularly those that will be sharing space with human beings on a factory or warehouse floor, will be safe.</p><p>And – he emphasises – he doesn’t trust simulations for important work like this.</p><p>“Because simulations lie. They lie all the time,” he says. “You have to understand that reality is infinitely more complex than anything you can have in simulation – so actual experiments are absolutely essential to me. They are essential to my work,&nbsp;to my understanding of what robotic manipulation is.”</p><p>“I believe in math, but I know that reality is different.&nbsp;It’s more complex, more complicated, and includes so many un-modelled phenomena.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Rosie's Journey</h3><p>Dr. Birglen knew he wanted a new robot for use in the new lab (which we’ll get to shortly). And he knew he wanted a robot with two manipulator arms.</p><p>“Dual-arm robots are, in my opinion, the future for industry applications,” he says.</p><p>And while humanoid bipeds grab a lot of attention, they’re far more complex (and expensive) than wheeled robots. Plus, he says, most factory applications take place on a single level and don’t require climbing stairs.</p><p>“From a factory perspective, a wheeled platform makes a lot of sense because typically in factories you don’t have, say, five levels connected by stairs.”</p><p>So he knew he wanted an autonomous, wheeled, dual-arm robot. And he started, initially, to think of a company other than InDro for the build.</p><p>“I came across InDro almost by accident,” he explains. “<a href="https://www.polymtl.ca/expertises/en/beltrame-giovanni" target="_blank">Giovanni Beltrame</a> told me about you because he has purchased many, many robots from you. He said: ‘Those guys can build and assemble the robot for you. They’re close and they do a great job.’ So that’s how I came in contact with you.” (We’ve written previously about the amazing work Dr. Beltrame is working on involving robots and space. You can find that <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/robots-on-earth-help-prepare-for-research-on-the-moon/" target="_blank">here.</a>)</p><p>And so, after a number of calls with Luke Corbeth and the engineering team to settle on design and performance parameters, work on Rosie began.</p><p><em>Below: Technologist Tirth Gajera (‘T’) puts the finishing touches on Rosie in 2023</em><em><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI4NDAzNDY1MDg1LURTQzAxNTE4LXNjYWxlZC5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="InDro's Roșie the Robot"></em><br></p><h3 id="isPasted">The Lab</h3><p>Polytechnique Montréal’s&nbsp;Intelligent-Cyber Physical System Lab (I-CPS) is set up as a highly connected Industry 4.0 factory. Faculty from four different departments – computer engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering (Dr. Birglen) – are involved with the lab. Interns and students, under supervision, also work in the facility.</p><p>“So we have four&nbsp;departments involved in this lab and the idea is to build a small scale factory of the future, meaning that everything is connected. We are building a mini-factory inside this lab,” he says.</p><p>So think of cameras that can track objects on shelves – and people and robots within the environment. Think of smart tools like a CNC machine, which will eventually be operated by Rosie. And, perhaps just as important as the connectivity within the lab, is connectivity to other research institutes in Quebec, including <a href="https://www.ulaval.ca/en" target="_blank">Université Laval</a>, <a href="https://www.usherbrooke.ca/about/" target="_blank">Université de Sherbrooke</a> and <a href="https://www.etsmtl.ca/en" target="_blank">École de Technologié Supérieure</a> (ÉTS). All of those institutes are working with similar mini-factories, and they’re all connected. There’s even a relationship (and connectivity) with manipulator manufacturer <a href="https://www.kinovarobotics.com/" target="_blank">Kinova</a>. Funding came via a significant grant from the <a href="https://www.innovation.ca/" target="_blank">Canada Foundation for Innovation</a>, or CFI.</p><p>“So think of our lab as like one node of this network of mini-factories around Quebec,” explains Dr. Birglen. That connectivity of all components is still a work-in-progress, but “ultimately the goal is that there is a cyber-connection between these different mini-factories, these different laboratories around Quebec, so that one part of one node can work in collaboration with another node in realtime.”</p><p>Plus, of course, a lot of learnings will take place within the individual labs themselves.</p><p>“We want to bring collaborative robots to work in tandem with humans,” he says. “We want our robots to safely move around people, we want robots to help people. And we also want robots to learn how to work from people.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Safety, Safety, Safety</h3><p>As mentioned earlier, there’s a huge emphasis on safety. And while there are international safety standards for collaborative robots, even a ‘safe’ cobot can pose a threat.</p><p>“All the collaborative robots that you have currently on the market more or less follow this technical standard and they are more or less safe, but they’re still dangerous,” explains Dr. Birglen. “And the classical example that we’ve all heard, and which is true, is that if a safe cobot has a knife in its hand and is moving around – it is very dangerous.”</p><p>So safety in the lab(s) is paramount – and that means safety at multiple levels. There must be safety:</p><ul><li>At the task level; you must not have tasks that could endanger people</li><li>Safety at the control level</li><li>Safety in terms of collision detection, mitigation, obstacle avoidance</li><li>Safety at the data security level</li></ul><p>Plus – and this really interests Dr. Birglen – you must ensure safety with any additional mechanical innovations that are introduced.</p><p>“What you develop, any mechanical system you develop, must be as much as possible intrinsically safe. And actually that’s one of the topics I’m currently working on is to develop end effectors and tooling that is intrinsically safe.”</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7186438904722472960" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>A LinkedIn post from Luke Corbeth shows Rosie, using both arms, inside the I-CPS lab</em></a></p><h3><br></h3><h3 id="isPasted">The Future&nbsp;</h3><p>And why is research like this so important? What difference will it make to have robots and humans working safely together, with safe manipulators and end effectors that might even be able to, for example, lift an object in concert with a human being? And why the focus on interconnectedness between all of these facilities?</p><p>Well, there’s obviously the value of the research itself – which will lead to greater efficiencies, improved manipulators, gripping technologies, new algorithms and AI enhancements – as well as enhanced safety down the road. But there’s a much bigger picture, says Dr. Birglen, especially if you can get your head around thinking about the future from a global perspective.</p><p>China, he says, is no longer a developing nation. The days when the words “Made in China” meant poor quality are – with rare exceptions – gone. The country is, in fact, highly developed – and working at breakneck speed when it comes to innovation and adoption of robotics at scale. A revolution is underway that has massive implications for competitive advantage that simply cannot be ignored. So the research at &nbsp;I-CPS is not merely important from an academic perspective, it’s strategic when viewed through a global economic lens.</p><p>“We as a country – meaning Canada – are in competition with other countries for manufacturing, for producing goods and services.&nbsp;China is a developed country and it is very, very, very good in robotics,” he states. “You know how in the past&nbsp;we saw China as producing low quality goods, low quality robots? That’s over, man. That’s finished.”</p><p>And?</p><p>“If they are investing in robotics like mad and we are not, we’re going to be a leftover –&nbsp;Canada is going to sink as a rich country. If you want to produce wealth in the 21st Century, you need robots, you need automation, you need integration. In short, you need to be the leader of the pack or you’re going to be eaten.”</p><p>It’s a stark warning – and it’s true.</p><p>I step outside as author and state this having lived in China back when it <em>was</em> still a developing country in the late 1980s – and having returned several times since then. The transformation has been nothing short of astonishing. How, you might ask, did it achieve all this?</p><p>The answer has its genesis with former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. who led the country from 1978 to 1989. He didn’t merely open the door to reform; he created policies that began sending waves of students from what had been a xenophobic country abroad to study. There was an emphasis on careers that could help modernise the nation, including all aspects of engineering, aerospace, construction, transportation, architecture, etc. That’s where all this began.</p><p>Thankfully (and with credit to federal funding agencies like CFI), there are projects like I-CPS underway – and academics like Dr. Lionel Birglen with the vision to push the needle safely forward.</p><p><em>Below: “Baxter” – the original dual-arm robot. Baxter is still at Polytechnique Montréal, but Rosie is the mobile future. Photo by Luke Corbeth</em><em><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1728403885667-Image-22.jpeg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Baxter"></em><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1728403913708-Rosie.png.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Rosie Details"></p><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take&nbsp;</h3><p>We’re obviously pleased Polytechnique Montréal selected InDro to build Rosie. And we’re particularly pleased to see that she’s being deployed at I-CPS, as part of an integrated and networked research project that has such potentially profound implications for the future.</p><p>“I believe Dr. Birglen is correct in his assessment of the importance of robotics and automation in the future,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “And when you throw innovations with drones and even autonomous Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles capable of carrying large cargo loads and passengers into the mix, we are actually heading into a Jetsons-like future,” he adds.</p><p>“I think there’s a growing understanding of the implications of this kind of future from not only the private sector, but also federal regulators and funding agencies. At InDro our mission will always focus on continued innovation. Sometimes those innovations are our own inventions, but a key piece of the puzzle is R&amp;D work carried out by academics like Lionel Birglen. We’re confident that Rosie’s arms are in the right hands.”</p><p>Interested in learning more about a custom robotics solution? Feel free to <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">contact us here</a>.</p>

Rosie is a dual arm mobile manipulation robot designed for pick and place in an industry 4.0 setting.

Dual Manipulator Rosie The Robot Used for Industry 4.0 Research

<section id="isPasted"><h2>Data Collection in the Battle Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases</h2><p>In ongoing research against mosquito-borne diseases, Loyola University Chicago has proactively integrated innovative technology to modernize the approach to data collection in the field of public health. A key asset in this initiative is Pipe Trekker's crawlers, which have proven to be invaluable tools. These robotic crawlers allow researchers to explore and monitor storm sewer networks that were previously inaccessible, significantly enhancing efficiency in capturing data.</p><p>This case study examines the collaboration between Loyola University Chicago and Pipe Trekker, focusing on the transformative impact of deploying pipe crawlers in the city's storm sewer networks. By focusing on the research and monitoring of mosquito populations, this partnership advances our understanding and management of public health challenges.</p></section><section><h2>Modernizing Data Collection With Pipe Trekker Crawlers</h2><p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/sr1t8a9wvxz9/5Sq1g3EVl9iVxVEtULhcIF/9ce7e24c6b466c82b4e84935ef144e42/Tablet_Controller_-2.jpg" alt="Tablet Controller -2" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p>Recognizing the role of storm sewer networks in mosquito control, Loyola University adopted a solution to address the traditional challenges associated with their monitoring. Ths solution comes in the form of Pipe Trekker's advanced crawlers, offering a breakthrough in navigating the intricate and expansive stormwater systems.</p><p>Dr. Justin Harbison, a leading figure in public health with expertise in mosquito control, emphasizes the importance of storm sewer networks, stating, "The storm sewer networks have been a cornerstone of mosquito control for decades. With Pipe Trekker's crawlers, we can now get into previously inaccessible areas, which is transforming our data collection process".</p><h2>Unveiling Hidden Mosquito Habitats: Loyola University Chicago's Mission in Storm Sewer Networks</h2><p>Dr. Harbison emphasizes the significance of storm sewer networks in mosquito habitat, and reveals the historical importance of these networks in mosquito control, dating back to the early 1900s. In metropolitan areas, such as Chicago, stormwater conveyance poses challenges due to its extensive and often inaccessible nature.</p><p>"Our mission is deeply rooted in science. By exploring storm sewer networks, we aim to unravel hidden mosquito habitats, contributing to more effective mosquito control strategies."</p><p>Dr. Harbison articulates the centrality of storm sewer networks in mosquito habitats, the challenges posed by their inaccessibility, and provides a contextual understanding of Loyola's mission in utilizing technology to push the boundaries of mosquito surveillance.</p><p>Dr. Harbison elaborates on the historical context, stating “These sewer networks are the cornerstone of our Public Health mosquito control works. Ever since we figured out that mosquitoes transmit diseases in the early 1900s, we have organized mosquito control" He emphasizes the treatment of storm sewers for over a century, particularly catch basins, which serve as inlets to these networks</p><p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/sr1t8a9wvxz9/1uE5ftRZOweM95c6cGp0AU/f790d578d6f737de9c10cf739bfa365e/Harbison.jpg" alt="Harbison- loyola case study " class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p>However, the extensive network of stormwater systems, spanning thousands of miles, remains a challenge, especially in urban areas. Dr. Harbison points out the difficulties in determining the presence of mosquitoes or standing water within these systems, given their interconnected nature and small diameters. The Pipe Trekker crawler emerges as a critical solution, enabling exploration without the risks associated with confined spaces.</p><p>Dr. Harbison acknowledges the importance of safety regulations, stating, "So, having something that we can send down there that doesn't break OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is critical since going into confined spaces is dangerous and risky." The Pipe Trekker crawler, with its non-invasive and compliance-focused design, allows Loyola to investigate these potential mosquito populations without compromising safety.</p><p>Dr. Harbison discusses the early experiences with Pipe Trekker, stating, "We know that mosquitoes can exist in these sewers. The first time Pipe Trekker went out and showed it to us, we saw a lot of larvae there. We went out a couple of weeks ago and found mosquito adults flying around in these pipes. And so, right now we're just at the beginning - we just have some ideas."</p><p>Currently in the early stages of understanding the extent of the mosquito problem, Loyola aims to determine if significant portions of mosquito populations, within the vast network of urban pipes, are being overlooked in disease control efforts. To overcome the challenges presented by storm sewer networks, Loyola is making a proactive effort to advance mosquito control strategies through pipe crawler technology and surveillance techniques.</p><p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/sr1t8a9wvxz9/2fERJLXbN62w7gfRGt9Iue/9426d8ec7b093b85f2094944e6975e2c/IMG_4241.jpg" alt="loyola case study deployment " class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p></section><section><h2>Overcoming Challenges: Pipe Crawlers for Unique Situations</h2><p>The limitations of traditional methods creates a challenging barrier, and even creative ideas, such as attempting to deploy remote control cars in storm sewer networks, have proven unsuccessful due to issues like insufficient weight, traction, and control. The breakthrough in addressing these challenges comes with Pipe Trekker's crawler, offering a robust and compliant solution capable of navigating the challenging environment easily, without compromising safety regulations.</p><p>"The adaptability of Pipe Trekker's crawler is a game-changer. It allows us to explore critical areas that were once inaccessible, opening new avenues for comprehensive data collection."</p><p>Dr. Harbison emphasizes that the capabilities of pipe crawlers have proven valuable in Loyola's operation. The capability to capture high-resolution video emerges as a key feature, enabling real-time monitoring of mosquito larvae and standing water. As Loyola plans to amass a significant volume of video data, Dr. Harbison hints at the potential integration of artificial intelligence to expedite analysis, showcasing how Loyola is modernizing research methodologies.</p><p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/sr1t8a9wvxz9/3EwWKoMtBYqwWupcGndT7t/0276b51b77cd698537dfb7e1a05217d0/mosquito_larvae.jpg" alt="mosquito larvae - loyola case study" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><h2>Looking to the Future: Advancements in Robotics, Optics, and Machine Learning</h2><p>"We envision future advancements in technology, and Pipe Trekker helps position us at the forefront of innovation in mosquito surveillance."</p><p>The collaboration with Pipe Trekker not only addresses current needs but aligns with the university's future vision. Discussing the potential evolution of the technology, Dr. Harbison emphasizes the practical integration of robotics, optics, and machine learning. This forward-looking approach reflects Loyola's efforts of adopting and incorporating emerging technologies that offer practical solutions for more efficient mosquito surveillance.</p><p>The expressed enthusiasm for future advancements is grounded in the tangible benefits that these technologies could bring to Loyola's research methodologies. Dr. Harbison sees the potential for enhanced precision and data analysis through the integration of artificial intelligence.</p><p>This perspective speaks to Loyola's academic rigor and practical application, positioning the university as a proactive contributor to the field of public health research. As technology evolves, Loyola is poised to leverage these advancements to not only meet current challenges but also to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing pursuit of effective mosquito control strategies.</p><p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/sr1t8a9wvxz9/5YEL8rPcIMnnR7loNM71Fj/9922766e4e35393fa1296f5dcc04d86f/Beefed_up_vid.jpg" alt="Computer screen operator" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p></section><section><h2>The Intersection of Academic Research And Technological Innovation</h2><p>The collaboration between Loyola University Chicago and Pipe Trekker extends beyond technology. Dr. Harbison commends Deep Trekker's outstanding customer service and responsiveness, highlighting the seamless experience in acquiring a crawler. The durability of the pipe crawler, evidenced by its performance in harsh environments aligns with Loyola's demanding research requirements.</p><p>"Pipe Trekker's outstanding customer service and the durability of the crawler make it a valuable asset in our research. The durability of the crawler is really impressive. It navigates harsh environments easily, making it a very effective tool for getting into those difficult to reach locations."</p><p>The Loyola University Chicago case study serves as a testament to the relationship between academic research and technological innovation. By embracing Pipe Trekker's crawlers, Loyola has not only expanded its capacity for mosquito surveillance, but has also paved the way for future advancements in the field. This collaborative effort stands as a significant contribution against mosquito-borne diseases, showcasing technology's potential to transform public health research</p><p>Dr. Harbison's endorsement of Pipe Trekker’s technology and its game changing implications on public health research underlines the significance of innovative solutions in addressing complex challenges. Pipe Trekker continues to support Loyola's mission, showcasing the adaptability and robustness of its technology.</p></section><section><h2>Efficiency and Precision in Remote Pipeline Inspection with Pipe Trekker's Crawler Technology</h2><p>Pipe Trekker’s pipe crawlers offer quick deployment and long battery life. With an enhanced high definition camera for crisp and clear visuals during remote inspections, a user-friendly handheld controller, two case setup, and reporting capability, they can be effectively utilized in the most remote locations, saving time and reducing risk to human workers.</p><h3>A-200 Pipe Trekker: Navigating Rugged Terrain and Large Pipes</h3><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pipetrekker.com/product/a200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A-200</a>, a crawler designed for pipes 8 inches and larger, excels in rugged terrain with its robust industrial-grade anodized aluminum and stainless steel construction and sapphire camera lens cover. Boasting a full HD 360° pan, 280° tilt, and 10x optical, 12x digital zoom camera, it ensures precise inspections, offering comprehensive coverage for detailed examinations. With a submersible depth rating of 50 meters (164 feet), the A-200 is versatile, adaptable to various pipe systems, and incorporates cutting-edge technology for reliable and precise inspections in challenging environments.</p><p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/sr1t8a9wvxz9/5HTa8aT8K7a9QwtwK8outj/9b8a058e84e37c6abd309ba9fe604016/power_reel_pkg.jpg" alt="power reel pkg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><h3>A-150 Pipe Trekker: Ideal for Smaller Diameter Pipelines</h3><p>Engineered for navigating pipelines with smaller diameters, The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pipetrekker.com/product/a150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A-150</a> crawler focuses on camera head centering in the 6” to 24” (150-600mm) ranges. Built with industrial-grade anodized aluminum and stainless steel construction, and fortified with a sapphire camera lens cover, this crawler is engineered to endure the most challenging environments. The A-150 comes equipped with a 50m (164’) depth rating, a 305M (1000 ft) tether, and a full HD camera with a 360° pan and 280° tilt range of view. The A-150 not only ensures efficient inspections but also facilitates quick and seamless recordings, adhering to full NASSCO compliant PACP reporting standards with integrated GIS capabilities.</p><p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/sr1t8a9wvxz9/1TvFjelWeu5SwVxKLOatRQ/3a23789fa81f4380de97b0bd7010042d/JCD09909-Edit1.jpg" alt="A-150 front" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><h3>Expert Guidance and Custom Solutions</h3><p>Our team of seasoned industry experts is ready to offer tailored guidance and address inquiries related to integrating submersible robots into your operational processes. Whether your project involves pipe inspections, confined space entry, environmental monitoring, or any other specialized application, we are fully equipped to seamlessly align with and meet your unique requirements.</p><h3>Secure Your Pipe Trekker Crawler Today</h3><p>When you're ready to secure your very own Pipe Trekker crawler, feel free to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pipetrekker.com/contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact us</a>, and we'll be happy to provide you with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pipetrekker.com/request-quote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">customized quote</a> tailored precisely to your needs. With Pipe Trekker crawlers as part of your inspection and exploration toolkit, unlock unparalleled safety, efficiency, and success in your endeavors in difficult environments.</p></section>

Operator conducting pipe inspection remotely.

Explore Loyola University's groundbreaking research using Pipe Trekker Crawlers to combat mosquito-borne diseases in sewer systems. Innovative techniques reshaping public health.

Loyola University Chicago Case Study: Mosquito Surveillance with Pipe Trekker Crawlers

<p id="isPasted">Centurion Performance &amp; Engines is an Illinois-based manufacturer of custom performance engines and parts. It is also a custom tuning and install body shop in high demand.</p><p>Founded in 2009, the company has a research and development department equipped with an array of advanced tools, including a machining center with a SolidWorks station. This comprehensive setup enables the team to design and test the unique combinations of systems and parts that set their products apart, achieving levels of functionality never seen before. Many components and ideas tested here are subsequently integrated into other builds, driving continuous improvement and innovation for customers.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727935731270-IMG_4466-1536x1152.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h2 id="isPasted">The challenge: Hand fabrication makes production scalability difficult</h2><p>Centurion Performance &amp; Engines prides itself on making superior-quality products for its discerning clientele. However, due to increasing demand and an uptick in the complexity of the components to be developed, the Centurion team realized that fabrication experts could no longer rely on manual processes alone.</p><p>The conventional fabrication processes were slow and difficult to replicate accurately, preventing team members from producing consistent, high-quality parts and assemblies. This was especially true when it came to implementing organic surfaces to design composite panels that mate properly together and create new power systems that could fit into existing engine compartments.<a href="https://www.creaform3d.com/blog/pun5th75ef_wp/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4451-scaled.jpg" target="_blank"><br></a></p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727935746178-IMG_4451-1152x1536.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p id="isPasted">Moving from prototype to production was particularly challenging due to difficulties in visualizing the entire system, such as an engine bay, without a digital representation. This led to a lot of back-and-forth between teams and longer lead times.</p><p>Many innovative projects remained in the conceptual stage because the cost and time associated with manually developing the systems were prohibitive. Recognizing the importance of accurate equipment for successful prototype parts, Centurion Performance &amp; Engines was motivated to explore more viable and efficient solutions.</p><p>“Having already worked with a customer on a reverse engineering project with a CMM, I knew that a metrology-based solution was key to developing successful prototypes,” explained Tim Slater, the company’s president. “Having seen 3D scanning technologies in action, it became very and immediately clear this was a direction we needed to go.”</p><h2>The solution: HandySCAN BLACK Elite and VXmodel outperform in terms of 3D scanning accuracy and post-processing speed</h2><p>Tim tested multiple 3D measurement products. “After much difficulty in post-processing scans, which led to inaccuracies in the data, and realizing how much time and effort was spent manipulating the scan so that I could complete a post-process to satisfaction, I decided to try the metrology-grade HandySCAN BLACK Elite,” he said. “It was a decision that came after a year and a half of frustration and lack of acceptable results.”</p><p>The engineering team were impressed with the results. “The accuracy of the raw 3D scans combined with the power of Creaform’s VXmodel post-processing software gave us the speed and extremely high-quality renderings we simply couldn’t get with the other equipment we tried. The ease of scanning is great, and the software is brilliant.”</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727935773373-CowlingExitScan-1536x800.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p id="isPasted">Creaform’s technology transformed Centurion Performance &amp; Engines’ time to market and production capacity. Using the HandySCAN BLACK Elite, teams could quickly and accurately scan components and existing engine compartments, allowing for precise design and integration of new power systems that met customers’ exacting standards. The ability to quickly create and test prototypes significantly reduced development time.</p><p>For instance, Tim was able to design, manufacture, and test a new part for their race team’s airplane within 48 hours—a process that traditionally would have taken much longer.</p><p>“After completing nearly two months of non-stop work modifying our race team’s first airplane, test flights were completed satisfactorily with three days remaining before needing to leave for the racing event. An area left unfinished was a large clearance hole that was cut in the bottom of the engine cowling to fit the new performance exhaust system,” he described.</p><p>“Knowing this large hole was a major drag contributor, I set out to create a part to close it off and direct the engine cooling air appropriately and efficiently out the bottom of the aircraft. &nbsp;On a Tuesday afternoon, I scanned the bottom of the cowling and surrounding area. Then, I sat on the computer for a couple of hours processing the scan, designing the part, and then the mould to create the part. &nbsp;At about 11 p.m., I was at our facility, piecing together the appropriate pieces of urethane tooling board to machine out the mould. &nbsp;At about 5 a.m., the machining was complete. I returned late in the morning to prepare the mould for laying up the carbon fibre part. Once the part was laid up and in a vacuum bag, I set a timer for 24 hours. Thursday late morning, I removed the part from the mould and transported it to the aircraft for trimming and installation. The part was fitted, installed, exhaust extended, and heat shields in place by about 9 pm that evening after barely 2 days from the start of the project.”</p><h2><span lang="EN-US">The results: Greater production output and new market opportunities</span></h2><p>Implementing HandySCAN BLACK Elite and VXmodel generated impactful business benefits for Centurion Performance &amp; Engines.</p><p>Tim mentioned that “the ability to visualize and fit components digitally before fabrication saved a tremendous amount of time and energy. The ROI comes from the ability to produce and sell multiples of a part—with unbeatable accuracy—thanks to extremely high-quality scanning that results in excellent tooling.”</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727935781624-IMG_1688-1152x1536.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p id="isPasted">He emphasized the importance of counting on a 3D scanning solution with a powerful and integrated post-processing software module. “The capabilities of VXmodel are far and above others I have used. I see all sorts of pretty scans people make with inexpensive handheld scanners. Nevertheless, the ability to pull accurate and consistent data off of the scan is where VXmodel shines. Its surfacing tools and the ability to send the files and scans directly into SolidWorks is nothing short of phenomenal.”</p><p>Creaform’s 3D scanner and scan-to-CAD software also created additional market opportunities for Tim’s business, allowing it to offer new services and product applications that were previously not feasible. “Since we bought HandySCAN BLACK Elite and VXmodel, we’ve been off to the races,” Tim concluded. “I have the confidence in the 3Dscanner, data and software to tackle any development or prototype project!</p>

Creaform’s technology transformed Centurion Performance & Engines’ time to market and production capacity. Using the HandySCAN BLACK Elite, teams could quickly and accurately scan components and existing engine compartments, allowing for precise design and integration of new power systems

Revolutionizing Custom Engine Fabrication with HandySCAN BLACK Elite & VXmodel

<section id="isPasted"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/1PAiqi33GegMSnzJObPLdF/be597a151c2dfd376161e7d69004fbb8/BRIDGE-input-mapping.png" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>Deep Trekker's proprietary BRIDGE technology transforms underwater operations across various industries by offering versatile and advanced solutions tailored to specific needs.</p><p>This architecture significantly improves ROV capabilities and data collection, making it a valuable asset for maritime inspections, offshore operations, defense missions, aquaculture management, marine science, nuclear facility inspections, and much more.</p><p>With features like data integration from multiple sources, remote ROV operation, and high-definition monitoring, BRIDGE technology allows operators to conduct thorough inspections and real-time monitoring from any location, improving operational capabilities and reducing downtime.</p></section><section><h2>Maritime</h2><p>Having a BRIDGE.box and connecting it to the BRIDGE.app supports real-time monitoring and control, enabling inspections from a centralized location. The system allows for multi-monitor support, offering a comprehensive view of high-definition video feeds, maps, data, and sonar imagery. This multi-faceted approach enables detailed analysis of ship hull conditions, allowing operators to identify and address potential issues such as corrosion or structural damage quickly.</p><p>This means increased topside flexibility and comfort due to BRIDGE technology's remote operation capabilities. Operators can manage inspections from their preferred office or control room setup with larger, high-resolution monitors to analyze real-time data effortlessly, minimizing exposure to hazardous conditions onboard. This remote accessibility improves operations by reducing downtime associated with manual inspections and ensuring continuous vessel readiness.</p><p>The integration of BRIDGE technology includes enhanced video quality and media playback capabilities, enhancing the clarity and reliability of inspection data. Picture-in-picture mode, which supports auxiliary cameras, further enhances the inspection process by providing additional perspectives and detailed views of critical areas.</p><p>Integration with permanent control centers or console installations also centralizes monitoring and enhances decision-making processes. Operators have access to a unified interface that streamlines data interpretation and enables proactive maintenance strategies. This centralized approach is not only a more efficient setup, but also supports compliance with maritime regulations, ensuring optimal vessel safety and performance.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/6WuPFiEllMGENDyLLpV8Pp/e046c114f6ba2613919eef38930b2ba3/BRIDGE-permanent_console_setup.png" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></section><section><h2>Offshore</h2><p>In offshore operations, the versatility of having a BRIDGE.box improves efficiency across different vessel sizes and operational requirements. Operators have the flexibility to run ROVs from smaller boats using the portable BRIDGE.box and handheld devices, while larger vessels can optimize operations with permanent console installations.</p><p>Topside footprint, or dive spread, is an important factor to consider in offshore operations. Skilled pilots can remotely operate ROVs during offshore inspections with minimal topside setup required, allowing them to monitor underwater assets without being physically present: from land, from a ship control room, or from anywhere in the world.</p><p>Multiple high-resolution screens enable monitoring of multiple streams, ensuring precise control and comprehensive situational awareness during complex offshore tasks. Optimized user interfaces also improve the piloting experience by simplifying operation, and API integration with existing systems streamlines the data collected without having to make complicated and potentially expensive changes to setups.</p><p>This setup not only improves safety by keeping operators out of dangerous environments and giving them access to more data sources simultaneously, but also supports proactive decision-making through detailed data insights gathered from the operations.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/12YBXHJSRsFxfwgxuiNDpM/bf224b88635f366423c19d40273a0457/screen-Dead_Reckoning_Hamilton.jpg" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></section><section><h2>Search and Recovery</h2><p>In search and recovery missions, the setup can vary depending on the size of the vessel employed. Smaller boats can utilize the portable BRIDGE.box in conjunction with a handheld device, providing nimble and rapid deployment capabilities. Conversely, larger vessels may opt for a more permanent console installation to support extended and complex operations.</p><p>Maximize search and recovery operations further with precise planning using waypoint navigation, ensuring thorough coverage of target areas. Leverage advanced data capture to gather comprehensive information during operations with the integration of sonar, video, and maps.</p></section><section><p>Real-time and historical position tracking provides comprehensive documentation by tracking the ROV's movements in real time and storing historical data, improving mission effectiveness by providing detailed coverage of searched areas, and reducing redundant searches in locations that have already been inspected.</p><p>The adaptable nature of the BRIDGE framework enables easy integration with various operational requirements, supporting seamless control and monitoring during critical search and recovery efforts. This versatility improves operational flexibility and effectiveness, enabling fast response and careful execution in diverse maritime environments.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/imoEexIYFzaCT9uXfO8Z7/e683bdc987f78bf95f3028cd233a826e/20210824_112050__1_.jpg" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></section><section><h2>Defense</h2><p>In defense applications, particularly in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and expeditionary missions, BRIDGE provides invaluable advantages. The portability of BRIDGE.box and Deep Trekker ROVs is key in these scenarios. Their compact design enables quick deployment and operation in the field, ensuring rapid response capabilities and mission success.</p><p>This mobility is essential for navigating diverse and challenging environments encountered during critical operations, improving the effectiveness and safety of defense personnel engaged in these high-stakes missions. BRIDGE.box is designed with a focus on portability, remote operation, and intuitive usability, enabling EOD technicians to quickly deploy and execute precise disposal procedures.</p><p>The ability to remotely operate from a safe distance is a critical advantage offered by BRIDGE.box. EOD technicians can control the ROV integrated with the BRIDGE system from a secure location, minimizing the risk of direct exposure to potentially dangerous explosive devices. This capability not only elevates mission success rates but also significantly improves personnel safety by reducing the need for close physical proximity to hazardous materials.</p><p>The integration of BRIDGE technology also offers camera optimization that further improves surveillance and reconnaissance efforts. It provides high-quality imagery, real-time recording and playback for comprehensive mission analysis and review; integrated data capture for seamless information gathering, providing valuable insights for decision-making; and, real-time monitoring and control, providing continuous situational awareness during operations.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/1Qx2jhl5mRoaaJ94zG3DtW/6c18822e310ea47fb79b29fa486c8697/jdam__2_.jpg" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></section><section><h2>Aquaculture</h2><p>In aquaculture farms, BRIDGE.box offers operators the convenience of running ROVs from an office setting. This setup provides significant advantages for operations in remote or challenging environments, including adverse weather conditions, by reducing the necessity for operators to remain on-site for extended periods.</p><p>By enabling remote operation, the BRIDGE framework supports efficient management of aquaculture farms, offering a cost-effective means to expand operational capabilities, quickly transfer information, and monitor cages remotely.</p><p>Monitoring cages remotely becomes more straightforward and efficient, as operators can utilize high-resolution video feeds and sensor data to ensure the well-being of aquatic livestock. This capability is important for maintaining optimal conditions within the cages, such as monitoring water quality, feeding schedules, and the structural integrity of the enclosures.</p><p>By conducting regular inspections and monitoring operations remotely, potential issues can be identified and addressed before they escalate, contributing to the longevity and reliability of farming assets. This improves productivity and sustainability in aquaculture practices, establishing effective resource management and proactive maintenance of aquatic environments.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/7eN33wPqKbEDx9MYPIRcwM/606ea03b36cce2ed938d671f2e21ab53/IMG_1426.jpg" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></section><section><h2>Marine Science and Underwater Discovery</h2><p>BRIDGE.box enables operators to control ROVs conveniently from a vehicle, such as a truck, which can be ideal for hydrographic surveys and environmental monitoring. This setup offers significant advantages for projects conducted in remote or harsh environments by reducing the necessity for operators to remain on-site for extended periods.</p><p>BRIDGE Technology also allows researchers to capture crystal-clear visuals and gain detailed insights from underwater environments; utilize live sharing capabilities to engage their team in real-time research, bringing the environment to them wherever they are; and, maximize their findings with multi-monitor display output, allowing them to view and analyze data on large, high-resolution screens.</p><p>By leveraging remote operation capabilities, live sharing, and multi-monitor displays, operators can increase safety while conducting detailed surveys and research activities, achieving accurate data collection and analysis without compromising personnel exposure to challenging conditions.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/1Mk4TUeSaiAsWIjEvVRqtO/266683c7fdc83fe78c3d8f062b08bb99/marine-climate-change-research-shawn-robinson-rov-02.jpg" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></section><section><h2>Nuclear</h2><p>When operating in nuclear facilities, the capability to inspect hazardous environments such as nuclear reactors and confined spaces from a safe distance or offsite location is transformative. Remote operation keeps skilled operators out of the hot zone, significantly enhancing operator safety.</p><p>With BRIDGE.box, you can configure controls and display settings to your preference, enabling ROV operation from any location. Operate from control rooms or secure spots to minimize dose radiation exposure while streaming real-time footage from a convenient location.</p><p>Once connected to the network, BRIDGE can also share and record live footage for team collaboration, allowing for detailed and thorough inspections in demanding nuclear environments.</p><p>BRIDGE Technology refines nuclear operations and containment inspections with 4K camera optimization for clear visuals and real-time recording and playback for detailed monitoring. This system records live video and stores it for playback, allowing for review and analysis of captured footage.</p><p>Integrated data capture ensures comprehensive data collection by synchronizing data from various sensors and inputs into one system, enhancing accessibility and analysis, supporting safety and efficiency in nuclear facilities.<img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/22J4V7j5j7vmjKngozvAvD/745131a3aae61cdd4307b1b30bf70c42/pixelcut-export.jpeg" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p></section><section><h2>Real-World Example</h2><p>Examining a real-world use case provides a clear example of how BRIDGE technology delivers practical applications and benefits for underwater inspections that are much more efficient and cost-effective than traditional methods.</p><h3>Hydro Quebec</h3><p>At Hydro Quebec, BRIDGE.box modernized hydroelectric dam inspections by switching to operations from a truck-based command center. This setup reduced downtime significantly while improving operator comfort. Operators were able to remotely inspect critical components such as runners, penstocks, submerged pipes, and transmission lines.</p><p>BRIDGE technology also improved inspection planning by providing high-quality imaging and real-time monitoring capabilities. Operators could remotely control inspection ROVs integrated with BRIDGE systems, capturing detailed images and data without disrupting ongoing operations. This approach minimized downtime, risks, and allowed for continuous power generation by eliminating the need to shut down systems or dewater tanks.</p><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/kzewhs8e6cvu/4T4TVMWpsAe6X12RvFC62X/9b149adc5192d3a33785c3c8f2019cd1/_DSC0253.png" alt="DESCRIPTION HERE" width="800" height="356" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>The integration of BRIDGE technology not only provided better inspection results than with previous methods, but also enabled proactive maintenance strategies based on comprehensive inspection findings. Operators could assess infrastructure integrity with precision, identifying potential issues early and implementing necessary repairs promptly. This proactive approach not only enhanced safety protocols but also contributed to the reliability and longevity of hydroelectric assets.</p></section><section><h2>Key Takeaways</h2><p>Deep Trekker’s BRIDGE technology plays a pivotal role in advancing underwater operations across diverse industries. By integrating advanced capabilities into ROV operations, BRIDGE enhances efficiency, safety, and data collection capabilities across maritime inspections, offshore operations, defense missions, aquaculture management, marine science, and nuclear facility inspections.</p><p>Through features such as remote operation and real-time monitoring, alongside support for multi-monitor setups and seamless data integration, BRIDGE technology enables operators to conduct thorough inspections and make informed decisions from any location. This technology improves operational efficiency, enhances safety protocols, and supports proactive maintenance strategies, ensuring optimal performance and longevity of critical assets.</p><p>As industries continue to adopt and leverage the benefits of BRIDGE technology’s versatility and reliability, Deep Trekker remains dedicated to driving innovation in underwater exploration and promoting sustainable practices across global maritime environments.</p></section><section><h2>Custom Solutions for Your Underwater Operations</h2><p>Our experienced team is here to provide expert guidance for a diverse range of applications. Whether you need to inspect vessels, pipelines, underwater assets, or water tanks, or conduct underwater assessments across different industries, we are ready to assist you.</p><p>We ensure tailor-made solutions that precisely match your specific requirements. When you're prepared to acquire your Deep Trekker ROV, don't hesitate to <a href="https://www.deeptrekker.com/contact-us" target="_blank">get in touch</a> with us for a <a href="https://www.deeptrekker.com/request-quote" target="_blank">personalized quote</a>.</p></section>

Operator using custom keyboard controls and laptop to pilot ROV remotely from control center.

Learn how different industries can benefit from Deep Trekker’s proprietary BRIDGE technology that enhances ROV functionality for underwater operations. 

How Different Industries Benefit from BRIDGE Technology

<p id="isPasted">FPSOs (Floating Production Storage and Offloading units) demand meticulous inspection due to exposure to harsh marine environments, including waves, currents, and saltwater corrosion. Additionally, given the nature of the asset, corrosion monitoring in hull tanks and oil storage is critical. Advanced inspection and monitoring can help prevent catastrophic events. Ultrasonic Testing (UT) and Visual Testing (VT) are imperative methods employed to ensure the structural integrity of these vessels. These inspections identify corrosion, erosion, or damage that may compromise their strength, allowing for timely repairs and maintenance to prevent costly downtime or accidents caused by tank failures.</p><p>Assessing assets such as FPSO tanks presents numerous challenges, including high temperatures and limited access through conventional methods like scaffolding or rope access in confined spaces. However, the industry is evolving by embracing innovative technologies like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). While UAVs can operate autonomously, they are typically controlled remotely by a human pilot. Additionally, specialized equipment tailored for high-temperature environments is being integrated to enhance inspection efficiency and effectiveness.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI3Mzc3MzIwMTMxLVBpY3R1cmUyLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Elevated temperatures within the FPSO pose significant challenges.</span></span></span></p><p>Recently, Avestec achieved a successful milestone by conducting a comprehensive inspection of an FPSO tank, employing the cutting-edge technology of SKYRON. The mission was meticulously designed to conduct both UT and VT inspections within the confined spaces of the FPSO tank. Leveraging SKYRON's advanced capabilities, the VT inspection meticulously captured General Visual Inspection (GVI) and Close Visual Inspection (CVI) HD images, while UT readings were diligently collected from the tank’s surfaces. Despite facing scorching ambient temperatures reaching up to 46°C, SKYRON's performance remained unparalleled, thanks to its integrated proprietary cooling system, ensuring peak efficiency even in the most challenging conditions. SKYRON is also equipped with two long-range video systems optimized for operation in metallic confined spaces. One link transmits HD video for inspection, and the other transmits low-latency FPV (First Person View) video for navigation. The FPV allows inspectors to stay in a safe place and have a view of the areas being inspected.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727378118456-Picture03.png" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">First Person View</span></span></span>For the inspection within confined spaces, SKYRON's capabilities shone brightly. Equipped with a robotic arm for UT and a gimbal-mounted camera for VT, SKYRON navigated narrow spaces with remarkable ease, efficiently capturing crucial data. SKYRON UT utilizes a robotic arm on the front of the flying platform, allowing the UT transducer to take measurements at 25 points within a 2" x 2" square grid. Additionally, the robotic arm seamlessly attaches to surfaces of various angles and curvatures, including narrow horizontal and vertical stiffener flanges, enhancing the quality of contact-based UT readings. On the other hand, SKYRON VT utilizes a gimbal mounted on the front of the flying platform, enabling a full ±90o pitch for a floor-to-ceiling view. The gimbal is equipped with a Sony camera, featuring a full-frame lens mirrorless camera with a motorized lens for remote zooming, a laser pointer, lidar, and a lighting system for operation in dark environments.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727378226420-Picture4.png" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 832px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727378197184-Picture5.png" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">SKYRON's tether cable</span></span></span>Moreover, SKYRON's tethered design eliminates the need for batteries, ensuring uninterrupted operation and longer flight times in hot environments. The smart tether system is developed to supply power to the flying robot at lengths of up to 100m. It also incorporates a server that runs a proprietary inspection, robotic control, temperature monitoring, and reporting software application. This system is complemented by our software Avesoft, which permits real-time data transmission and report generation.<br><br>All GVI (General Visual Inspection), CVI (Close Visual Inspection), and UT (Ultrasonic Testing) measurements were captured using SKYRON, with ABS surveyor approval. This serves as a significant step toward method approval, as SKYRON can be considered a new approach for FPSO inspections, eliminating the need for humans to work at height using ropes or scaffolding.</p><p>In conclusion, SKYRON proves to be a game-changer in FPSO inspections, offering enhanced safety for inspectors, faster assessment processes, and reduced costs. Its ability to operate in challenging environments, coupled with its advanced capabilities, positions SKYRON as a reliable solution for ensuring the integrity of FPSOs worldwide.</p>

Utilizing SKYRON Technology

Optimizing FPSO Inspection Processes

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The purpose of any cable connection is to transfer a seamless electrical signal via a mechanical connector, with minimum loss of performance.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">When installing any type of wired device, you’ll end up with a continuous line of cable connecting all the various sections. The points where these connections occur are the cable terminations. At each end of any cable they’re called terminal heads, whereas if a cable is spliced in the middle, they’re known as intermediate splices.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Why Use Cable Terminations?</h2><p dir="ltr">There’s an argument that pure wire-to-wire connections offer the best electrical contact, so a better circuit connection is achieved. But twisting uninsulated wires together and fixing electrical tape over them isn’t a reliable or safe way to connect devices. It should only ever be a stop-gap measure. A more permanent solution is to solder the wires together – a tried-and-tested method proven over the long term in industrial electrical engineering.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Applying liquid solder to a joint fuses the cable ends and the solder then solidifies to create a durable, electrically-efficient and low-resistance connection. Soldering a joint also makes it air-tight, insulating it against possible oxidisation of copper conductors. But soldering can be labour-intensive, making it a better solution for low-volume or high-density connections.</p><p dir="ltr">There are several advantages to using cable terminations over bare or soldered joints, including:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Improved safety</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Enhanced durability</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Better electrical performance</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Ease of installation and maintenance</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Cable terminations are a lot easier to install and maintain, safer and more efficient. You’ll get a better connection and less likelihood of signal leakage or interruption, so your applications will work more efficiently and for longer. As well as forming a seamless electrical circuit, cable terminations seal the cable’s connection points. This helps insulate the power line from dust, dirt, water and vibration, ensuring it operates reliably.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Cable Termination – Methods and Types</h2><p dir="ltr">Other common connection methods include crimping, compression, wire wrapping and insulation displacement. To help you make an informed decision when selecting cable terminations, we’ll look at the range of methods and the most common choices of termination type. We’ll also outline their most common use cases and highlight their advantages.&nbsp;</p><h3 dir="ltr">Crimped Terminations</h3><p dir="ltr">Crimped terminations are a popular choice, providing a robust and efficient connection method for a wide range of materials and sizes. You’ll need a&nbsp;<a title="Crimping Tool" href="https://www.rowse-automation.co.uk/harting-09990000021" target="_blank">crimping tool</a> to connect conductors in this way, which will compress and tightly secure a ferrule or metal sleeve around the conductor.</p><p dir="ltr">This compression creates an electrically conductive, air-tight joint that offers considerable mechanical strength, as it resists movement, vibration and pull-out forces. Its popularity lies in its long-term reliability and suitability for high-volume production, as the process is fast and repeatable. To achieve the best results, purchase the appropriate crimping tool and terminals for each conductor and application.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Compression Terminations</h3><p dir="ltr">This method relies on compressive forces to make secure cable connections, such as mechanical connectors with set screws or bolts. This type of termination is good for high voltage and current applications, as it offers excellent conductivity and minimal resistance. It can stand up to environmental exposure and thermal cycling, is simple to connect and disconnect and is reusable.</p><p dir="ltr">The drawback to compression terminations is that they’re time-consuming, especially if you have multiple conductors. You have to tighten the connectors according to specified torque values to get the best performance and durability, or they may work loose over time. To avoid damage to the conductors, you need some skill to install compression terminations correctly.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Wire Wrap Terminations</h3><p dir="ltr">Wire wrap terminations are often used in electronics. They offer a unique way of making connections on items like integrated circuits and connectors and are fairly reliable for small-scale projects like rapid prototyping. This technique requires a wrapping tool, which secures a thin, solid wire in place around a conductive post or pin. The tool has sharp edges that penetrate the wire’s insulation, creating a temporary air-tight connection.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Insulation Displacement Terminations (IDTs)</h3><p dir="ltr">IDTs offer an efficient and convenient termination method, which eliminates the need to strip off cable insulation. The connector is fitted with sharp teeth or blades that pierce the cable insulation to make direct contact with the core of the conductor. It’s faster and easier than the traditional way of stripping insulation and is often used in domestic environments as well as data cabling and telecommunications.</p><p dir="ltr">Other advantages of IDTs include a lower likelihood of accidentally damaging the conductor. They’re air-tight and work well in mass termination applications, although displacing the conductor’s insulation may cause some signal attenuation.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Cable Termination – Types</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Pre-Insulated Terminals</h3><h4 dir="ltr">Description</h4><p dir="ltr">Pre-insulated terminals consist of a metal body enclosed in plastic insulation. There are several types of pre-insulated terminals, including the tubular, circular or fork-type, and what are known as ferrules. These are usually some form of narrow circular ring that fits over the end of a stripped electrical cable. They’re typically made of metals like copper or aluminium, or sometimes plastic.</p><h4 dir="ltr">Purpose</h4><p dir="ltr">You can insert wires into the holes provided at both ends of the terminal and tighten or loosen the connection with screws. It’s an easy way to connect or disconnect two wires without twisting or soldering them. It provides additional safety to equipment and users.&nbsp;</p><h4 dir="ltr">When To Use</h4><p dir="ltr">Pre-insulated terminals are widely used in industrial automation, especially in applications where insulation is critical to prevent short circuits or electric shocks.&nbsp;</p><h4 dir="ltr">Advantages</h4><p dir="ltr">The main advantages of pre-insulated terminals are that they’re quick and easy to install, provide good electrical insulation and reduce the risk of corrosion.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Bootlace Ferrules&nbsp;</h3><h4 dir="ltr">Description</h4><p dir="ltr">Bootlace ferrules are copper tubes that fit on the end of a stripped cable. They’re available with or without an insulating end sleeve and are usually crimped over the stripped wires at the end of a cable to form a reliable electrical connection.&nbsp;</p><h4 dir="ltr">Purpose</h4><p dir="ltr">They provide optimum electrical contact, with no potential for wire strands to unravel, spread or break. This is especially important for small wire applications or those where the housing is frequently removed, such as control units, switch boxes, function units, screw and spring terminals, or row and terminal connectors. They also prevent any unwanted contacts being connected in the terminal, which removes the potential for short circuits.</p><h4 dir="ltr">When To Use</h4><p dir="ltr">This type of termination doesn’t connect cables. It is used specifically for the end-point of a cable, where it protects the exposed wire strands. You’ll usually find it in control panels and other electrical installations that demand a secure and safe connection.</p><h4 dir="ltr">Advantages</h4><p dir="ltr">Bootlace ferrules help to prevent wire strands from fraying. They simplify the insertion of cables into terminal blocks and ensure a solid and reliable connection.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Copper Tube Terminals&nbsp;</h3><h4 dir="ltr">Description</h4><p dir="ltr">Copper tube terminals consist of a seamless copper tube that usually has a corrosion-resistant coating. This type of terminal is also known as a battery eyelet (as you’ll often find them on batteries) as well as eyelet terminals, starter rings and more. You’ll see a hole at the terminal’s end where you can connect a stud and a wide opening at the other end for easy cable insertion.&nbsp;</p><h4 dir="ltr">Purpose</h4><p dir="ltr">Copper tube terminals offer a high level of conductivity and so are ideal for heavy-duty industrial and high-current applications.</p><h4 dir="ltr">When To Use</h4><p dir="ltr">You’d be most likely to use a copper tube terminal for terminating cables carrying higher currents, such as primary power feeds and main battery connections.</p><h4 dir="ltr">Advantages</h4><p dir="ltr">Copper tube terminals offer excellent mechanical strength, combined with a high level of electrical conductivity and resistance to corrosion.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Copper Tube Splices&nbsp;</h3><h4 dir="ltr">Description</h4><p dir="ltr">Copper tube splices are a type of intermediate cable termination that are often tapered internally at both ends to make inserting the conductors easier. Many also have a central stop point to help position both cables correctly.&nbsp;</p><h4 dir="ltr">Purpose</h4><p dir="ltr">These intermediate terminations are for joining together low-voltage conductors, so you can connect two cables together securely.</p><h4 dir="ltr">When to use</h4><p dir="ltr">You’ll use this kind of terminal when joining cables together in a power distribution system.</p><h4 dir="ltr">Advantages</h4><p dir="ltr">Copper tube splices are capable of handling high current loads. They are strong and reliable connections that are resistant to damage by environmental factors.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Copper Pin Terminals&nbsp;</h3><h4 dir="ltr">Description</h4><p dir="ltr">Copper pin terminals are most commonly used as an easy method of connecting individual cables to terminal blocks. They usually combine a tube for the cable with a grooved profile pin that goes into the connector and easily connects wires and cables to an electrical system.</p><h4 dir="ltr">Purpose</h4><p dir="ltr">Copper pin terminals make it faster and easier to insert cables into terminal blocks, especially in applications that require a clamp or screw.</p><h4 dir="ltr">When To Use</h4><p dir="ltr">You’ll use these most commonly for connecting wires to a terminal block. They’re ideal for situations where frequent connection and disconnection are required.</p><h4 dir="ltr">Advantages</h4><p dir="ltr">Their main advantage is simplicity of use, combined with good electrical&nbsp;conductivity and a reliable connection.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Aluminium Terminals&nbsp;</h3><h4 dir="ltr">Description</h4><p dir="ltr">Aluminium terminals offer a more corrosion-resistant alternative to copper or other materials, especially when weight or environmental factors have an impact. They come in various forms, including crimped, compression or combination-type with copper. Aluminium connectors can be easily machined and are easy to process.</p><h4 dir="ltr">Purpose</h4><p dir="ltr">Aluminium is lightweight and offers good conductivity. &nbsp;It’s more resistant to corrosion than copper or other metals, so aluminium terminals are a good choice for outdoor applications.&nbsp;</p><h4 dir="ltr">When To Use</h4><p dir="ltr">You should use aluminium terminals if your cabling is also aluminium. Choose them also for applications where weight reduction is a factor or in difficult environmental conditions, including fire hazards.</p><h4 dir="ltr">Advantages<strong>&nbsp;</strong></h4><p dir="ltr">Aluminium terminals offer a cost-effective, lightweight solution with good corrosion resistance.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Cable Terminations – Other Factors</h2><p dir="ltr">There are additional ways to classify electrical cable terminations, depending on several factors. These include whether they’re to be installed in interior or exterior locations, what materials they’re made from and whether they’re a complete set or for intermediate electrical power cables. You can get cold or heat shrinkable installation types, or those installed using epoxy resin or dry wrap. Cable terminations are typically classified according to the operating voltage, ranging from 1kV to 220kV.</p><p dir="ltr">Terminations are also divided by what material the electrical cable is made of, such as copper or aluminium, and how many conductors they need. There’s even a range of sub-categories relating to the joint material, starting with a choice between plastic and metal, and subdivided into categories including flexibility and waterproof, anti-bending and double locking capabilities.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Choosing The Right Cable Termination</h2><p dir="ltr">Cable terminations come in many different designs and materials, with several different attachment styles. This can sometimes make it tricky to determine which one is right for your particular application. It’s important to use the correct termination so that both ends of the connector match and form a perfect bond. Incorrectly matched terminations might lead to short-term or intermittent functioning or complete circuit failure. Many <a title="International Standards" href="https://www.topcable.com/blog-electric-cable/en/electric-cable-standards/" target="_blank">international standards</a> govern different types of cable and connections, so you need to assess your application needs carefully.</p><p dir="ltr">Prefabricated terminals are generally quicker and easier to install, requiring fewer tools. They’ll last longer and be more robust as well as easier to maintain. But you do need to select your cable terminations carefully according to the specific needs of your application. Some factors you’ll have to consider include:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Electrical requirements such as the nominal voltage and rated current</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Environmental conditions such as ambient temperature and humidity</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Mechanical strength required</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Cost considerations, especially if a lot of terminations are necessary</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Rowse Automation has many years of collective experience installing cabling and terminations, and we’re always happy to be of assistance. If you’d like any help with your projects or purchases, please give us a call.</p>

Contacts and conductors for electrical equipment are joined at a terminal to form a continuous circuit. Here, cable splices or terminations provide a detachable, stable connection for wires, inlets and sockets.

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<p id="isPasted"><strong>With over 90,000 employees worldwide, Siemens Energy is a global company operating in various sectors of the energy industry, including grid technologies, decarbonization of industries, wind energy, and conventional power generation.</strong></p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong>Located in Mülheim, Germany, the metrology group is part of the on-site machining department. Its primary focus is developing and retrofitting specialized machinery for on-site operations in power plants. The machining department also provides on-site maintenance and repair services for power plants. This service benefits the customers by ensuring short repair time, high-quality service, and the use of high-performance equipment that local workshops may not have.</p><p>Over the years, new applications have emerged, and new power plants have been built. Siemens Energy needed to increase its capacity to complete its tasks more efficiently. So, the metrology department started looking for new technologies available on the market to accelerate their work and manage their tasks within a few hours or days (instead of a week or two). This led them to the Creaform HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series.</p><p><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ASkeaukX2c?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe></span></p><h2 id="isPasted"><strong>Teams at Work at the Factory and Power Plants<br></strong></h2><p>Siemens Energy employs 3D scanning technology at its factory in Germany to validate the quality of parts it produces or those it receives from suppliers. The company also deploys its expert teams on-site to replace old, worn components, such as turbine rotors. By conducting thorough facility scans and precise measurements, they can reverse engineer replacement parts to ensure seamless integration with existing systems. Moreover, Siemens Energy goes beyond mere replacements by designing new parts that enhance the energy efficiency of power plants, contributing to both improved performance and environmental sustainability.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727336652931-Siemens_3Z8A0334-1.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h2 id="isPasted"><strong>Making Accurate Measurements in a Short Time<br></strong></h2><p>During on-site measurements, the teams must efficiently meet the customer’s expectations within the given time window. They must capture all necessary information within the allotted time, as components may become inaccessible after the measurement period, which can occur between different machining slots, such as before or after assembly and reassembly.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727336663973-Siemens_IMG_0052-1536x1024.jpeg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h2 id="isPasted"><strong>Variety of Parts, from Tiny to Gigantic</strong><strong><br></strong></h2><p>Siemens Energy’s work often occurs in a humid and hot environment where strong vibrations are ubiquitous. In such a context, the teams must perform a variety of optical measurements on parts of a few centimeters up to 14 meters in size, from simple geometries, such as boreholes, to large and complex shapes like turbine blades, rotors, and castings.</p><p>As a result, Siemens Energy requires a high level of accuracy and resolution for measuring parts of all sizes, typically crafted from steel and featuring polished surfaces.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727336678340-Siemens_3Z8A0247-1536x1024.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h2 id="isPasted"><strong>Limitations of the Previous Technology<br></strong></h2><p>Before relying on portable 3D scanners with high-resolution capabilities over large parts, Siemens Energy depended on manual field surveys using photos and conventional tools to carry out its tasks. However, it was common to encounter incomplete or unreliable information, resulting in delays or reduced efficiency during repair and maintenance.</p><p>Time being their most critical constraint, teams at Siemens Energy had to address these delays in repair and maintenance. Replacement parts had to perform optimally and fit perfectly the first time without iterations.</p><h2><strong>Helpful Collaboration Leading to the HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series<br></strong></h2><p>Siemens Energy is an early adopter renowned for its commitment to exploring and embracing new technologies. As a longstanding partner of Creaform, the company agreed to collaborate on the development of the HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series, yielding impressive results that underscore their shared dedication to innovative technologies.</p><h3><strong>Quick Measurement of Large Parts<br></strong></h3><p>With the HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series, the on-site maintenance and repair teams can scan large parts, as big as turbine rotors measuring up to 14 meters, in fine detail. Compared to the old system, whose setup and acquisition were long and complicated, teams can now scan more parts while saving time. The speed of the acquisition process makes all the difference because it enables Siemens Energy to limit downtimes during part replacement. Customers save money by saving time because every hour a power plant does not operate is an hour it cannot earn money.</p><h3><strong>Flex Volume for High Resolution AND High Speed<br></strong></h3><p>The MAX Series presents the Flex Volume feature, which gives Siemens Energy the flexibility to scan large parts at high speed from a longer distance (Far Mode) or measure smaller areas with high resolution at a short distance (Near Mode). The teams can also use the standard mode to benefit from both speed and resolution when scanning valves and connectors. This combination of speed and resolution allows them to quickly capture all the small details and ensure everything fits in its proper place on the first try during installation.</p><h3><strong>Portable Everywhere<br></strong></h3><p>Siemens Energy provides repair and maintenance services directly to power plant locations. On-site, the teams handle large and difficult-to-move parts in environments with high temperatures and steady vibrations. With the HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series, Siemens Energy can now perform all measurements and tasks with a single reliable device that is easily transportable and adapted to the instabilities of industrial environments.</p><h3><strong>Better Versatility for More Simplicity<br></strong></h3><p>Siemens Energy is particularly fond of the Smart Surface Algorithm feature, which automatically adjusts the camera shutter using advanced image processing combined with artificial intelligence. This feature enhances the performance of the MAX series and provides better readings of difficult contrasting finishes. As a result, anyone can enjoy a simpler and more straightforward scanning process, regardless of their level of expertise or experience.</p><h2><strong>HandySCAN 3D| MAX Series, A Game Changer for Siemens Energy<br></strong></h2><p>Over the past 13 years, the partnership between Siemens Energy and Creaform has consistently proven to be a win-win relationship. The introduction of the new measuring tool, the HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series, marks a significant milestone in this collaboration, serving as a game changer for Siemens Energy. Due to its unwavering commitment to innovation, Siemens Energy is dedicated to delivering better results to its customers in shorter time frames. The HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series embodies this commitment, allowing the company to meet and surpass its customers’ expectations.</p>

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