Drones and Robots Are Taking Over Industrial Inspection

ronjor · May 21, 2019

Industrial Robotics - Are You Increasing Your Cybersecurity Risk?

By Jalal Bouhdada on May 21, 2019
Right now, falling costs and common programming platforms are helping to accelerate the proliferation of general-purpose robots in all sectors. They’re an integral part of Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), able to change output depending on sophisticated triggers. Growth in their use will continue for the foreseeable future: the more widely they are used, the more use cases are found.
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guest · Jun 24, 2019

Sandia's crawling robots, drones detect damage to save wind blades
June 24, 2019
https://phys.org/news/2019-06-sandia-robots-drones-blades.html

Drones and crawling robots outfitted with special scanning technology could help wind blades stay in service longer, which may help lower the cost of wind energy at a time when blades are getting bigger, pricier and harder to transport, Sandia National Laboratories researchers say.

"Wind blades are the largest single-piece composite structures built in the world—even bigger than any airplane, and they often get put on machines in remote locations," says Joshua Paquette, a mechanical engineer in Sandia's wind energy program.
Sandia's crawling robots and drones are aimed at making noninvasive internal inspection of wind blades a viable option for the industry.
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ronjor · Jun 25, 2019

Robots 'to replace up to 20 million factory jobs' by 2030

BBC 25 June 2019
Up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world could be replaced by robots by 2030, according to analysis firm Oxford Economics.
People displaced from those jobs are likely to find that comparable roles in the services sector have also been squeezed by automation, the firm said.
However, increasing automation will also boost jobs and economic growth, it added.
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guest · Jul 5, 2019

This video shows the impressive tech behind robots walking on rough terrain
July 5, 2019
https://thenextweb.com/robots/2019/07/05/boston-dynamics-ihmc-robot-nasa/

The method uses the machines’ sensors to work out the most efficient path to a human-selected location. It also works on rough and narrow terrains.
Previously, the IHMC relied on a manual method that required a human operator to place the desired footsteps in a special user interface. Unfortunately, this method was rather slow and cumbersome, which is why the IHMC has been working on a new autonomous approach that completely removes the need for a human operator.

To circumvent human error, the new system lets an operator select the desired location, but ultimately relies on an algorithm to figure out how to get the robot there and avoid obstacles.
In the future, the researchers hope to boost the algorithm’s planning speed, as well as its ability to navigate through mazes and other complicated terrains.
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guest · Aug 2, 2019

Digitizing construction sites with Scaled Robotics
August 2, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/02/digitizing-construction-sites-with-scaled-robotics/

Approximately 20% of construction costs are wrapped up in fixing errors. Barcelona-based Scaled Robotics wants to minimize the rework by automating progress monitoring with autonomous mobile robots.
Leveraging lidar and autonomous vehicle technology (similar to what’s used by Google cars to map the world), Scaled Robotics built a WALL-E doppelgänger to navigate and build maps of construction sites by fusing images, video and data captured by its robots.

The company was born out of frustration, “of not having the tools to build what we designed in the office,” says co-founder Stuart Maggs, whose background is in construction and architecture.
Their robots have been deployed in various construction sites around the world, including Dura Vermeer in the Netherlands and Kia in the U.K.
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guest · Sep 12, 2019

Austrian Airlines is flying a drone around its planes for a good reason
September 11, 2019
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-...-a-drone-around-its-planes-for-a-good-reason/

Drones may be causing a headache for airports and airlines around the world, but a European carrier has found a way to embrace the technology for the good of its fleet.

Austrian Airlines is using an autonomous drone developed by French startup Donecle to inspect the exterior of its Airbus planes for structural issues and paint damage.
A trial using the technology will continue until the end of the year, though if successful it could become a regular feature of the airline’s inspection process.

“We are currently testing various operational scenarios for an autonomous flying drone. These include lightning strike inspections, checks for the presence of [airline] stickers, checks of the aircraft’s paint finish, as well as the detection of structural damage.”
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Austrian Airlines: Austrian Airlines Relies on Innovative Drone Technology for Aircraft Inspections

guest · Oct 14, 2019

Robotic inspectors developed to fix wind farms
October 13, 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50030184

Unlike most drones, they don't require a human operator and could end the need for technicians to abseil down turbines to carry out repairs.
They're being developed by Orca - the Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets hub.

Aerial drones are already used offshore to inspect hard-to-reach structures.
But this one goes further: it can manoeuvre to attach itself to vertical surfaces and has a robotic arm.
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guest · Oct 19, 2019

PG&E Should Try This ALPS Drone For Fully Automated Power Grid Inspections
October 17, 2019
https://www.ubergizmo.com/2019/10/alps-drone-automated-power-grid-inspections/

ALPS, known for its in-car electronics components has put together a Done system that can autonomously inspect powerline infrastructure.

The drone has highly precise and sensitive sensors, including a Lidar, which is a laser-based radar that provides 3D awareness of what’s around the drone.
ALPS proposes to automatically create flight plans along the powerline, which makes a lot of sense since the powerline positioning isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Once the rough path is set, the drone’s Lidar and autopilot can deal with local obstacles, thanks to collision detection and other automated features that are increasingly incorporated in drones.
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ronjor · Dec 16, 2019

Gecko Robotics raises $40 million for industrial inspection robots

Paul Sawers@psawers December 16, 2019
Founded out of Pittsburgh in 2016, Gecko Robotics develops several robots aimed at the power, gas, oil, and manufacturing industries. The robots, which are equipped with HD cameras, sensors, and transducers, can climb walls and equipment to inspect tanks, boilers, and pipes for thickness, cracks, and “other forms of degradation.” Importantly, they use non-destructive techniques such as acoustic, laser, and electromagnetic testing modules, and they can be controlled remotely or self-navigate (depending on the type of equipment they’re analyzing).
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ronjor · Dec 24, 2019

Proposed NYC law would require drone inspections for building complaints

Jon Fingas, @jonfingas 24 Dec 2019
Robotic aircraft could spot building defects people might miss.
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guest · Dec 30, 2019

mood said: ↑

Could your next colleague be a bot?
June 18, 2018
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Meet the cobots: the robots who will be your colleagues, not your replacements
December 30, 2019
https://thenextweb.com/syndication/...ill-be-your-colleagues-not-your-replacements/

The latest industrial robots look like petting zoo versions of the big machines found in many modern factories – small, cute, and you can play with them. But don’t be deceived by their cuddly appearance. They have the potential to change the way humans work with machines and disrupt the existing market for industrial robots.

Even if full automation with larger, faster industrial robots is more efficient, cobots can allow factories to increase their output while retaining a degree of flexibility.
Rather than replacing human jobs, cobots may create new jobs in applications, in which their strength, endurance and precision is combined with human dexterity, flexibility and problem solving.

Right now they might appear to be small ponies, but one day cobots could become the versatile and powerful work horses of the factory.
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ronjor · Jan 6, 2020

FPV Robotics debuts Waver drone to inspect infrastructure on land, on water and in the air

Darrell Etherington@etherington January 6, 2020
Japanese startup FPV Robotics is leveraging drone technology to address a growing global need: inspecting aging infrastructure in an effort to avoid major issues like unexpected bridge collapses. FPV Robotics CEO and founder Masaki Komagata showed me his company’s production Waver drone, which is debuting for the first time ever at CES 2020 in Las Vegas this week.
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guest · Jan 13, 2020

Skyqraft, a startup using AI and drones for electricity power-line inspection, raises $505K
January 13, 2020
https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/13/skyqraft/

Skyqraft, a Swedish startup using AI and drones for electricity power-line inspection, has picked up $505,000 in early backing.

Founded in March 2019 and launched that September, Skyqraft provides what it calls “smart” infrastructure inspections for power-lines. It uses unmanned airplanes, combined with AI, to gather images and detect risk automatically.
This is in contrast to the status quo, where power-lines are typically inspected by teams of people and helicopters, which isn’t idea on a number of fronts.

“We provide smart infrastructure inspections using unmanned airplanes by gathering images and 360 videos and feeding that data into a machine learning system that automatically detects any risk to the power-lines”.
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guest · Feb 11, 2020

Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog Is Going to Work on an Oil Rig
February 11, 2020
https://futurism.com/the-byte/boston-dynamics-robot-dog-work-oil-rig

Oil rigs can be incredibly dangerous, making the structures an ideal target for automation.

To that end, oil producer Aker BP and AI software company Cognite have announced plans to test several robots and drones on Aker BP’s Skarv installation in the Norwegian Sea this year — including Boston Dynamics’ popular robot dog Spot.
Sea Pup
Aker BP and Cognite have already put Spot to the test in simulated oil and gas environments, according to a press release.
Now, they’re going to test how Spot does patrolling the Skarv installation, where it will run inspections, produce reports, and search for hydrocarbon leaks, Bloomberg reports.

“Our vision is to digitalize all our operations from cradle to grave in order to increase productivity, enhance quality, and improve the safety of our employees,” Aker BP’s CEO Karl Johnny Hersvik said in the press release. “Exploring the potential of robotics offshore underpin our digital journey.”
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Exploring the potential of robotics in the oil and gas industry

The robotics systems will be tested to gauge their performance in autonomous inspection, high-quality data capture, and automatic report generation. Tasks may include aerial and underwater inspections, responding to leaks, performing work that takes humans out of harm’s way, and providing onshore operators with telepresence on offshore installations.
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ronjor · Feb 27, 2020

Drones are flying beneath the ground in Japan, and here’s why

By Trevor Mogg February 26, 2020
Tokyo Metro, which operates much of the capital city’s sprawling subway network, is using the technology to inspect the upper sections of train tunnels, Japan News reported this week.
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guest · Sep 28, 2020

Skydio, EagleView announce huge drone inspection partnership
September 28, 2020
https://dronedj.com/2020/09/28/skydio-eagleview-announce-huge-drone-inspection-partnership/

Skydio, the American drone company known for the Artificial Intelligence capabilities of its products, today announces a partnership that will lead to 5,000 drone sales and a vastly more efficient system for inspecting damaged roofs. It has joined forces with EagleView, a leading aerial imaging and data analytics company with deep expertise in machine learning and building inspections. It is, say those involved, likely the biggest commercial drone deal to date.
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Skydio is all about automation. Its software can fly a drone better than a pilot. That ability makes the Skydio 2 an ideal choice for any kind of repetitive work that involves gathering and processing data.
EagleView, meanwhile, has a wealth of experience with aerial imaging and data crunching for properties.

This is part of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar exclusive partnership to deliver Skydio House Scan™ to several major country markets. The partnership brings the power of precision drone technology and AI to insurance carriers, claims adjusters, and government bodies…
“It’s probably the largest commercial drone deal ever,” Alberto Farronato, Skydio’s Chief Marketing Officer, told DroneDJ in a briefing. “It’s going to result in over 5000 drones being deployed.”
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EagleView, Skydio Partner to Provide Autonomous Drone Technology for Better Property Inspections

guest · Oct 5, 2020

Skydio gains FAA approval to conduct bridge inspections with drones in North Carolina
October 5, 2020
https://venturebeat.com/2020/10/05/...ge-inspections-with-drones-in-north-carolina/

Drone startup Skydio today announced the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) statewide approval to fly Skydio drones beyond visual line of sight to inspect bridges. Skydio, which describes the waiver as the first of its kind, says the NCDOT will be able to conduct maintenance activities without the use of visual observers like trained pilots or staff.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation found that using drones for bridge inspection offsets some or all of the costs, depending on the bridge configuration and location, with a trial of drone-assisted inspections saving an average of 40% over traditional methods and providing ostensibly superior data and reporting.
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NCDOT Awarded First-Ever Waiver for Drone Bridge Inspections

Drones are the N.C. Department of Transportation’s newest tool in maintaining the safety of the state’s bridges and other infrastructure.
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guest · Nov 24, 2020

Industrial robotics co Percepto raises $45m
November 24, 2020
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-industrial-robotics-co-percepto-raises-45m-1001350621

Israeli pioneering autonomous inspection industrial robotics company Percepto today announced a strategic investment of $45 million in Series B funding [...]
The funds will be used to launch a solution for remote, fully autonomous, asset monitoring, inspection and compliance of industrial sites.

Percepto’s Autonomous Inspection & Monitoring (AIM) drone-in-a-box platform sets a new standard for how critical infrastructure and assets are monitored, end-to-end, paving the way for the remote operations center of the future. Operating a fleet of third party robots alongside their autonomous Sparrow drone, Percepto AIM provides visual data management and analysis to report trends and anomalies and to alert of risks.
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Percepto: Percepto secures $45 Million investment led by Koch Disruptive Technologies to Deliver Truly Autonomous Inspection of Industrial Sites

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