Along with nine international partners, TÜV NORD has been granted funding approval for the innovative “AEROARMS“ research project within the EU Horizon 2020 programme. The project is concerned with a complex inspection system based on a flying robot with integrated gripper and mounting arm and independent “inspection crawlers”. The system is to be used in industrial inspection and maintenance in future. “This research project means that we can develop innovative robotics-based test methods in a form which does not yet exist today”, says Dalibor Jerinic, Head of Innovation at TÜV NORD.
Inspection of pipelines and plant components in locations with difficult access is time-consuming and expensive. Today, operators often have to build scaffolds and organise safety measures for TÜV NORD experts when inspections are needed in awkward locations. But in future it is planned that a flying robot will place a test crawler, around 40 by 30 centimetres in size, at the desired location. The crawler can be equipped with magnetised wheels, test sensors (e.g. using ultrasound) and cameras as required. Working independently, it inspects the components and sends the measured data and images to the ground station, where a TÜV expert can evaluate the damage that has been found in the material. Jerinic: “This procedure saves the plant operator both time and money.”
Other project partners besides TÜV NORD are the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the University of Seville and Alstom Inspection Robotics. The aim of the consortium is to develop a usable prototype by 2019.
*This project is funded under No. 644271 by the European Research and Development Programme Horizon 2020.
About TÜV NORD GROUP
With over 10,000 employees, TÜV NORD GROUP is one of the largest technical service providers, offering its advisory, service and inspection expertise in over 70 countries throughout the world. Areas of activity include Industrial Services, Mobility, IT and Training. TÜV NORD GROUP occupies a unique position in the sector based on its work in the fields of natural resources and aerospace and is firmly committed to its guiding principle and watchword: “Excellence for your business”.