NDE Using Quadruped Robotic Platform for Renewable Energy Producing Infrastructures

Abstract

Energy related infrastructure, whether for renewables or fossil fuels energy production as well as carbon capture facilities, constitute infrastructures, where a plethora of technologies are implemented in diverse environments of different type and design. Such a technological diversification requires numerous and holistic ways of Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE), not only accomplishing failure detection but also performance degradation and ultimately prediction of failure. In most cases, such infrastructure, can be hazardous workspaces for technicians and engineers, performing their periodic monitoring, testing, or maintenance duties. Quadruped robotics can potentially remove such risks to human health when applied in such tasks, due to their flexibility and ability to access the whole infrastructure in a periodic, accurate (both in repeating but also in measuring capability), and safe way. This paper introduces and describes the build of a new innovative NDE flexible robust quadruped robotic platform, to accommodate the challenges of extra-large, multi-technological and complex energy producing infrastructures.