D7.1 - Access to inaccessible spaces through narrow openings

Brief description of functionality/utility:

Gaining access to otherwise inaccessible spaces through narrow openings is essential when it comes to cleaning up nuclear wate. The team at Queen Mary has made significant progress in this area, by:

• Developing a system to move robots by up to 20 metres in realistic environments
• Increasing the manoeuvrability of robots using integrated actuation pouches
• Developing the remote operation of vision sensors
• Developing initial robot models and control strategies to assist human teleoperators

In terms of accessibility and manoeuvrability, robot performance has proven state-of-the-art using this technology. Userfriendly and intuitive teleoperation software is now being developed to enable a human operator to steer and control the remote robot. The interface to a mobile robot platform (Lincoln) is also being developed.

The hardware and software developments of this project are at TRL3+.