Engineering news
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has opened Britain’s first facility for testing the performance of remote-operated and robotic systems against international standards, in collaboration with the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The test facility is based in the Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) robotics centre at Culham Science Centre near Oxford. Test tracks for aerial and tracked vehicles are now operational. Facilities for articulated arm and through the wall manipulator configurations will be available soon as well.
Just as an aircraft has to be fully tested and certified before it can be used, this comprehensive set of standard test methods enables independent evaluation of robotic devices’ capabilities with quantifiable results. Standards have been developed to measure remote systems’ mobility, sensors, energy consumption, communications, dexterity, durability, reliability, logistics, safety, autonomy, and operator proficiency.
The robots tested will be used in sectors such as nuclear, oil and gas, inspection of assets, as well as agriculture that is increasingly utilising robotic picking.
These methods will help robotics developers identify their operational needs, understand emerging remote system capabilities, guide purchasing and deployment decisions and provide focused training for operators. Martin Townsend, head of business development at UKAEA, stated that it is an independent facility open to all developers that will allow independent purchasing choices instead of relying on vendor performance data.
In addition to using the test facility, robotics developers can use RACE’s capabilities to advance their R&D. These include remote delivery systems, tooling and manipulation design, advanced simulation capability and support from RACE’s large team of engineers. Issues with performance can be solved through collaboration with the lab and will eventually give the industry a short cycle capability.
The RACE test facility’s counterpart facilities are operational at NIST in the US and planned in Japan and South Korea.
Townsend said: “This test facility is unique to Europe in providing robotic developers with an internationally recognised benchmarking system.
“We can offer flexible and low-cost performance testing and rapid feedback, helping to reduce product development cycle times.”
The robotics test facility at RACE was launched at the RAS in Challenging Environments Expo16 in Culham on 28 September, where NIST officials conducted demonstrations using unmanned aerial and ground vehicles.