SIRCAUR: Safe inspection of reinforced concrete structures by autonomous robot

Abstract

Designing climbing robots for industrial applications, has been proven to be an egg and chicken problem. The more the payload the more adhesion force needed. In order to move a robot upwards with such a force, motors with bigger torque are required and thus, increasing the payload. Similarly, increasing the adhesion force is likely to increase the payload. This paper presents an improved climbing robot specifically designed to climb on structures with 30~35mm of reinforced concrete (R/C) cover, while deploying a precision noncontact GPR sensor for the detection of rebar corrosion and related defects. Furthermore, it carries a system for visual inspection and detection of concrete cover deterioration. It works autonomously under UWB controlled trajectories, adjustable by GPR sensor feedback for avoidance of rebar-poor regions. The inspection NDT data is transmitted wirelessly to a ground-based CPU for processing and monitoring.