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Tarzan-like inspection bot could protect lives and assets for oil and gas industry

Joseph Flaig

The Rimcaw robot is deployed into the water (Credit: TWI)
The Rimcaw robot is deployed into the water (Credit: TWI)

Sliding up and down metal chains like a robotic Tarzan, a new autonomous machine could protect installations, lives and the environment for the oil and gas industry.

Designed to hook onto and climb large mooring chains beneath the water and above surface, the Rimcaw – Robotic Inspection of Mooring Chains in Air and Water – robot was built by Computerised Information Technology, Innovative Technology and Science, London South Bank University and TWI.

The machine, which uses ultrasonic scanning to check for potentially dangerous cracks and faults, recently successfully passed field tests.

“It will offer significant benefits to industry,” said project leader Channa Nageswaran, non-destructive testing manager at TWI.

Failure of mooring chains represents a “critical threat” to assets, workers’ lives and the environment, he said. “As a result, considerable effort goes into ensuring that the integrity of the chains is maintained to high standards, and a key part of this is increasing the precision and reliability of inspection methods.”

The autonomous machine will allow operators to inspect chains while they are in service for the first time, he said. The Rimcaw would identify issues such as fatigue cracking as it moves up and down, recording the scanned data for downloading and analysis.

Field trials took place at TWI’s diving facility in Middlesbrough. Operators confirmed the robot was neutrally buoyant, watertight and functional as anticipated. The machine, which was built with Innovate UK funding, will now face tests in real-world environments.

The risk-filled and expensive marine engineering sector is a growing market for autonomous machines, with drones, 'swarms' of aquatic robots and robotic submarines either in development or already deployed.


Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
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