Manchester's Mechanical Mole
Date: September 19th. 2007
Since April 2005, Manchester Computer Scientists Dr Robert Richardson and Robin Scott have been working on an EPSRC funded project to develop an Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Robot. Several international teams are working on the development of USAR robots for deployment in situations of natural disaster or following terrorist attack, but the effectiveness of existing robots is limited by their inability to interact with and manipulate debris; crucial functions to explore collapsed buildings and quickly locate trapped survivors. Taking inspiration from the common garden mole (Talpa Europaea), Rob and Robin set about designing and building a robot that can shift loose debris aside and crawl through voids in rubble.
The team, part of the Manchester Robotics Group, faced numerous challenges - most notably the development of a robot which can move debris of a similar size to itself. “This is a considerable challenge, explains Rob, as all current mechanical excavators only move material a fraction of their size and weight. The energy and torque required to manipulate debris is considerable and any force has to be exerted efficiently and in a way that avoids secondary collapse.”
The initial phase of the project, has seen the development of a USAR prototype that uses a unique digging stroke to move obstacle of varying shape and size such as bricks and small pieces of concrete debris. The prototype will now undergo a refinement stage and integration with a mobile robotic chassis, before potential commercialisation.
The progress of Manchester’s mechanical mole has been followed by a number of interested parties over the last year, and the most recent report can be seen on the New Scientist website
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