The UK is developing a miniature "cockroach" robot that can climb into the engine for repairs
On July 17, British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce stated that it is developing a miniature "cockroach" robot that can crawl into aircraft engines to find and fix problems.
Rolls-Royce said this micro-technology can speed up inspections and repairs can be performed without removing the engine from the aircraft. Therefore, it can improve aircraft engine maintenance methods.
In order to explore this robotic concept, Rolls-Royce has jointly conducted research with robotics experts from Harvard University in the United States and the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
SebasTIan de Rivaz, a researcher at Harvard Research Institute, said that their design was inspired by cockroaches, and the research and development of this "cockroach" robot has been in progress for eight years. He said that the next step is to install a camera on the robot and reduce the size of the robot to 15 mm.
De Rivaz said that once the robots have completed their work, they can be programmed to leave the engine, or the engine can "rush them out" by itself.
These "cockroach" robots can enter the combustion chamber, inspect damage and remove any debris.
There is no timetable for when these crawling robots will be launched. However, Rolls-Royce is still developing a "remote drilling hybrid robot" that repairs damage to the compressor blades in the engine. On this kind of robot.
Regarding the use of these robots, firstly, a skilled worker will tie the robot to the engine, and then the robot will be remotely controlled by skilled workers at the Rolls-Royce Aircraft Center in Derby, UK.
The Rolls-Royce Aircraft Center will perform 3D scanning, remotely assess the problem, and then re-equip it for repairs. In short, the goal is to keep the engine on the plane to reduce time and cost, while avoiding the situation where skilled workers fly to the plane for repairs.
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