Precision Robotic Tomography System

The military and its munitions suppliers require an effective means for quality inspection of various types of munitions during production. The use of standard X-ray imaging computed tomography scanning (CT scanning) methods, which the military already has in place, requires munitions to be manually handled and controlled to prevent damage from mishandling and accidental discharge. DSM proposes the innovative development of a feature-rich, precision robotic handling system which, when married to the existing CT inspection method, will automate and greatly enhance safety and throughput capabilities for the process. The use of robotics to carry munitions and energetic materials through the CT scanning process requires a combination of safe handling protocols, protective hardware, and load and position monitoring suites giving feedback to the system controller. DSM's proposed system incorporates a traditional gantry robot with innovations for safe handling and monitoring of the test specimens throughout the inspection process. The proposed innovations include monitoring/auditing sensor suites to ensure system safety, a flexible gripping and securing method to accommodate a wide range of specimen geometry, and a simple user interface to enable rapid recognition and handling of a novel specimen geometry so that operator input for new specimen types is minimized.