A 校规乡 Public Works employee runs StormBot, a mobile robot developed by 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 工程 students, 通过现场测试.
Charged with maintaining critical infrastructure in 校规乡, 宾西法尼亚, Public Works Director Dennis Haggerty wanted a cost-effective and flexible option to examine stormwater pipes to help prevent flooding and erosion.
“We hired outside contractors in the past, but it’s expensive,” he said. “我们借了一台相机，但效果不理想.”
He realized that a custom video inspection robot wouldn’t just wash up in his office, 所以当他知道 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 students earn degrees from the Penn State College of 工程, 他联系了一位教员，提出了一项建议.
“我认为这对每个人都有好处. We form a partnership with 阿宾顿 students who get to test their skills in real-life situations, 我们得到了视频机器人,哈格蒂说.
General 工程 majors from 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 and Brandywine developed a mobile robot to inspect storm water pipes in nearby 校规乡. This field test demonstrates some of its capabilities. The township saved about $60,000 by working with the students instead of purchasing a robot.
鲍勃Avanzato, 工程副教授, called Stormbot perfect for his senior robot design course in the general 工程 multidisciplinary 工程 design (MDE) option.
Haggerty provided them with data, videos, images and samples of piping material. The students kept in close contact with their client as they developed a robot to meet the township’s requirements — just as they will once they graduate.
哈格蒂的要求包括:
- The robot's camera must pan and tilt, returning high-definition video and still images.
- A console to allow the user to operate the robot and maneuver the camera from above ground.
- Workers must be able to review the video transmission live as they search for compromises and obstructions in pipes.
- An emergency cable in case it needs to be removed by hand.
“It was exciting for the students to see concepts from classes come together,” Avanzato said.
查尔斯·利吉特, a 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 senior in the multidisciplinary 工程 program, and Horsham Public Works Director Dennis Haggerty review the Stormbot video on the console at the field test.
最后，该进行现场测试了. Haggerty and township workers released the robot into two residential storm pipes while Avanzato and senior 查尔斯·利吉特 guided them, 准备好进行故障排除.
正如预期的, Stormbot steered clear of debris and maneuvered around obstacles including bricks and a toy rocket, while LED lighting supported the video quality and highlighted areas workers wanted to explore further.
“结果非常积极, and the Horsham people were very pleased with the results,埃文扎托说. "In each case, the robot moved between 100 and 150 feet within the pipe.”
Students must complete a 300-hour 工程 internship between their junior and senior years.
几周后, Avanzato and his students sat in the audience while Haggerty presented the near-final version of the robot to the 校规乡 Council.
“The quality is high for post-processing the video and analyzing snapshots,哈格蒂对安理会成员说, who supported the results and the partnership with 阿宾顿.
最后, Haggerty said he was glad he didn’t follow his first impulse — attaching a GoPro to his son’s remote control car and letting it loose in the pipes.
“易胜博的学生们建造了一些令人惊叹的东西. The results are valuable and useful, and so is the relationship.他说.
校规乡 official Dennis Haggerty holds Stormbot, which 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 and Brandywine senior 工程 students developed with guidance from 鲍勃Avanzato, 工程副教授, 正确的.
Earn a Penn State 工程 degree in the Philadelphia region
The multidisciplinary 工程 design (MDE) option of the Penn State general 工程 degree is delivered by a consortium composed of 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校, 宾州州立大学白兰地酒, 和易胜博大峡谷. Students graduate with a bachelor of science degree from the Penn State College of 工程.
2美元.5 million 工程 facility where students take their final two years of coursework is located at the Great Valley campus, 离阿宾顿大约30英里. Shuttle service from 阿宾顿 to Great Valley is available.
The general 工程 program is accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board for 工程 and Technology).
