marine

In this webinar (July 2020) we take the first public in-depth look at the Reach Bravo underwater robotic arm system and answer attendees questions.

WEBINAR Reach Bravo - A New Underwater Robotic Arm - Demo and Q&A

Whether in murky waters, cramped ship tanks or caves with little light – poor visibility conditions have a huge impact on the environmental perception of autonomous robots. How can they still operate safely and reliably? In the new DeeperSense project, an international consortium led by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) is working on technologies that combine the strengths of visual and acoustic sensors with the help of artificial intelligence. The aim is to significantly improve the perception of robotic underwater vehicles in three use cases from the maritime sector. The project is funded by the European Union (EU) with around 3 million euros.&nbsp;The possible applications of robotic systems are numerous. However, in practice, there is often a lack of functional technologies that enable autonomous robots to comprehensively perceive complex environments. Visual sensors such as cameras, which are used in robotics for tasks such as autonomous navigation, manipulation, mapping and object recognition, provide detailed information about the environment. However, their performance is highly dependent on the prevailing light and visibility conditions. In contrast, acoustic sensors for distance measurement are independent of visibility conditions. They also generate image-like data, but with a significantly lower resolution than cameras. In addition, their functionality is severely limited at close range.<h2>Intelligent technologies for practicable robot systems in complex environments</h2>This is where the DeeperSense (Deep-Learning for Multimodal Sensor Fusion) project comes into play, which started on January 1, 2021. The overall objective of the project, which is funded under the EU's Horizon 2020 research framework program, is to significantly improve the environmental perception of service robots, especially in complex and unstructured environments such as underwater. To achieve this, the project pursues an innovative approach: by using artificial intelligence (AI), in particular deep learning as a data-driven machine learning method, it aims to combine the strengths of non-visual and visual sensors to optimize their environment perception capabilities beyond those of the individual sensors. This should not only significantly increase the performance and reliability of autonomous systems, but also open up new functionalities and applications for robotics. <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE1NTk4MTM0NDEwLWNzbV9EZWVwZXJTZW5zZV9EaXZlcjJfd2ViX2FkZTM5NmUwNWUuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Mission scenario: AUV monitors diver working under water. © Technisches Hilfswerk (THW)&nbsp; The DeeperSense concept will be demonstrated in three use cases from the particularly demanding underwater sector: diver monitoring in turbid waters, exploration of coral reefs, and seabed mapping. For this purpose, the project consortium brings together leading experts in the fields of maritime robotics, artificial intelligence and underwater sensor technology – the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center, the University of Girona, the University of Haifa and Kraken Robotik GmbH – with end users from the three different application areas – the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and Tecnoambiente SL.<h2>Intersensory learning for improved environmental perception in underwater applications</h2>DeeperSense is based on the overarching concept of intersensory learning, in which a sensor modality B learns from a sensor modality A. This way, sensor B can provide output that is similar to that of sensor A – in terms of accuracy as well as the type of output and interpretation of the data. For this purpose, sensor A, e.g. a camera, and sensor B, e.g. a sonar, observe the same scene simultaneously. The collected low-resolution sonar data serves as input to an artificial neural network, while the high-resolution camera data serve as output. By gradually adapting the network to the desired output, it learns about the relationships between the input and output data. The result is an algorithm that, once sufficiently trained, is capable of generating a camera-like image based only on the low-resolution sonar data. In the project, this concept will be realized in three core algorithms that meet the specific requirements of the use cases.In the first use case, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is used to monitor divers at work in turbid waters. Usually, a remote-controlled robot with a camera is used for this purpose, which transmits its data to a control station. However, since optical sensors can only be used to a limited extent underwater, the project partners are also equipping the AUV with a sonar sensor. In DeeperSense, they want to teach this sensor to deliver camera-like images that can be easily interpreted by human personnel at the control station.The second use case deals with the robotic exploration of complex and sensitive underwater structures such as coral reefs. In order to create detailed environmental maps for reliable obstacle detection, the project relies on a combination of visual and acoustic sensors. Here, the challenge will be to reconcile the differing image perspectives. For this purpose, the planned algorithm must be able to recognize objects identified in the data from one sensor in the data of the other. This way, autonomous robots will be able to navigate through a coral reef instead of just going over it. <div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE1NTk4MjI1NDIxLURlZXBlclNlbnNlX0NvcmFsUmVlZl93ZWIuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">With DeeperSense AUVs will be able to explore coral reefs at close range. © Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA)&nbsp;Finally, in the third use case, the partners want to enable an AUV to generate precise maps of the seafloor. These surveys are typically carried out by ships, which is very expensive. Cameras usually provide supplementary information to verify acoustic data. However, this method is not practical in the darkness of deep waters. In the project, the AUV will use various acoustic sensors to classify sediments on the seafloor. With the help of the DeeperSense concept, the acoustic sensors learn to produce annotated maps of different types of seafloor, just as detailed as it would be possible with cameras under good visibility conditions.</div> <h2>Algorithm development and optimization in the laboratory and under real conditions</h2>During the project, the partners will generate comprehensive training data for the three use cases. The algorithms will be trained using this data and tested under real conditions both in the laboratory and in extensive field tests – in inland waters, in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Eventually, the trained algorithms will be optimized for on-board use by underwater vehicles in order to enable real-time execution to support the autonomous robot’s behaviour. The consortium intends to make the results available to the robotics community in online repositories embedded in European research infrastructures.

In the new DeeperSense project, an international consortium led by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) is working on technologies that combine the strengths of visual and acoustic sensors with the help of artificial intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence To Optimize The Environmental Perception Of Underwater Robots

The work blurs the boundary between materials and robots. In the self-propelled devices, the material itself makes the machine function. "Our examples show that we can use structured materials that deform in response to environmental cues, to control and propel robots," says Daraio, professor of mechanical engineering and applied physics in Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science, and corresponding author of a paper unveiling the robots that appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences&nbsp;on May 15.The new propulsion system relies on strips of a flexible polymer that is curled when cold and stretches out when warm. The polymer is positioned to activate a switch inside the robot's body, that is in turn attached to a paddle that rows it forward like a rowboat.The switch is made from a bistable element, which is a component that can be stable in two distinct geometries. In this case, it is built from strips of an elastic material that, when pushed on by the polymer, snaps from one position to another.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tBxb1A6boTI?&amp;wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 767px; height: 439px;" frameborder="0"></iframe>When the cold robot is placed in warm water, the polymer stretches out, activates the switch, and the resulting sudden release of energy paddles the robot forward. The polymer strips can also be "tuned" to give specific responses at different times: that is, a thicker strip will take longer to warm up, stretch out, and ultimately activate its paddle than a thinner strip. This tunability allows the team to design robots capable of turning and moving at different speeds.The research builds on previous work by Daraio and Dennis Kochmann, professor of aerospace at Caltech. They used chains of <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/news/utility-instability-51629" target="_blank">bistable elements to transmit signals and build computer-like logic gates</a>.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1564499883153-Screenshot_2019-07-30+Harnessing+bistability+for+directional+propulsion+of+soft%2C+untethered+robots+-+5698+full+pdf%281%29.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In the latest iteration of the design, Daraio's team and collaborators were able to link up the polymer elements and switches in such a way to make a four-paddled robot propel itself forward, drop off a small payload (in this case, a token with a Caltech seal emblazoned on it), and then paddle backward.&nbsp;"Combining simple motions together, we were able to embed programming into the material to carry out a sequence of complex behaviors," says Caltech postdoctoral scholar Osama R. Bilal, co-first author of the PNASpaper. In the future, more functionalities and responsivities can be added, for example using polymers that respond to other environmental cues, like pH or salinity. Future versions of the robots could contain chemical spills or, on a smaller scale, deliver drugs, the researchers say.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1564499825448-1.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Currently, when the bistable elements snap and release their energy, they must be manually reset in order to work again. Next, the team plans to explore ways to redesign the bistable elements so that they are self-resetting when water temperature shifts again—making them potentially capable of swimming on indefinitely, so long as water temperature keeps fluctuating.The PNAS&nbsp;paper is titled <a href="http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180515-101708023" target="_blank">"Harnessing bistability for directional propulsion of soft, untethered robots."</a> Daraio and Bilal collaborated with Tian Chen and Kristina Shea from ETH in Zurich. This research was supported by the Army Research Office and an ETH postdoctoral fellowship to Bilal.

 An artist's rendering of the new design for a robot that uses material deformation to propel itself through water. 

Engineers have developed robots capable of self-propulsion without using any motors, servos, or power supply. Instead, these first-of-their-kind devices paddle through water as the material they are constructed from deforms with temperature changes.

Self propelling robots

This article is part of a series about the usage of robots in harsh environments, written by post-doctoral robotics researcher Matthew Nancekievill. Find the second article, on subsea environments,&nbsp;here.<hr>Lets face it, there are some jobs that we just don’t want to do, or CAN’T do that we will have to get robotic platforms to complete. This is especially true of harsh environments such as subsea, mining, space, arctic, often forgotten surgical robotics and nuclear decommissioning. In this article we are going to take a brief look at robotic platforms currently deployed within the nuclear industry, why they’re required and solutions that are still required for all you innovators out there. &nbsp;With decommissioning costing the UK £3billion/yr and estimated costs of £121 billion over the next 120 years, there is a requirement for increased efficiencies and decommissioning rates that robotics can provide.&nbsp;Hopefully this article acts as a summary of robotic solutions in nuclear decommissioning without being too much of an exhaustive list.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNTU5NjY4MDk3MDA3LUltYWdlIDIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h1>A look at the Nuclear Decommissioning Environment</h1>Decommissioning happens around us all the time, old buildings get torn down, coal power plants shutdown and vehicles get scrapped. The nuclear industry is no different with the reactors, storage facilities and processing elements all requiring decommissioning when they reach the end of their useful life.Hazardous substances can be found in all the above environments with asbestos, chemicals used during refinement, rare earth metals and oils that can’t be put into our main waste stream all examples of hazardous substances. The Nuclear industry faces all the same problems but adds one to the list, “nuclear waste”.I’ve always felt that nuclear gets a bad rap in the press, with all the pollutants and oil spills throughout the years created from coal power plants seemingly ignored when nuclear waste is mentioned. However, the effects of nuclear radiation on the body can be very unforgiving.To give you a flavour, researchers working with weak radioactive sources, such as myself, are allowed a total yearly dose of &lt;1 mSv attributed to radiation work, registered radiation workers in the UK &lt;20 mSv. This is a large safety factor to account for medically proven effects of radiation at radiation levels &gt;250 mSv with 1,000 mSv likely to kill you within a few days to a couple of weeks. (Average background radiation dose in the UK is approximately 2.7 mSv)Compare this to radiation doses in some of the most radioactive places on earth, such as the UK’s Sellafield Site or the Fukushima accident, where in the most extreme cases (no really, the most extreme cases, the majority is not like this) dose-rates of around 10,000 mSv.h-1 are possible (check-out <a href="http://irid.or.jp/en/research/20150420-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">these survey results</a> from the IRID and the shape-changing robot mentioned later.This is before you add in the difficulties of the physically constrained and tight working spaces, high temperatures, contaminated water used for cooling and, in the case of nuclear accidents such as Fukushima, an unknown physical layout “behind the door” due to explosions within the reactor buildings.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNTU5NjcyODIxNzYyLUZ1a3UuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h1>Current Practices</h1>In less radiologically extreme environments, much of the work is carried out by human workers in air-fed suits with multiple layers of gloves, some of which could be lead-lined (lead-lined gloves) worn to avoid contamination and puncturing of the suit on sharp edges. This often means that with all the getting ready, decontamination at the end of the shift and the physical exertion required to operate in these suits, an 8-hour work shift could result in anywhere between 15 minutes to 2 hours of actual decommissioning with power tools cumbersome to use and movement awkward. Workers have been known to empty their boots at the end of their shift of all their sweat that has built up… Workers are, at the root of it, tasked with dismantling the facility. This means cleaning, chopping and moving all sorts of materials into the correct waste stream and then moving on to the next object or structure.<h2>Robotics in Nuclear</h2>It is clear that some of these repetitive tasks or highly radioactive areas lend themselves to the use of robotic platforms. There has been a large body of work conducted on developing solutions for just that. Aquatic robotic platforms for use within submerged nuclear waste storage tanks, robotic manipulators for laser cutting of structures, drone-based devices for site surveys and ground-based robots for automated warehouse characterisation and unknown environments.Examples of these are:The Forth AVEXIS, developed jointly by Forth Engineering and the University of Manchester. A submersible ROV designed to be deployed within the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo and fit through a 6” access port. More information within the video.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OLvAQFz5wh8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 766px; height: 443px;" frameborder="0" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-7="true" id="626921597" title="Avexis ROV" data-gtm-yt-inspected-29="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-37="true"></iframe>The LaserSnake2, which combines a multi-jointed “snake-arm” manipulator with a powerful laser-cutter. Developed by OCRobotics, The Welding Institute, National Nuclear Laboratory, Laser Optical Engineering Ltd. And ULO Optics. It is designed to cut and reduce the size of objects and structures to fit in dedicated waste containers.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqOfRhJsaEQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 766px; height: 436px;" frameborder="0" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-7="true" id="439090068" title="LaserSnake2 - Laser cutting for nuclear decommissioning at Sellafield - a world first." data-gtm-yt-inspected-29="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-37="true"></iframe>Researchers from Bristol University have just recently flown a drone over the Chernobyl Red Forest highlighting the site survey capabilities of drones applicable to all nuclear sites.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Eto98XTm-4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 766px; height: 394px;" frameborder="0" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-7="true" id="334628213" title="YouTube video player" data-gtm-yt-inspected-29="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-37="true"></iframe>Hitachi-GE have also developed a “shape-changing robot” to characterise the internals of Fukushima. Designed to be passed through small gaps in a long cylindrical shape, it is then capable of morphing into a “U” shape for stability. Equipped with a radiation tolerant camera and dosimeter, multiple robots were deployed with valuable data returned.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNTU5NjY4MzQ5NTkyLVNoYXBlLWNoYW5naW5nIElSSUQtSGl0YWNoaSByb2JvdCAtIDQ1MC5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">However, one of them got stuck, which leads me to my next point.<h1>The problem with Robots</h1>I love robots, and I believe that robotic systems HAVE to and WILL have a huge part to play in harsh environments, but there are still things that have so far left deployment of robotic systems on the fringes of use. These include, but are not limited to:<ul><li>Robots are dumb: When compared to a human assessing a situation. The Hitachi shape-changing robot fell foul of a common problem with robotic systems, it got caught in a hole in the grating it was driving on it wasn’t expecting and that could not be seen by the human operator with the robot not “smart” enough to avoid or raise a flag. Robots are only as smart as we make them!</li><li>Radiation effects: Robots readily survive longer than humans but there are still failures of the electronics in high dose areas.</li><li>Tether entanglement:&nbsp;Most robots (not including drones) are often required to be connected via tether. This is for safety, in-case the robot breaks, meaning it can be unceremoniously dragged out but causes issues with entanglement.</li><li>Robots require a skilled pilot: That skill-set is not common.</li><li>The industry isn’t ready: When things have been done a certain way for a long time, it is difficult to change that. Not to mention all the legal licensing issues and who takes responsibility when something goes wrong?! Media storms surrounding the ethics of robots taking jobs and becoming our future overlords do not help (thanks a lot Terminator).</li></ul><h1>In Conclusion</h1>There is a great body of work being completed within industry and research institutions developing bespoke solutions for specific problems and there have been many successful deployments and also many unsuccessful deployments, which is all part of innovation! Not included above but deserve a mention with regards to innovation and deployments to Brokk and Seabotix robotic systems that are often used daily.To really get consistent robotic platform deployments in nuclear decommissioning, further innovation improving the capabilities of robotic platforms is required as well as upskilling of the workforce and events showcasing the technology to industry. Communication is key and the continued development of systems by all the engineers out there.<hr>This article is part of a series about the usage of robots in harsh environments, written by post-doctoral robotics researcher Matthew Nancekievill. Find the second article, on subsea environments,&nbsp;here.

marine

Latest Posts

WEBINAR Reach Bravo - A New Underwater Robotic Arm - Demo and Q&A

Artificial Intelligence To Optimize The Environmental Perception Of Underwater Robots

Self propelling robots

Robotics for Harsh Environments - Nuclear Decommissioning