SNAKE-LIKE, MINIATURE ROBOTS REDEFINE LIMITS OF ENGINEERING

Maintenance and repair of high-tech equipment revolutionized by research innovations

With the completion and opening of projects such as the China-Laos Railway and the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, along with the breakthroughs in domestic large aircraft and the aeroengine systems, the export volume of Chinese high-speed trains and airplane parts has been gradually increasing in recent years.

As a result, the maintenance of high-end equipment through innovation has become a major focus for Chinese researchers.

A team led by Chen Xuefeng, a professor at the iHarbour Academy of Frontier Equipment based at Xi'an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province, has developed a biomimetic, snake-shaped robot that is forecast to revolutionize maintenance and repair work. The robot snake is capable of performing automated blade damage inspections without dismantling precision equipment like aeroengines, and can do other high-end equipment maintenance.