Ongoing
Project description
Funded by the Department for Transport through Innovate UK, with support from the Rail Safety and Standards Board and Chiltern Railways, this project has built a lab-based RAS demonstrator for train fluid servicing - "Cyberfluids 1".
The project was led by industrial partner TBG Solutions Ltd and was demonstrated to more than 30 senior executives from various rail companies.
Original scope of project:
- Investigate a proof of concept robotic autonomous system - Determine requirements for hose coupling (on existing trains)
- Investigate robot types and suitability
- Robot end effector (gripper) design
- Carry out mechanical alignment and robustness testing
Expanded project scope:
- Design and build a laboratory demonstrator with autonomous capability
- Demonstrate concept to industry/potential funders
- Provide test-bed for further innovation (e.g. wheel sand delivery system)
The next stage of the Cyberfluids research will be to build a depot-based demonstrator that will more fully show the rail industry the commercial potential of this technology.
Publications