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Dogs and robotics
Robot dog helps construct a mountain tunnel
Atsushi Yamashita
Professor,
Spot is a dog-shaped robot that can avoid obstacles and go up and down stairs easily. It is used in a range of places, including a mountain tunnel construction site.
Professor Yamashita, who conducts research into the remote control of robots, has developed a tunnel measurement system that uses this robot dog.
Efficiently grasping the shape of a tunnel through robotics
In cooperation with Obayashi Corporation, we developed a system to measure the cross sections of a tunnel easily and precisely using a drone and an autonomous quadruped dog-shaped robot named Spot.
When constructing a mountain tunnel, it is necessary to measure the dimensions to ensure that the tunnel is being built as designed. The height and width of a tunnel are conventionally measured in analog fashion by using an aerial work platform and measuring tools, which of course takes time and effort. There are various instruments available to measure the distance between two points, but it is difficult to take precise measurements of all of the dimensions of a tunnel and then use them to make a 3D model. Taking note of this, we developed a system involving a robot and automation technology to efficiently measure multiple cross sections of a tunnel in succession.
On a measurement device, we mounted a ring laser, which can send out laser beams in all directions, along with a super-wide-angle camera. The device radiates laser beams out onto the tunnel walls, and the captured images are then analyzed for the simultaneous calculation of the three-dimensional X, Y and Z coordinates. For this, we have adopted a measurement method called the “light-section method,” which is based on the principles of triangulation.
Measurement takes about one-thirtieth of the time
By remote-operating a Spot robot equipped with this measurement device along with a drone, you can measure all the cross sections of a tunnel from different angles to obtain 3D data of its inner shape. The use of the robot means the measurements can be taken in around one-thirtieth of the time required for the conventional method.
Spot can move smoothly even across highly uneven ground, and it automatically avoids obstacles. Operating it is like using a game controller: you just tilt the lever in the direction that you want the robot to move. Furthermore, in Japan, which has a shrinking population, it is important to promote automation in order to continue excavating tunnels and ensure that they are constructed as precisely as they are designed. Going forward, we plan to also apply this measurement system to the inspection of bridges, amongst other uses.
At our laboratory, we conduct a wide range of research activities related to the remote operation of robots. For example, we are developing a system that can capture images of the environment around a robot from a third-person viewpoint as well as fluoroscopic imaging technology. I hope to use our research to continue to develop interesting and socially useful technologies.
