Eelume’s and NTNU’s snake robot is featured successful the caller catastrophe movie "North Sea" (original title: "Nordsjøen"). Credit: Eelume
When the Norwegian accumulation institution Fantefilm searched the net to find the coolest underwater robot successful the world, they discovered to their astonishment that it was being manufactured successful Norway. The robot has frankincense go the archetypal to onshore a movie relation successful the movie "North Sea," which is premiering now.
Kristin Ytterstad Pettersen, prof of engineering cybernetics and 1 of the cardinal researchers astatine the Centre for Autonomous Marine Operations and Systems, AMOS, has been studying snake robotics for a fig of years. Pål Liljebäck took his doctorate successful snake robotics with Pettersen arsenic his supervisor. Based connected their research, they started the institution Eelume (pronounced 'ee-loom') successful 2015 arsenic a spin- disconnected from NTNU.
No 1 could person imagined past that Eelume would onshore a heroic relation successful Norway's largest movie accumulation 7 years later.
Derived from differential equations
The movie satellite isn't the lone spot wherever snake robots tin beryllium heroes. In the real world, snake robots besides play a important role.
Underwater robots tin assistance to research the ocean, for example.
"Only 5 percent of the water has been mapped. A snake robot could assistance analyse ample undiscovered areas, specified arsenic the oversea nether the Arctic and Antarctic," says Pettersen.
How does a carnal similar this travel about?
The world's astir precocious snake robot for usage underwater was archetypal developed done galore agelong mathematics problems that Pettersen and her probe radical wrote retired by hand. When the professors astatine NTNU's Department of Engineering Cybernetics (ITK) acceptable retired to make thing new, differential equations connected insubstantial were a cardinal tool.
"Getting robots to determination is ace fascinating. We usage mathematics arsenic a mode to decode the secrets of nature. Math is truly a connection for knowing and analyzing nature," says Pettersen.
She besides said that the mathematical exemplary for a robot really fits connected 1 A4 page.
Can execute assorted tasks astatine sea
Pettersen has headed the probe that led to a satellite breakthrough successful snake robotics, for which she has won galore awards. Other groups, including Japan and the U.S., person focused mostly connected mechatronics—the existent operation of joints and materials. Pettersen and her squad concentrated connected the "brain," oregon the algorithms, for however a snake robot should move.
After completing his doctorate, Liljebäck started arsenic Chief Technology Officer (CTO) astatine Eelume, becoming liable for exertion improvement successful the company. With the remainder of the Eelume team, helium has developed Eelume's snake-shaped underwater robot.
"After six years of tremendous effort, Eelume is present getting acceptable to execute assorted tasks astatine sea. Today's robot is the 3rd procreation and successful the adjacent fewer months, it volition transportation retired an autonomous inspection of pipelines," Liljebäck says.
Autonomous means that the robot tin execute tasks connected its own, based connected a program without having a idiosyncratic controlling it remotely. Other robots, specified arsenic ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles), are remotely controlled by a idiosyncratic from onshore oregon a vessel via a cable. Eelume's robot operates wirelessly, without immoderate wired connection.
An precocious underwater robot similar this tin assistance observe leaks and unsafe problems successful underwater installations, pass of spills and contamination oregon different threats, and besides bash repairs and maintenance.
"We'll besides articulation with Equinor to trial the robot's quality to observe leaks, and to measurement sound, brackish content, somesthesia and lipid successful water," says Liljebäck.
Wireless and AI
The squad astatine Eelume is moving hard to guarantee that a snake robot similar Eelume volition not lone dwell of beauteous mathematics equations conceived astatine the university, but volition besides payment the satellite done applicable uses.
"Pål has a steadfast grasp erstwhile it comes to mastering precocious mathematical mentation and constructing the mechatronics themselves. He builds the snake robots truthful that they look similar existent creatures, specified arsenic giving them eyes that nonstop accusation and that astir humanize them. They go personalities. The mode helium combines a mastery of the theoretical and astatine the aforesaid clip has the tendency to enactment it each into signifier is genuinely unique," says Pettersen.
Since Eelume's robot operates wirelessly, it tin determination wholly freely successful the water. Work is present continuing to make much and much autonomous operations for the snake robot to perform.
"All cybernetics is truly astir processing the computer's "brain" and includes an constituent of artificial intelligence," says Pettersen.
In 2016, Kongsberg Maritime and Equinor entered into concern with Eelume arsenic investor, exertion spouse and customer. Innovation Norway besides contributed fiscal enactment done an innovation contract.
Citation: Snake robot turned movie leader (2021, November 18) retrieved 18 November 2021 from https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-snake-robot-movie-hero.html
This papers is taxable to copyright. Apart from immoderate just dealing for the intent of backstage survey oregon research, no portion whitethorn beryllium reproduced without the written permission. The contented is provided for accusation purposes only.
English (US) ·