Autonomous Robotic Scanning System Reduces Accidental Damages to Buried Assets and Improves Underground Locating
ULC Technologies LLC, a global leader in robotics engineering and robotics-as-a-service, has received an RBR50 Robotics Innovation for the development of an autonomous underground scanning system designed to reduce accidental damages to buried assets. The Robotic Underground Survey System (RUSS) is one of several innovations the company is developing and commercializing within the underground locating, inspection, and remediation industries.
Third-party damage is a leading cause of excavation-related incidents that can result in injury to people and property and can cause service disruptions to electricity, gas, water and sewer, and internet.
ULC Technologies’ RUSS is a semi-autonomous system that assists crews in locating and surveying underground infrastructure to build accurate maps of buried pipelines and cables. Using a lightweight, handheld console, the operator can command the wheeled robot to perform an automated scan in both urban and rural areas. The robot employs a pulseEKKO bi-static antenna allowing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to be deployed with multiple degrees-of-freedom to adjust antenna separation and polarization angles and initiate multiple scanning modes.
“The Robotic Underground Survey System has advanced the art of GPR scanning by changing the way the transmitter and receiver are deployed,” says Aalap Shah, Director of Government Projects at ULC Technologies. “RUSS scans the street surface with greater resolution while simplifying requirements for operator training and generating more consistent survey results.”
The Robotic Underground Survey System project was developed using funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration and utilized GPR technology developed by Sensors & Software, an innovative developer of GPR instrumentation and software.
“ULC Technologies continues to push the state-of-the-art of underground locating, inspection and remediation through the development and deployment of new technologies,” says Steve Green, General Manager of ULC Technologies. “In addition to our growing portfolio of GPR-based solutions, our teams are piloting a ground-breaking robotic excavation solution as well as a new cross bore detection sensor that further support underground damage prevention.”
Both ULC Technologies and Sensors & Software are part of SPX Corporation.
About ULC Technologies, LLC
ULC Technologies, LLC. helps utilities, energy companies and industrial sector companies confront the increasing need to repair and maintain their pipelines and infrastructure through the development and commercialization of innovative robotic solutions, unmanned aerial systems, machine learning, and inspection services. Our technologies help companies cause less disruption to the public, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize cost. ULC Technologies is part of SPX Corporation.
Learn more about ULC Technologies at https://ulctechnologies.com
About Sensors and Software
Sensors & Software Inc. is recognized worldwide as an innovative designer and manufacturer of ground penetrating radar (GPR) instrumentation and software. Sensors & Software provides GPR solutions for numerous applications, including utility locating, structural assessment, mining and quarrying, forensics, archaeology, geology, environmental assessment, glaciology, agriculture, and UXO detection. Our GPR solutions help our customers to understand what lies beneath the surface and empower informed decision–making. Sensors & Software joined Radiodetection in November 2020 and now is a part of SPX Corporation.
Learn more about Sensors & Software at https://www.sensoft.ca/
