Rolls-Royce Planning Robots "Bugs" as Crawl and Fix Engines



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Rolls-Royce recently developed a unique solution to engine problems in aircraft. Rather than disassemble an engine, the company has designed robotic systems capable of crawling into the engine itself for repairs and diagnostics.

The Rolls-Royce engineering company collaborated with engineers from the University of Nottingham and Harvard. . They presented the work at the Farnborough Air Show

"We are developing a number of miniature devices that allow us to perform inspections or repairs inside the reactor," explains Dr. James Kell. in Rolls-Royce, said in an interview. "Repairs can take the form of removing damaged equipment or handing over equipment. To enable us to perform these repairs, we are working with a vast network of partners to develop mechatronic probes – similar to keyhole surgery techniques. "

The technologies themselves include a variety of robotics:

– a set of mini-bots of about 10 mm in diameter that would be placed in the middle of a motor by the engine. Intermediate of a separate robot resembling a snake SWARM bots would perform an inspection of hard-to-reach areas in the engines by carrying tiny cameras for live video viewing.

– INSPECT robots would be a series of periscopes Permanently attached to the engine and constantly seeking maintenance needs.These robots are pencil-sized and are designed to withstand constant heat and exposure to the engine.

– The robots FLARE are snake-like robotic systems that pass through the engine as an endoscope

Developments – and others we have not yet presented – are exciting achievements in their own right, Kell continued. "For example, imagine a damaged compressor blade in an engine in Dubai, a deployed remote mixing robot would allow a person in Derby [in the U.K.] to repair it so that the engine would come back faster than the engine. current approach. "

It is important to note that the Rolls-Royce in question is not responsible for luxury cars. The British company Rolls-Royce Plc. is a completely different company from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Although we would like to see one day these types of robotic systems help diagnose car problems, we will have to settle for aircraft engines at the moment. Kell said applications of this style of robotics could go beyond planes. He noted in an interview that medical engineering and medical technology still inspires the technologies used in the repair of cars and aircraft.

"I imagine that there might be specific applications for these technologies in the automotive industry." But the model of the industry is not yet as motivated long-term service contracts. Many of our technologies have their roots in the medical industry, and maybe they can be reapplied to health care [at some point in the future]. "

In a statement, Richard Goodhead, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President – Marketing, said," The progress we are making in robotics is a great example of our IntelligentEngine vision. By exploring how we could use the rapid progress we are seeing in areas such as digital and robotics, we are ensuring that Rolls-Royce continues to innovate in the service business, delivering the best value for money. price quality. "(function (d, s, id) {
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