Priority issues of infrastructure inspection and maintenance robot: A part of COCN 2012 project “disaster response robot and its operational system”

Since the aging of infrastructure and production facilities of Japanese society is in progress, the importance of the development and utilization of infrastructure inspection and maintenance robot is increasing. It can prevent and/or reduce damage in the event of natural disasters, and it can deal with the expansion of everyday maintenance requirement. In addition, conversion to disaster responder is practically possible since its technologies and capabilities of robot are quite similar. As technological challenges, combined type mobile robot technique, development of aerial robot control software for inspection task and the mobile technology on the wall are essential. There is an urgent need to develop techniques and the standards for explosion proof mobile robot. As advanced practical research theme for inspection robot, we propose to establish the Disaster Management Centre, where the robot functional verification, performance evaluation, and technical information exchange will be conducted in peacetime, in disaster and in all aspects of recovery process.