Contractors and municipalities are constantly alert for ways to make the process of inspecting underground pipes less time- and labor-intensive, especially in the field.
That explains the interest in side-scanning devices that quickly record panoramic images of the entire pipe circumference for later review in an office setting. That technology greatly reduces data-gathering time in the field.
The Solo robotic pipe inspection system from RedZone Robotics Inc. has a similar benefit. The system includes a fully autonomous robotic crawler, camera platform, image capture, and data-storage device. Available only as a leased unit, it eliminates capital investment in inspection equipment and the need for highly trained field inspection technicians and dedicated, specialized support vehicles.
Because the lease includes data archiving, interpretation, comprehensive condition reports and access to interactive online asset management tools, owners of even small infrastructure networks can get the benefit of top-of-the-line inspection and analysis technology.
The Solo system enables a single, modestly trained field technician to investigate and document multiple runs of 8- to 12-inch pipe simultaneously. The only limit to the number of simultaneous investigations is the number of camera units on hand and the technician’s agility at sequential deployments and retrievals. The manufacturer says a technician typically can keep four units busy.
RedZone Robotics personnel demonstrated the technology in the City of Pittsburgh, Pa. On hand were project manager Chris Atwood, marketing director Phil Johns, Solo technician Doug Soxman, reporting technician Jennifer Costello, and lead reporting technician Martin Breit.
Walk-around
The Solo unit, with or without attached cameras, appears symmetrical. Prominent on both ends of the cameras are LED light arrays that encircle the lenses, which in turn are protected by a transparent, field-replaceable plastic bubble. Cameras have a 360-degree field of view.
On close observation, the aft end is distinguishable by a back plate, from which emerges a small-diameter, Kevlar-like cord with its end tied in a loop. The cord is part of the control mechanism. Other points of asymmetry are the green start button, a data port, and the product nameplate, all on only one side. Data capture is totally symmetrical: As the device moves forward, it captures images from fore- and aft-facing cameras.
The most noticeable and colorful components are the pair of 2-inch-wide orange treads that resemble those of a military tank. One component of conventional inspection camera-crawler platforms is missing: There is no control or umbilical cable. From the moment the operator deploys the crawler and starts a traverse until he retrieves it, there is no direct human interaction. Deployment requires three other devices:
• A traditional telescoping deployment pole with hook, used to place the crawler into the flow channel in the manhole.
• A telescoping, compression-secured hanger bar installed at the top of the insertion manhole (the short cord is clipped to this bar).
• An armored laptop computer with WiFi communications capabilities that transmits location and pipe information to the crawler and is used to send it on its way.
Protected in the pressurized crawler body are rechargeable batteries, an onboard computer, and sensors that keep the crawler centered in the pipe’s channel and let it discern when it emerges from the pipe at the next manhole. Hidden in the back of the body, a reel maintains slight tension on the cord as part of the condition-sensing system.
At the end of a day’s field deployment, at a jobsite trailer, workshop or the user’s office, battery chargers and a redundant mass data-storage unit known as the Vault support the robot’s work. The Vault automatically downloads the day’s collected data and image files from up to eight robots using Ethernet cable connections.
A palm-sized hard drive is used to transport the data from the Vault to the RedZone Robotics offices in Pittsburgh. Data is sent by UPS or similar service on a weekly basis. Resident in RedZone headquarters are an array of data-storage devices and a computer system that enables highly trained reporting technicians to perform condition assessments and manage users’ information.
The system provides 16 GB of onboard data-storage capacity, enough for about 10,000 linear feet of inspections. Battery life in the crawler is adequate for two typical 400- to 500-foot traverses. Traverse speed is up to 30 feet per minute.
