Average White Band | Design by Nature
The Challenge | Design by Nature
SnakeBat Scanner
Bio-inspired design of a crack detection robot for space station and satellites
The project faces the crucial task of crack detection in international space station and satellites, with a dramatically lightweight solution embedding a 3D laser scanner for preliminar superficial crack detection and a phased array device (wich can be "dived" to the surface) for deep examination of crack position and geometry. The detector exploits the ultrasonic wavelegths traveling through materials as bats recognitive systems and moves around the surface of the satellite running on a snake-like wire path system.
the end effector is able to perform detection operations in complete autonomy, since it is equipped with a battery and an internal memory that records the crack positions and communicates them during the chargin phase in the predisposed fixed station, requiring human involvement only in the case of a repair need.
The SnakeBat Scanner is a totally innovative solution that can save an entire space station!
GitHub repository: https://github.com/AverageWhiteBandNASA/SnakeBat-S...
SpaceApps is a NASA incubator innovation program.