50 As uncrewed systems transition away from being little more than one-off science experiments and evolve into serious industrial tools that are as essential to industrial facility workers as a screwdriver, they are being designed with tougher reliability and ruggedness to withstand the environmental and impact risks of functioning everywhere from chemical plants to power stations and oil rigs. The latest system from Spain-based Robotnik, the RB-WATCHER, integrates a plethora of sensors on a ruggedised body to navigate and inspect the inside and outside of industrial facilities safely, with little risk from indoor or outdoor hazards or single points of failure. The RB-WATCHER measures 904 x 731 x 614 mm and weighs 73 kg when empty (its weight capacity for payloads being 50 kg). It moves at 2.5 m/s (9 kph) in its typical industrial-inspection missions and has a five-hour operating endurance; these capabilities coming from a 4WD, battery-electric powertrain. That mounts to a body rated to an IP54 protection level, meaning the bulk of the UGV is secured against limited dust ingress and from low-pressure waterjets coming from any direction. Robotnik has more than two decades of experience in engineering robotic systems, including developing uncrewed mobile systems and robotic manipulators. That experience and the design specifics of the RB-WATCHER are key to how it is now racking up real-world commercial successes as a high-end industrial inspection robot with several users (and many others in the pipeline). Rory Jackson meets a robot designed to navigate and inspect the inside and outside of industrial facilities safety One to watch February/March 2025 | Uncrewed Systems Technology
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