SBIR Phase II: Autonomous Robot for In-Service Inspection of Petrochemical Storage Tanks and other Explosive Atmosphere Environments

bstracts are a public record of active and expired awards and are an important source of information on NSF activities. The purpose of the Abstract is to describe the project and justify the expenditure of Federal funds. Abstracts must not contain inappropriate or confidential information, and because they are available to such a wide audience, high standards of quality must be maintained in preparing them. The NSF award abstract has two parts, which should appear in the following order: -Part 1: A nontechnical description of the project, which explains the project's significance and importance. This description also serves as a public justification for NSF funding by articulating how the project serves the national interest, as stated by NSF's mission: to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; or to secure the national defense. This part of the abstract should describe the fundamental issues the project seeks to address, as well as other potential benefits, such as how the project advances the field, supports education and diversity, or benefits society. This part should be understandable by a broad audience. -Part 2: A technical description of the project that states its goals and scope, the methods and approaches to be used, and its potential contribution. In many cases, the technical project description may be a modified version of the project summary that is submitted with the proposal. However, the technical description should reflect any changes in the project's goals made after the review process. -Part 3: The Statement of Merit Review, "This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria." This statement is non-editable and added to every proposal Abstract once it has been saved in eJacket. This statement is viewable after the Abstract has been saved, and is read-only. Upon award of a proposal, the Abstract is available in the Award Search application and via FastLane. The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is the development of an autonomous robotic system for inspecting hazardous industrial infrastructure in flammable and explosive environments. Many facilities in the energy and chemical sectors rely on infrastructure such as storage tanks, pressure vessels, columns, boilers, and pipelines to operate safely and efficiently. These assets degrade over time, requiring regular inspections that help plan necessary repairs to prevent leaks, emissions, fires, or other failures. However, current methods are dangerous, expensive, and inaccurate, often requiring shutting down of critical systems to make ready for human inspection, emitting greenhouse gases in the process. The proposed innovation allows for in-service inspections, which completely eliminates the need for confined space entry and the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This technology supports environmental compliance and enhances workplace safety while delivering high-resolution data that can improve maintenance planning and reduce downtime. Its broader impact lies in transforming inspection practices across high-risk infrastructure, paving the way for more sustainable and automated industrial operations. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will advance a wall-climbing robotic platform designed to conduct autonomous inspections inside hazardous, explosive environments—such as those commonly used in the process industries. The project will address seven core technical objectives: (1) develop advanced navigation systems to safely traverse complex and sludge-laden steel structures; (2) develop an automated data collection and inspection reporting system that integrates visual, LiDAR, thermal, gas concentration, and tactile / contact-sensing data; (3) test and refine the robot’s various safety protection methods to allow operation in explosive atmospheres; (4) enhance deployment and retrieval methods for efficient field operation; (5) finalize the design and management of a robot-attached umbilical lifeline; (6) refine product design and field operations through field surveys and customer input; and (7) accelerate industry adoption through pilot projects and regulatory engagement. Together, these efforts aim to deliver a fully certifiable, deployable robotic inspection tool capable of transforming how industrial facilities inspect and maintain their most hazardous infrastructure. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.