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Use-Inspired Mobile Robot to Improve Safety of Building Retrofit Workforce in Constrained Spaces

Smruti Suresh, Michael Angelo Carvajal, Nathaniel Hanson, Ethan Holand, Samuel Hibbard, Taskin Padir

Abstract

The inspection of confined critical infrastructure such as attics or crawlspaces is challenging for human operators due to insufficient task space, limited visibility, and the presence of hazardous materials. This paper introduces a prototype of PARIS (Precision Application Robot for Inaccessible Spaces): a use-inspired teleoperated mobile robot manipulator system that was conceived, developed, and tested for and selected as a Phase I winner of the U.S. Department of Energy's E-ROBOT Prize. To improve the thermal efficiency of buildings, the PARIS platform supports: 1) teleoperated mapping and navigation, enabling the human operator to explore compact spaces; 2) inspection and sensing, facilitating the identification and localization of under-insulated areas; and 3) air-sealing targeted gaps and cracks through which thermal energy is lost. The resulting versatile platform can also be tailored for targeted application of treatments and remediation in constrained spaces.

Use-Inspired Mobile Robot to Improve Safety of Building Retrofit Workforce in Constrained Spaces

Abstract

The inspection of confined critical infrastructure such as attics or crawlspaces is challenging for human operators due to insufficient task space, limited visibility, and the presence of hazardous materials. This paper introduces a prototype of PARIS (Precision Application Robot for Inaccessible Spaces): a use-inspired teleoperated mobile robot manipulator system that was conceived, developed, and tested for and selected as a Phase I winner of the U.S. Department of Energy's E-ROBOT Prize. To improve the thermal efficiency of buildings, the PARIS platform supports: 1) teleoperated mapping and navigation, enabling the human operator to explore compact spaces; 2) inspection and sensing, facilitating the identification and localization of under-insulated areas; and 3) air-sealing targeted gaps and cracks through which thermal energy is lost. The resulting versatile platform can also be tailored for targeted application of treatments and remediation in constrained spaces.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 21 sections, 7 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. System Architecture
  4. Design Requirements
  5. Prototype Hardware and Software
  6. Locomotion
  7. Mapping
  8. Manipulation
  9. Inspection
  10. Air-Sealing
  11. Actuation and Power System
  12. On-board Computing
  13. Human Robot Interaction
  14. System Evaluation
  15. Test Environment
  16. ...and 6 more sections

Figures (7)

  • Figure 2: PARIS (a) traversing across attic testbed, (b) inspecting heat signatures, and (c) air-sealing a structural gap. (d) Human manually air-sealing fan duct with foam sealant (Great Stuff Pro™) DuPont2020GreatStuff.
  • Figure 3: Physical prototype of PARIS as assembled for field testing.
  • Figure 4: (a) Original conceptual component layout, (b) fully assembled state, and (c) exploded view of the thermal-stereo camera module.
  • Figure 5: Hardware-Software System Architecture. PARIS operates using a ROS architecture system of nodes connecting over wired and wireless network connections to allow for sensor data transmission and user control.
  • Figure 6: (a) Adjacent gable and flat roof testbed modules. (b) Fan duct, (c) junction box, (d) light fixture, and (e) electrical conduit.
  • ...and 2 more figures