• Project group aims to develop a state-of-the-art platform for robotic inspection
• Consortium consists of 14 high-profile tech and inspection service providers and asset owners

As part of its commitment to addressing the issue of aging civil and commercial infrastructure in Europe, Waygate Technologies Robotics (WTR) announced that it has taken a leading role in the EU-funded PILOTING initiative. The initiative is driven by a consortium of 14 high-profile tech and inspection service providers and asset owners from six European countries, working together to meet the current critical need for efficient and reliable infrastructure inspection and maintenance by developing state-of-the-art robotic inspection solutions and an integrated information and management (I&M) platform.

PILOTING is an acronym that stands for ‘PILOTs for robotic INspection and maintenance Grounded on advanced intelligent platforms and prototype applications’. Funded by the European Commission, the project started in early 2020 and is planned to run for four years. The main goal is to establish an efficient and universally compatible high-tech approach to renew Europe’s aging infrastructure – bridges and tunnels, as well as dozens of oil refineries.

Central to PILOTING is the creation of an open and scalable inspection and maintenance platform. Currently inspection personnel and authorities often lack repeatable and reproducible inspection data. This problem can be addressed with an ecosystem that integrates a variety of robotic systems. Ultimately, these intelligent solutions will save time, reduce cost, improve the quality of inspections and reduce risks for infrastructure operators.

Based on its deep expertise in this field, Waygate Technologies Robotics is leading the project’s efforts in the development of robotic systems with advanced autonomous functionalities, including crawlers, drones and wheeled ground vehicles. “Our participation in PILOTING reflects our investment in advanced inspections, our leadership in non-destructive industrial inspection solutions, and our commitment to ensuring safety, quality and productivity for major industries and their customers all around the world,” said Ekkehard Zwicker, Product Line Leader Robotics at Waygate Technologies. “Working together with innovators and leaders in their respective fields will help us increase the efficiency and quality of inspections of the aging infrastructure throughout Europe. We are thrilled to be partnering with them on this vital initiative.”

PILOTING is part of HORIZON 2020, the European Union’s research and innovation initiative. Horizon 2020 is a central building block of the ERA, the European Research Area, that is working toward the free exchange of knowledge throughout the European Union. The ultimate goal is economic growth and job creation throughout the EU.

Learn more:

• Project website: piloting-project.eu
• Official description of the EU Commission: europa.eu/project/id/871542
• Introducing Waygate Technologies Robotics Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsfysf3u2CU
• Official Waygate Technologies Robotics Website: inspection-robotics.com

Images: WTR BIKE Inspection Robot (see file attached)

About Waygate Technologies

Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, is an industrial inspection solutions company and the world leader in non-destructive testing (NDT). In its long history, Waygate Technologies brings in together more than 125 years of experience and expertise as well as a global DNA combined with the unrivalled precision of German engineering. Today, hundreds of brands in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, battery and additive industries trust our technologies to ensure safety, quality and productivity. Our business offers a broad portfolio of award-winning solutions in industrial radiography and computed tomography (CT), remote visual inspection (RVI), ultrasound (UT), eddy current, and robotic inspection. We help customers to drive their digital transformation by applying state-of-the-art data and analytics to their assets and processes for best-in-class insights. Headquartered in Germany, the company has offices all around the world and employs over 1,600 experts and dedicated professionals. Waygate Technologies is part of the Digital Solutions segment of Baker Hughes (NYSE: BKR). Inspection starts here: waygate-tech.com