Hibot Seals Agreement with GE for Commercialization of System for Inspection of Generators
Will expand HiBot's application portfolio of robots for infrastructure inspection
(Tokyo, May 11) Hibot Corp., an innovative robotics start-up pioneering infrastructure maintenance applications, announced today that it has sealed an agreement with General Electric. This new agreement will enable hibot to offer a new system for inspection of generators, in order to broaden the reach of hibot's RaaS (Robot as a Service) model, encompassing also the power generation industry.
The robotic system, named GEEP (Generator Exploration Platform), was developed by hibot under a license from General Electric Technology GmbH, one of the global leaders in the field of power generation with turbo-machinery, to perform inspection inside generators without the need to remove the rotor. GEEP makes use of hibot's expertise with mobility in confined and hazardous environments, and extremely compact and custom-made electronics. In addition, GEEP benefits from HiBox, hibot's platform for data processing, management, and integration tailored toward inspection and maintenance of industrial infrastructure.
"It feels like we have placed 20 years of know-how within a 20mm-thick machine. GEEP will change the way generator inspections are carried out", said Michele Guarnieri, CEO of hibot. "Society depends on the electricity that comes from generators, and we are happy to make their inspection faster, safer, and more efficient".
GEEP can operate in a wide range of generators, with entrance gaps as narrow as 0.9" (22.86mm), and air gaps up to 6" (150mm). Such a degree of flexibility allows GEEP to cover most of the generators used in the power generation industry. GEEP boasts high-definition cameras for detailed visual inspection of generators, and an autonomous navigation mode, which frees the operator to perform other tasks while the machine is inspecting the generator. It can be equipped with additional sensors, such as ElCid and tapping sensors to inspect the integrity of wedges.
Another feature that sets GEEP apart from other similar machines is the capability to generate continuous 2D or 3D maps of the entire surface of the rotor and stator. Due to the high definition cameras and a localization system, the system allows for precise location of defects and visualization of the entire asset at a glance.
Nobuo Akutsu, General Manager of the Business Development Department of Tokyo Power Technology, commented, "GEEP's mobility and ease of operation are some of the advantages we especially appreciate. With this technology, and by integrating different types of sensors, it becomes much easier to introduce efficient robot inspection for generators."