In the past, maintenance was not given much consideration in the construction of industrial plants, buildings or bridges. As a consequence, the maintenance of aged objects is challenging and expensive. However, with the help of modern MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) robots, damage can be detected, inspected or predicted at a reasonable cost. This allows the extended use of essential infrastructure, and prevents outages and accidents. Michele Guarnieri, CEO at HiBot, explains: "Basically, we’re saving lives that are at risk because of maintenance gone wrong." As his company’s history shows, the safety of the inspection itself also plays a role.

Application in Fukushima

In collaboration with Professor Hirose of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, of which HiBot was originally a spin-out, the company developed a long-reach arm with multiple limbs that was used during the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2016...

Read the full article at Design World Online.