The 2021 Robotics & AI Industry Showcase is just around the corner. James Kell, Innovation Specialist at Rolls-Royce and member of the Robotics Growth Partnership, updates us on the robotics project he alluded to at the 2019 Showcase, that is set to improve costs, time and safety in after-market aerospace engineering.

 

Back in 2019, the National Robotics Network invited me to speak at the Robotics & AI Industry Showcase, the KTN event that brings together the entire UK robotics and AI industry to share ideas and innovations that have the potential to benefit other sectors.

As an Innovation Specialist in Repair & Services R&D at Rolls-Royce, I was there to explain the big issues in aftermarket aerospace engineering and where Rolls-Royce saw opportunities for innovation. I am also proud to be a member of the Robotics Growth Partnership which is shaping a vision for how new ‘cyber-physical fabric’ which could maximise the robotics potential for the UK.

Rolls-Royce no longer sells engines in the aerospace market, we operate on long-term service agreements, and we only get paid when the engines are in the air. This means any unplanned services cost us doubly for both repair and the time on the ground, and our clients also suffer from the disruption.

One of the challenges of inspection, maintenance and repair of a complex system like a gas turbine is it can require specialist knowledge and can lead to unplanned dismantling of the engine to diagnose the problem and correct it. As we lease engines all around the world, this means repairs can also incur added travel time and costs. Obviously, problems occur in engineering and they can’t always be avoided, but it was clear to us that a remote robotic solution could massively reduce the time and cost implications of inspection and repair when those problems do arise.

At the workshop, I also gave an overview of a project we were working on to create a ‘snake’ robot that can be inserted into engines to inspect issues and even remotely repair damaged components without dismantling the engine. A project that was, at the time, in its infancy. Since then, the project, which was funded by the Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: Robotics for a Safer World, has come on leaps and bounds.

The COBRA Project, which stands for COntinuum roBot for Remote Applications, comprises Rolls-Royce as the challenge setter as well as a whole host of specialist SMEs, researchers at the University of Nottingham, and funding and direction from the likes of Innovate UK and UKRI.

The COBRA robot will be about the diameter of a pencil, but 5m in length, and can be inserted into engines via 10mm inspection holes. It can be piloted remotely, either on site or a thousand miles away, and, using a fibre optic cable that runs through its body and an apposable mirror at its head, it can mill damaged components using a laser developed by OpTek Systems. Simulators also enhance the operator experience such as by returning a real-time ‘snake pose’ to overlay onto a digital twin.

Different specialist companies from all over the UK have played a critical role in the development of the COBRA robot, and academics at the University of Nottingham have steered the robotic elements of the project. From the miniaturised laser and mirror system at the robot’s head, to the robot-human interface and everything in between, a different set of experts has had to work collaboratively on each component part. Our total supply chain for this type of activity comprises of 40 to 50 people across at least 10 different UK organisations to date.

The COBRA project is not quite at the commercialisation stage just yet, but we do have a mature, high-spec prototype that is testing successfully, and we will be showcasing it at the RAI Industry Showcase on 25–27 May. We have launched a follow-on project (REINSTATE) with support from Innovate UK, and are developing a technology supply chain to meet our needs. Not only will the finished product increase our ability at Rolls-Royce to react to fleet needs and repairs, but it has applications well beyond even aerospace engineering.

The project team also partnered with the UKAEA through RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments) due to the COBRA robot’s applicability for inspection and repair in other confined or even hazardous environments, such as those found in the nuclear industry. We’ve also been contacted from representatives of disparate sectors, including medical inspection, telecoms, ship building, steam turbine manufacturing, oil and gas and nuclear decommissioning to enquire about the project’s progress.

The impact the finished robot could potentially have on the UK economy as a whole can’t be understated, and we wouldn’t have realised this if not for the sector representatives we met at the 2019 Robotics & AI Industry Showcase. That’s why we’re coming back this year!

The Robotics & AI Industry Showcase virtual event will be held on 25–27 May 2021. To register to attend visit www.raishowcase.com.