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Using an experimental approach, this paper proposes a semi-autonomous agent architecture for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The system is inspired by Behavior- and Reactive-based architectures using stimulus response blocks to segment behavior. The capability and limitations of the system is demonstrated through a field experiment, where the goal is to approach and localize a structure of interest...
Anticipated growth of sub-sea technologies for security, infrastructure inspection, and exploration, motivates a deeper understanding of dynamics of underwater navigation in proximity to a submerged target surface. In this paper we discuss the phenomenon of a smooth, submersible micro robot with a single bottom jet that enables hovering and sliding over underwater surfaces. Such motion has applications...
For aging social infrastructure, robot technology is effective for the inspection and maintenance. Such capabilities are similar to those required in the disaster response robots. The application of response robot technology to frequently-used maintenance robots for infrastructure accelerate the social implementation of the response robots. In the paper, the concept and outlines of Japan Virtual Robotics...
Vessel maintenance entails periodic visual inspections of internal and external parts of the hull in order to detect the typical defective situations affecting metallic structures. Nowadays, robots are becoming more and more important regarding these inspection tasks, since they can collect the requested information and, thus, prevent humans from performing tedious, and even dangerous tasks because...
Seagoing vessels have to undergo regular visual inspections in order to detect the typical defective situations affecting metallic structures, such as cracks and corrosion. These inspections are currently performed by ship surveyors manually at a great cost. To make ship inspections safer and more cost-efficient, this paper presents a Micro-Aerial Vehicle (MAV) intended for visual inspection and based...
This paper presents a method for vision-based landing of a multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) equipped with a helipad. The method includes a mechanism for helipad behavioural search when outside the UAV's field of view, a learning saliency-based mechanism for visual tracking the helipad, and a cooperative strategy for the final vision-based landing phase...
We present an approach for the inspection of vertical pole-like infrastructure using a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle and shared autonomy. Inspecting vertical structures, such as light and power distribution poles, is a time consuming, dangerous and expensive task with high operator workload. To address these issues, we propose a VTOL platform that can operate at close-quarters,...
An autonomous wall inspection control based on a stereo optical flow, suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles endowed with a stereo vision system, is proposed in this paper. The inspection task consists of simultaneously controlling the inspection velocity along the surface, the relative yaw angle between the vehicle and the observed plane, as well as the orthogonal distance. A virtual spherical camera...
This work focuses on the use of MAVs for industrial inspection tasks. An efficient flight controller based on a model predictive control paradigm is developed. It allows for agile maneuvers in confined spaces while incorporating delays, saturations and inaccurate vehicle state estimates only available at low rate. The fast gradient method is used to solve the optimization problem and meet real-time...
Hydro-Québec operates 58 hydroelectric power plants and owns over 500 dams and control structures. In order to ensure their safety and proper operation, Hydro-Québec develops robotic technologies that can perform diagnosis and interventions tasks underwater. More than an ROV, Maski is really an underwater robot, as it can perform motion in a fully automated fashion, in manual piloting or using partly...
Power line inspection is a vital function for electricity supply companies but it involves labor-intensive and expensive procedures which are tedious and error-prone for humans to perform. A possible solution is to use an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with video surveillance equipment to perform the inspection. This paper considers how a small, electrically driven rotorcraft conceived for...
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