Applications of robotics in test and inspection

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight on the use of robots in a range of industrial test and inspection applications. Design/methodology/approach Following a brief introduction, this discusses robotic test and inspection products and practices in the following applications: pipelines, storage tanks, bridges, marine uses, green energy generation and aerospace. Finally, concluding comments are drawn. Findings This shows that robotic test and inspection practices are being used in a wide range of applications across a diversity of industries. This reflects the many operational and economic benefits arising from their use which include the ability to automate certain laborious manual methods; operation in hazardous locations; uses in inaccessible environments such as within pipelines; the ability to deploy several different techniques simultaneously and thus detect multiple potential defects; reduced workforce costs; and, very often, more rapid testing and greater data acquisition rates than are possible with human operators. Originality/value This illustrates the increasingly important role played by robotic technologies in industrial test and inspection practices.