MIRRAX: A Reconfigurable Robot for Limited Access Environments

Abstract

The development of mobile robot platforms for inspection has gained traction in recent years. However, conventional mobile robots are unable to address the challenge of operating in extreme environments where the robot is required to traverse narrow gaps in highly cluttered areas with restricted access, typically through narrow ports. This paper presents MIRRAX, a robot designed to meet these challenges by way of its reconfigurable capability. Controllers for the robot are detailed, along with an analysis on the controllability of the robot given the use of Mecanum wheels in a variable configuration. Characterisation on the robot's performance identified suitable configurations for operating in narrow environments. Experimental validation of the robot's controllability shows good agreement with the theoretical analysis, and the capability to address the challenges of accessing entry ports as small as 150mm diameter, as well as navigating through cluttered environments. The paper also presents results from a deployment in a Magnox facility at the Sellafield nuclear site in the UK -the first robot to ever do so, for remote inspection and mapping.

Multimodal immersive digital twin platform for cyber–physical robot fleets in nuclear environments

“…Most of the challenges the nuclear industry faces are aimed towards improving the overall safety, time, and cost of operations (Smith et al, 2020). Robots can help address such challenges through the following means: (1) remote handling of radioactive materials to reduce the risks associated with human exposure to radiation (Marturi et al, 2016), (2) inspection, characterization, and maintenance of areas of no‐man‐access which may contain radioactive hazards (e.g., silos) (Cheah et al, 2022; Tsitsimpelis et al, 2019), (3) decommissioning of nuclear plants, which is a complex and hazardous process that requires careful planning and execution (Bogue, 2011), (4) emergency response such as nuclear accidents, by performing tasks that are too dangerous for humans to undertake (Nagatani et al, 2013; Zhang et al, 2018), and (5) cost reduction by automating routine tasks and reducing the need for human intervention (Smith et al, 2020).…”

Design and Control of a 7-degree-of-freedom Symmetric Manipulator Module for In-Orbit Operations

“…More importantly, this characteristic makes the system easily reconfigurable according to the varying needs; that is, the modules can be conveniently attached or detached to adapt to the environment or modify the functionalities of the whole. These modules can either be similar in design and capability (homogeneous) or dissimilar (heterogeneous) [1].…”

Multimodal immersive digital twin platform for cyber-physical robot fleets in nuclear environments

“…Most of the challenges the nuclear industry faces are aimed towards improving the overall safety, time, and cost of operations (Smith et al, 2020). Robots can help address such challenges through the following means: (1) remote handling of radioactive materials to reduce the risks associated with human exposure to radiation (Marturi et al, 2016), (2) inspection, characterization, and maintenance of areas of no-man-access which may contain radioactive hazards (e.g., silos) (Cheah et al, 2022;Tsitsimpelis et al, 2019), (3) decommissioning of nuclear plants, which is a complex and hazardous process that requires careful planning and execution (Bogue, 2011), (4) emergency response such as nuclear accidents, by performing tasks that are too dangerous for humans to undertake (Nagatani et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 2018), and (5) cost reduction by automating routine tasks and reducing the need for human intervention (Smith et al, 2020).…”