Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation has executed field trials for shipyard operations at the Naval Base Ventura County. The Company performed field tests on the ground and at height using a suite of Sarcos solutions, including the Guardian DX teleoperated dexterous robot for defense; the Sapien 6M dexterous robot; the Sapien Sea Class underwater robot; and the Guardian S remote visual inspection robot.
The Sapien 6M and Guardian DX robots can be teleoperated and use a variety of tools while working at height aboard ship or pier side. They can be mounted to a mobile lift platform to perform visual inspections, remove rust and paint with off-the-shelf tools, laser ablation, and repairs using cold spray.
The Sapien Sea Class underwater robot, integrated with a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), is designed for both shallow and deep underwater use up to 1 kilometer and can perform inspections on a ship’s hull, propeller shaft, and propeller shaft tube, along with recovering unidentified objects from a ship’s hull.
The Guardian S visual inspection robot, which can traverse ferromagnetic vertical surfaces and access confined spaces, can be deployed inside and outside a ship to identify foreign objects.
“Working at height in dynamic environments, such as shipyards, is extremely dangerous work,” said Kiva Allgood, President and CEO, Sarcos. “Sarcos’ portfolio of teleoperated robots improves shipyard operations by solving critical pain points including human resource constraints, productivity, and safety.”
“It is imperative for the U.S. Navy to find solutions that will enable us to maintain mission-readiness, particularly while at sea,” said Janice Bryant, Expeditionary and Sustainment Technology Manager, Naval Sea Systems Command. “The technologies demonstrated at REPTX for ship inspection, sustainment, and repair using tele-operated at-height capabilities will have a significant benefit to increase Navy readiness. We look forward to continuing our work with solution providers to rapidly field for effect.”
