Robotics - Shaping the future of pipeline excavation for repair

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6465676

Haynes, J N; Briggs, A

The Robot Excavator (REX) Development Program was initiated in 1983 by the Southern California Gas Company (SoCal) to increase the productivity of maintenance crews and to reduce the hazards associated with pipeline repair. The overall objective of the research program was to produce a robot-controlled excavation system to expose utility pipes and other objects with improved safety and greater productivity. The specific objectives included: to develop a primary excavator system designed to dig trenches adjacent to pipe networks; to develop a secondary excavator system to remove in a benign manner the prism of soil not removed by the primary excavator that still covered the pipe network; to develop a central intelligence executive controller; i.e., computer and required software; to develop the controller hardware, including transducers, servos, and feedback systems; to develop a sensor and data processing system to recognize buried metal pipes with the requisite sensing techniques, processing routines, imaging, and interpretation; to develop a sensor system to detect buried plastic pipe.

• OSTI ID: 6465676
• Report Number(s): CONF-880603-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
032000* -- Natural Gas-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990220 -- Computers
Computerized Models
& Computer Programs-- (1987-1989)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AUTOMATION
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS
EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
EXCAVATION
INSTALLATION
LEVELS
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
PIPELINES
REMOTE SENSING
ROBOTS
UNDERGROUND