Ground-Based AutoNmous Robotic Inspection of General Aviation for Radiological Threats

The goal of this project is to develop a ground robotic system that performs automated radiological screening of general aviation aircraft. The robotic system will integrate a commercial off-the-shelf mobile platform, a manipulator arm, and radiation detectors with 3D vision sensors and path planning software to produce a highly-automated, robust solution for initial and secondary aircraft screening. The system will be designed such that, following identification of the target aircraft by a remote operator, the robot will traverse a path around the aircraft to determine its 3D shape using an onboard vision sensor while simultaneously detecting potential regions of radiological interest. It will then plan a secondary screening path as needed to identify, localize, and characterize any radiation aNmalies. The project is divided into three phases. The successful completion of Phase 1 resulted in the development of a conceptual design, including creation of performance goals, selection of COTS components, creation of an integrated CAD design, and production of simulated screening results illustrating system performance. Phase 2 will focus on creation and demonstration of a prototype system, to include testing on one or more general aviation aircraft in a realistic environment. Phase 3 will focus on product development for other applications of interest to commercial entities and/or DHS. It is envisioned that commercialization opportunities for this system exist for a variety of applications such as nuclear security, nuclear safety, decontamination work, routing surveys of nuclear facilities, and screenings at any facilities with a concern about radiological threats.