The paper deals with the consolidation of rocky slopes and walls and proposes enhanced automation and original solution to avoid risky undertakings, when firming-up is accomplished to safeguard peopled areas, highways, dwelling houses or public works. In the paper, the alternatives considered for the design of the whole drilling system are shortly recalled, explaining the guidelines which led to the final architecture, as well. The drilling system mainly consists of: a commercial drilling rig with the requested modifications for the interfacing to an automatic feeding system a manipulator (endowed with a suitable gripper) for the loading/unloading of the rods a storage buffer for allocating the rods. automatic system is also required to feed the drilling head with new rods while the hole progresses and to recover the rods once the hole is up. The drilling system, to be used to automate rocky walls consolidation, has to be positioned in the points of the map earlier defined by the geologist for this reason it is hosted onto a semiautonomous climbing platform, with rods stored on-board. The paper proposes a new highly automated drilling system able to create holes up to 20 m depth in rocky walls using standard 1.5 m length rods. Originality/value – Roboclimber is the first robot able to do heavy duty works on rocky walls Practical implications – The system reduces operating costs and working time, while avoiding the human presence in unsafe and harsh environments. Coordination between legs motion and ropes tensioning is a difficult task.
Research limitations/implications – Roboclimber is cumbersome both robot transport and on-site positioning are complex operations.
Findings – The performance of the first prototype has satisfied the end-user new on-site tests and improvements are planned. Drilling process is fully automated, motion can be controlled in tele-operation. The robot can climb by means of four legs and two ropes. Design/methodology/approach – A multidisciplinary approach has been adopted to solve the problem: mechanical and control architecture have been conceived simultaneously. Purpose – The aim of the research is to design, build and test a robot able to autonomously execute slope consolidation tasks.
Hereafter few hints on the over-all arrangement are given, to enlighten the climbing motion sweeping-out the rocky walls and the handling requirements for the firming-up tasks during current risky engagements, front-end operators are avoided by overseeing options and remote actuation. The investigation avails itself of proved technologies and existing fixtures, suitable for compelling requests and dangerous work-conditions and is based on the collaboration with experts currently engaged for rocky wall consolidation and owners of several patented devices.
ROBOTIZE ME TRANSFORMERS FULL
The work-cycle is fully monitored, to provide remote evidence whether tasks are performed the right way and to collect any relevant (basic geology, on-duty remarks, etc.) data, supplying full on-line (with no extra-cost) assessment of the achieved issues. The prospected solution looks after a goal-oriented robotic rig enabled for tethered wall climbing and equipped for churn drill, boring and cast-in-situ piling. The topic has growing environmental concern, aiming at removing human operators, unless, possibly, for preliminary in-site set-ups. The paper deals with the consolidation of rocky slopes and walls, in view of enhancing automation to avoid risky undertakings, when firming-up is accomplished to safeguard peopled areas, highways, dwelling houses or public works.
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