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WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 01/2018

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WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 01/2018

Thermography system in

Thermography system in motion A fully autonomous, high-tech robot has special abilities. He is able to save human lives in critical situations and rough terrain and useful in industrial environments when monitoring machines and processes. Center piece is an infrared camera. Due to their high thermal sensitivity, the system is ideal for precision measurement tasks in real time. Immerse into the fascination of thermography systems and let yourself be inspired on the following article. The autonomous robot is equipped with a thermoImager infrared camera, which is used in rescue operations and industrial environments AUTOMATION Anymal is a unique robot from Anybotics AG, whose four legs and the high agility of the joints, which can be rotated by 360 °, enable Anymal to climb, jump, run, creep and even dance. Its name is derived from the word “animal” as the robot also moves like an animal. The robot can be used, for example, in debris fields where access to buried people after an earthquake is impeded. Also, the robot’s design resembles an animal. The robot is similar-looking to a dog and due to numerous sensors, is equipped with an extremely precise sense of feel. Whether it’s for mountain rescue, bomb disposal or post-earthquake situations - whenever people need to be rescued quickly in a targeted manner in places that are dangerous for humans, the robot’s skills are required. Anymal weighs just 30 kg, fully autonomous and equipped with innovative technology, among other Authors: Dipl.-Ing. Manfred Pfadt, Product Manager, Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH & Co.KG, Ortenburg, Germany and Péter Fankhauser, Robotics Software Engineer, Anybotics AG, Zürich, Switzerland things, with laser sensors that allow him to move safely. They recognize barriers and help to plan movements in difficult terrain. Infrared camera for non-contact temperature measurement Another onboard technology makes the robot particularly interesting: modern thermography systems from Micro-Epsilon. The swiveling inspection head of the anymal contains the thermoImager TIM 160 infrared camera which is used for non-contact temperature measurement. The thermal imaging camera must meet high requirements for this measurement task. Low weight and compactness are required in order to install it on the robot. Furthermore, the camera is robust and insensitive to water and shocks. The required temperature range which the camera should detect reliably is - 20 to + 350 °C with an accuracy of approximately 2 % FSO. The thermoImager enables the robot to find extremely hot places, or hot spots, by scanning the surroundings using the sensor. Therefore, Anymal is able to raise an alarm early. This is important in rescue operations but also in industrial environments when 16 WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 2018

IR gas detection sensor ultrasound microphone protection frame thermal camera zoom camera with connectible IR filter sintered Aluminum housing IP67 sealing and cooling fins LED and IR illumination 01 State-of-the-art technology is housed in the inspection head and gives the robot its senses monitoring machines and processes. The main fields of application for thermal imaging cameras in industrial environments are the analysis of dynamic heating processes in product and process development, stationary use for continuous monitoring and control of thermal processes. They are also sometimes used as portable measuring devices in maintenance and for the detection of heat leaks. Thermal imaging cameras are also used in flight applications for surfaces that are poorly visible from the ground. Zoom camera, microphones and gas detection sensor The inspection head of Anymal is also fitted with an RGB zoom camera, microphones and a gas detection sensor. The freedom of movement of the entire system enables targeted inspection of difficult-to-access places. Péter Fankhauser, Robotics Software Engineer at Anybotics AG is very satisfied with the thermal imaging camera from Micro-Epsilon: “The thermoImager TIM 160 meets our requirements, useful USB port and Linux drivers. The user-friendly camera is quickly ready for operation and has achieved impeccable results in our operations. Soon, we’ll use sensors for thickness measurements.” Technology and benefits of thermal imaging cameras 02 Fields of application for thermal imaging in industrial environments are the analysis of dynamic heating processes in product and process development, stationary use for continuous monitoring and control of thermal processes (picture: thermoImager infrared camera TIM 160) Unlike pyrometers, thermal imaging cameras do not detect and measure the temperature on a point but over a surface. They operate in a similar way to digital cameras and provide a visual field or Field of View (FOV). Matched with a suitable lens, the FOV can be adapted to a specific application. In the infrared range, heat radiation can only be focused through lenses made from Germanium or by using surface mirrors. Compared to common lenses that are produced in large batches, these annealed lenses are still a substantial cost factor for thermal imaging cameras. Either as spherical triple lens or aspheric double lens, they must be calibrated to each single pixel in order to achieve thermometrically correct measurements, particularly when it comes to cameras with interchangeable lenses. Due to their high thermal sensitivity, the infrared TIM 160 cameras are ideal for precision measurement tasks in real time. Furthermore, the systems stand out due to a high frame rate of 120 Hz. The infrared camera is connected via a USB interface, which also supplies the power. The measuring range extends from - 20 to + 900 °C, with an option to + 1 500 °C. Infrared cameras from Micro-Epsilon are lightweight and robust which means they are ideally suited for use in industrial environments or installation on robots. They inspect, among other things, thermal insulation of houses, power loss of electronic assemblies, detect pockets of embers, monitor surface temperatures and can be used to inspect the focus of inflammation in medicine. Micro-Epsilon offers different performance classes in its range of innovative infrared cameras with cross-sector application knowledge and suitable models. Photographs: Micro-Epsilon www.micro-epsilon.com www.anybotics.com WORLD OF INDUSTRIES 2018 17