Tunnel inspection robot
On May 21, 2021, Tianjin University released the tunnel intelligent inspection robot at the fifth world intelligent conference. This intelligent robot with "the strongest brain" is developed based on blockchain technology, which can become a "safety guard" for tens of thousands of kilometers of traffic tunnels in China.
At present, the total length of tunnels in China ranks first in the world. The tunnel has built a "super-channel network" of passenger and cargo traffic, bringing great convenience to people. However, in the construction and operation of the tunnel, the concrete lining may crack, damage, fall off, and other problems, and the fire, poor lighting, and water on the road surface in the tunnel can also cause casualties.
All these pose severe challenges to tunnel traffic operation and maintenance, which requires high frequency and high-intensity patrol inspection. Compared with the traditional manual inspection, the tunnel inspection robot can shuttle flexibly in a dangerous area, and its working efficiency and inspection intensity are much stronger than manual inspection. A powerful intelligent tunnel inspection robot is of great significance to social and economic development.
Developed by the Large Span Space Structure Research Center of Tianjin University, the new intelligent tunnel inspection robot has the "strongest brain": it consists of four parts: execution system, communication system, control system, and operation and maintenance system.
The robot is equipped with a high-definition infrared camera and multiple types of sensors, combined with advanced technologies such as laser scanning and image recognition, to collect real-time signals, analyze and process them, to realize comprehensive and all-weather monitoring of tunnel structure, internal environment, working equipment, and traffic operation.
What is particularly worth mentioning is that, given the actual situation of the complex tunnel inspection structure and numerous participants in the monitoring system, the team of Tianjin University innovatively uses blockchain technology for robot research and development.
The valuable inspection data can break through the network bottleneck and realize information sharing and efficient cooperation between Party A, Party B, and the supervisor.
Relevant achievements have been published in international authoritative journals continuously in 2020 and 2021, and have been approved by several international patents and software Copyrights.
"We have carried out commissioning tests at the Lianhua Ling Tunnel in Tianjin. The results show that this intelligent robot can obtain long-term, real-time and comprehensive traffic tunnel information, diagnose damage, assess risks, and even assist in emergency rescue for the first time, thus providing basis and guidance for tunnel maintenance, maintenance, and management decisions, effectively filling the gap in this field." "China has built more than 30,000 kilometers of traffic tunnels, and tens of thousands more are under construction or planning at this moment. We expect the intelligent robot with a 'super brain' to have a bright future and help build China into a transportation power," said Xu Jie, head of the research and development team at Tianjin University.
