Ship Inspection Robot (SIR), Zurich, Switzerland

[Airicist]

Website - sir.ethz.ch (http://www.sir.ethz.ch)

SIR was developed as part of an industrial-academic collaboration between GE Inspection Robotics (https://pr.ai/showthread.php?2141), ETH Zurich and ZHdK.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/gP2G8_fL5ng

Ship Inspection Robot - ETHZ Focus Project

Published on Jun 24, 2013


The Ship Inspection Robot is intended to simplify the inspection process for huge cargo vessels and thus help save costs. In particular, it should increase security for inspectors, as they will no longer have to climb into every nook and cranny of the vessel themselves.
Within the focus project framework during fifth and sixth semester, an interdisciplinary team of ten students in total develops a ship inspection robot. This robot is intended to inspect the structures of ballast tanks in huge cargo vessels visually with a camera to find signs of corrosion, leaks and abnormalities. In order to reach all areas of the tank, the robot must be able to scale vertical walls, pass through small hatches and climb over complex profile structures.
Due to its special wheel assembly, the SIR is a tool which can manoeuvre in tight spaces and climb over all manner of steel profiles. The robot's entire construction is designed for low production costs and robust functioning. Even non-specialised users can deploy and control it.

[Airicist]

http://vimeo.com/77167257

Ship Inspection Robot
October 17, 2013


See SIR in action.
The prototype SIR, a new generation for ship inspection was developed at ETH Zurich. An interdisciplinary student team with mechanical and electrical engineers from ETH Zurich and industrial designers from ZhdK Zurich developed the robot from September 12 - June 13.

[Airicist]

Article "Students hope their ship inspection robot will significantly reduce dry-dock time for maritime transport industry, improve safety for inspectors (https://robohub.org/students-hope-their-ship-inspection-robot-will-significantly-reduce-dry-dock-time-for-maritime-transport-industry-improve-safety-for-inspectors)"

by Florian Berlinger, Clemens Clausen, Hallie Siegel
September 30, 2013