Held to the surface by suction force, the ICM Climber has been designed to adhere to essentially any hard surface. The patented, highly flexible seal ensures the machine is securely adhered as it moves the machine over surface obstacles such as bolt heads, plates, weld seams, and other surface irregularities. The suction chamber is surrounded by a rolling foam seal that guards against leakage and facilitates propulsion.

 

The Climber, which is essentially a remote-controlled climbing vehicle, now acts as a platform for automated inspection and advanced nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of major concrete structures at power plants. Integrated with onboard systems including simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology and advanced NDE instrumentation, the Climber can conduct automated, high-precision inspections and capture computer-encoded data and images.

This data supports real-time condition assessment and long-term monitoring of degradation and aging processes to guide maintenance decision-making and risk-informed management of hydro assets.

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- Excerpt from “Robotic Inspections,” International Water Power & Dam Construction.