OC Robotics News

A CANDU snake-arm robot

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:00:00 UT

The first use of a new snake-arm robot to conduct inspections within CANDU reactors was completed successfully during an outage at Pickering Nuclear Power Plant in May 2010.

The snake-arm was developed for Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the Canadian state owned nuclear power generation corporation which operates 10 CANDU reactors. OPG awarded the multi-million $ contract to OC Robotics in 2008 in an open competitive bid process. The equipment was delivered in February 2010.

The robot snakes into inaccessible areas of primary coolant pipework ('feeders') in the Upper Feeder Cabinets which are adjacent to the reactor face. The condition of the feeders is of critical importance to extending the operating life of these reactors. Once installed, the equipment is operated remotely from the comfort of an air-conditioned trailer. First deployment demonstrated significant operator dose reduction and enabled increased inspection scope.

For further information, please review the online case study, or as a download or contact us.

OC Robotics at the European Nuclear Conference

Fri, 28 May 2010 11:30:00 UT

Dr Rob Buckingham will be giving a presentation on the successful deployment of a new inspection robot at the European Nuclear Conference (ENC) next week. Details of the conference can be found here.

SAFIRE (Snake-Arm Feeder Inspection Robotic Equiment) is the latest robotic inspection tool from OC Robotics. It is designed to perform remote inspection of the Upper Feeder Cabinet (UFC) of CANDU reactors, thereby reducing operator dose levels by minimising exposure.

For further information, please contact us.

OC Robotics launches "Explorer" range of snake-arm robots

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:15:00 UT

OC Robotics has today launched a new range of snake-arm robots.

The Explorer range of snake-arms robots is designed to enable customers to conduct operations within confined spaces. The Explorer range occupies the mid-range for diameter, reach, payload and curvature with arm diameters from 40mm to 150mm and is based on snake-arms developed for the aerospace sector.

Rob Buckingham, OC Robotics co-founder and Managing Director says: "We expect the Explorer range of snake-arm robots to meet many general purpose applications for inspection and maintenance within confined and hazardous spaces."

Please email explorer@ocrobotics.com to be sent a copy of the catalogue or visit www.ocrobotics.com/newsroom/downloads.

OC Robotics exhibits at Airbus Manufacturing Technology Forum

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:14:00 UT

OC Robotics successfully exhibited at the Airbus Manufacturing Technology Forum between 20th - 22nd October.

Over 400 visitors attended over three days including delegates from Airbus in France, Germany, Spain and the UK, and representatives from many other prominent aerospace companies such as EADS, GKN, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Messier-Dowty, Spirit Aerosystems, ThyssenKrupp, Assystem and GE.

OC Robotics exhibited two snake-arm robots designed for the aerospace industry. Dr Rob Buckingham, Managing Director of OC Robotics, also presented recent developments in automated sealant application. Presentation material is available - please contact us for a copy.

OC Robotics presented with Queen's Award

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:01:00 UT

On 4th September 2009, world-leading snake-arm robot supplier, OC Robotics, was honoured to welcome H.M. Lord-Lieutenant, Sir Henry Elwes, who visited OC Robotics to present the company with a Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The Bristol-based company won its Queen's Award in the Innovation category in April this year. OC Robotics specialises in novel robotic systems for confined spaces automation and was commended for achieving outstanding business success through the development of snake-arm robots. OC Robotics has worked with some of the world's largest organisations delivering robots for nuclear, aerospace and bomb disposal applications.

At the ceremony Sir Henry Elwes congratulated the company on achieving one of only 49 Innovation Awards in the whole of the UK. "It is a proud day for the company and it makes me and the whole community of Gloucestershire proud of you. Fly the flag and wear the badge to show others what you have achieved. This award is not for the company name but for every member of staff as part of the team" he said. He also commented that he was "astonished by the inventiveness of the young team" and commended the company for working closely with Universities and local industry.

During the ceremony Sir Henry presented the company with an engraved crystal bowl to mark the occasion. Dr Rob Buckingham, Managing Director of OC Robotics, received the bowl on behalf of the team. He expressed his thanks to OC Robotics' customers, suppliers, investors and supporters, and congratulated staff on the award, saying "We set out to build a quality team. We now have a world class team. It is a pleasure to work with such a talented group and Andy [Graham, Technical Director] and I are continually encouraged by how you rise to the challenges we set. This Award marks the achievement of the whole team so you should be rightly proud of your contribution."

Dr Buckingham also spoke about how robotic technology will shape the future. He commented: "Whilst OC Robotics seems small, we have our part to play. Our biggest contribution is likely to be in two areas: firstly, making the workplace safer, such as in war zones and factories, and, secondly in high value life extension projects such as in the nuclear sector and oil and gas. There is huge potential in snake-arm robots and we intend to encourage the use of our technology around the world."

OC Robotics off to the Palace

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:00:00 UT

Two representatives from Bristol-based OC Robotics are to visit Buckingham Palace on Monday 13th July 2009 after the firm was awarded the equivalent of a company knighthood in this year's Queen's Awards for Enterprise.

Andrew Graham, Technical Director, and Mariusz Lichon, Senior Robotics Scientist, will attend a special evening reception for 2009 Queen's Award winners, to be hosted by Her Majesty The Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

OC Robotics won its Queen's Award in the Innovation category in April this year. The company specialises in snake-arm robots for confined spaces and was commended for making complex, many-jointed manipulators a commercial reality.

In the last 8 years OC Robotics has grown from a 2-person start-up in a garage to an 18-person company selling robots in Europe, USA and Canada. OC Robotics has worked with some of the largest companies in the world across aerospace, defence, nuclear and other industries building snake-arm robots for a wide range of applications.

OC Robotics founders awarded RAEng Silver Medal

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:00:00 UT

Rob Buckingham and Andrew Graham were awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal on 9th June 2009 for their work on snake-arm robots.

The Silver Medal was established in 1994 to recognise an outstanding and demonstrated personal contribution to British engineering, which has resulted in successful market exploitation.

OC Robotics wins Queen's Award for Enterprise

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:01:00 UT

OC Robotics has received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category. OC Robotics is the leading commercial manufacturer of snake-arm robots in the world. Snake-arm robots are flexible robotic arms which have many joints so they can "follow their nose" into confined spaces.

The Queen's Award for Enterprise is the most prestigious business accolade in the UK. OC Robotics is among an elite group of winners recognised for outstanding success in their field. Dr Rob Buckingham, Managing Director of OC Robotics, said "We are extremely proud to have been given this award. This achievement is a testimony to the dedication of our employees, the support of our customers and the expertise of our suppliers. The Queen's Award recognises the hard work and innovation that has gone into making snake-arm robots a commercial reality."

OC Robotics was founded by Rob Buckingham and Andrew Graham in 1997 and raised venture capital in 2001. Since then the company has grown from a 2-person start-up in a garage to a 17-strong company in 10,000 sq ft premises. OC Robotics has worked with some of the largest companies in the world across aerospace, defence, nuclear and other industries building snake-arm robots for a wide range of applications.

OC Robotics recently announced a contract with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to design and build a snake-arm robot mounted on a mobile vehicle that will be used to inspect complex pipework and structures within CANDU reactors. The snake-arm will be 2m (7') in length and will have a rectangular cross-section measuring 25mm (1") in width and 50mm (2") in height. This is a breakthrough contract for OC Robotics as this is the first time they have been the prime contractor to a nuclear utilities company. OC Robotics won the contract by demonstrating previous nuclear experience and the ability to meet the stringent quality requirements including ISO9001. This contract is a huge achievement considering the company was bidding against some of the largest companies in the world. Dr Buckingham said "Our expectation is that this contract will increase awareness of our products throughout the nuclear sector. Nuclear power plant life extension is now a critical issue for global electricity supply and we aim to provide generic solutions to some challenging problems. Our technology is also relevant to nuclear decommissioning so we expect nuclear to be a growth sector for the company."

In 2008 OC Robotics developed a snake-arm robot that is only 1/2" (12.5mm) in diameter. The arm is the smallest snake-arm robot to date and uncoils out of a portable, briefcase-sized box where it is stowed. The arm is 24" (610mm) in length, with longer arms under development, and was designed for the US Department of Defense who needed a way of inspecting and working inside confined or cluttered spaces. The first two devices of this type have been delivered to the US Department of Defense for operational evaluation.

In the aerospace sector, OC Robotics has been working with Airbus UK and KUKA for a number of years to develop aerospace robots to deliver end effector packages capable of inspection, drilling, sealing and swaging in confined spaces such as in a wing. Snake-arm robots enable the aerospace industry to reduce Health and Safety costs by allowing operators to conduct work from outside the confined spaces. There is also significant potential to increase production rates and reduce costs by simplifying and speeding up processes.

In September 2007, OC Robotics was visited by HRH The Duke of York in his capacity as UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. His visit to OC Robotics formed part of a tour of several aerospace companies in the South West of England. Rob Buckingham commented "It was an honour to host His Royal Highness, especially considering we were only 11 people at the time and by far the smallest company in the tour. OC Robotics is standing tall in a flattening world".

Snake-arm robots to conduct CANDU pipe inspection

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:00:00 UT

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has awarded a contract to OC Robotics to design and build a snake-arm robot mounted on a mobile vehicle that will be used to inspect complex pipework and structures within CANDU reactors.

The snake-arm will be 2m (7') in length and will have a rectangular cross-section measuring 25mm (1") in width and 50mm (2") in height. In the first instance the snake-arm will be equipped with tip cameras for pipe inspection.

This is a breakthrough contract for OC Robotics as this is the first time they have been the prime contractor to a nuclear utilities company. OC Robotics won the contract by demonstrating previous nuclear experience and the ability to meet the stringent quality requirements including ISO9001. This contract is a huge achievement considering the company currently employs only 17 people and was bidding against some of the largest companies in the world.

OC Robotics was founded in 1997 and raised venture capital in 2001. Since then the company has grown from a 2-person start-up in a garage to a 17-strong company in 10,000 sq ft premises. OC Robotics has worked with some of the largest companies in the world across aerospace, defence, nuclear and other industries building snake-arm robots for a wide range of applications.

OC Robotics completed its first commercial nuclear contract in 2004. Working with Uddcomb AB, OC Robotics supplied two types of robot (five in total) to Ringhals AB in Sweden to complete an urgent pipe replacement in an extremely awkward area below one of their reactors.

Snake-arm robots are flexible robotic arms which have many joints so they can "follow their nose" into confined spaces. OC Robotics is the only commercial manufacturer of snake-arm robots in the world.

CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) reactors are Canadian invented nuclear reactors originally developed in the 1950s and 1960s. There are currently 19 operational reactors in Canada and 23 in the rest of the world. OPG owns and runs 10 of these reactors and leases 2 others.

OC Robotics delivers 1/2" diameter snake-arm robot

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:12:00 UT

OC Robotics has developed a snake-arm robot that is only 1/2" (12.5mm) in diameter. The arm is the smallest snake-arm robot to date and uncoils out of a briefcase-sized box where it is stowed. The arm is 24" (610mm) in length, with longer arms under development, and was designed for the US Department of Defense who needed a way of inspecting and working inside confined or cluttered spaces - a capability not previously available.

Snake-arm robots are flexible robotic arms that don't have 'elbows', so they can 'follow their nose' into confined spaces. Conventional industrial robots are virtually impossible to manoeuvre in cluttered environments because their elbows get in the way. At the other end of the scale endoscopes are very flexible but are also floppy and it can be difficult to make them go where you want them to, especially if the path is particularly complex. A snake-arm robot is somewhere in between the two. Snake-arm robots are flexible and compliant, like endoscopes, but they are fully controllable like a robot and can be precisely positioned.

With a snake-arm robot the operator needs only to drive the tip of the arm around obstacles using a tip-mounted camera and the software will control the rest of the arm to follow where the tip has been. This makes controlling these devices simple and easy to learn. A snake-arm robot is effectively a controllable endoscope which can snake into awkward or cluttered environments to conduct real work.

OC Robotics has been focussed on larger devices for industrial applications, but this latest development demonstrates that these devices can also be very small. The snake-arm is deployed out of a fully portable box weighing 10kg excluding internal batteries. Power is supplied via mains, external battery or internal battery. The device is joystick-controlled via a laptop. At the tip of the arm is a camera and tool.

The first device of this type was recently delivered to the US Department of Defense for operational evaluation. It offers the military a new capability of viewing and working inside cluttered spaces - something not previously possible.

This technology also impacts on other industries where confined spaces must be routinely inspected. Having personnel working inside confined spaces incurs significant Health and Safety costs in industry, but snake-arm robots can enable personnel to conduct work remotely from outside the hazard area. In many cases snake-arm robots also offer the potential to speed up processes, especially where space restrictions prevent employees from working efficiently. The scale of this device is also ideal for minimally invasive surgical applications including the rapidly emerging field of natural orifice surgery (often called NOTES).

OC Robotics is currently taking orders for portable snake-arm robots. If you would like more information about these devices, or would like to be kept informed of any developments regarding the portable snake-arm robot device, then please contact us.

OC Robotics sponsors ASME Student Mechanism Design Competition

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:30:00 UT

OC Robotics will be sponsoring the 2008 Student Mechanism Design Competition at the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference.

Andrew Graham, OC Robotics' Technical Director, will be helping to judge the competition on 4th August. The competition allows both undergraduate and graduate students to present their work at the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (DETC 2008) from 3-6th August. Entries are judged on their creativity, their practicality and the quality of their prototype and results.

OC Robotics has now sponsored this competition for three consecutive years - in 2006 in Philadelphia, in 2007 in Las Vegas, and in 2008 in New York City - and the entries are always of an extremely high standard.

Andrew Graham says "OC Robotics' product development has always been driven by mechanical design, and our sponsorship of the ASME Student Mechanism Design Competition reflects our belief in promoting design excellence in young engineers. And we'd like to recruit some of them!"

OC Robotics is growing...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:30:00 UT

OC Robotics has expanded into the next-door unit to accommodate the company's recent growth. The company grew by 75% in 2007. The increase in size and current demand for new employees is a result of OC Robotics' success in winning several major contracts in the US. OC Robotics now has 14 employees and is actively looking for additional talented mechanical, electrical and software engineers to join the company during 2008.

The extra unit will double both the office and workshop spaces and will provide room to extend and develop all areas of the company.

OC Robotics' current customers include the US Department of Defense, Airbus, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at the University of Sheffield and some major US corporations.

OC Robotics is now located at Units 4 and 5 Abbey Wood Business Park. Visitors are asked to come to the main entrance at Unit 4.

HRH The Duke of York visits OC Robotics

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:45:00 UT

His Royal Highness The Duke of York visited OC Robotics on 10th September 2007 in his capacity as UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. His visit to OC Robotics, manufacturer of snake-arm robots for aerospace, nuclear and security applications, formed part of a tour of several aerospace companies in the South West of England.

Industrial robots have been under development for external assembly tasks for many years. However, using an industrial robot to perform tasks inside a wingbox becomes a real "eye of the needle" problem. It is physically impossible to manoeuvre an industrial robot arm through the small man-access holes in a wing to conduct tasks inside the wingbox - put simply, the elbows get in the way.

Snake-arm robots are flexible robotic arms that don't have elbows, so they can follow their nose into confined spaces.

OC Robotics has developed a snake-arm robot demonstrator for Airbus, capable of reaching into a mock-up of a rib bay in a wing and conducting swaging tasks. Airbus has been working with OC Robotics for over 3 years and in 2006 co-funded the development of the first aerospace snake-arm robot.

Traditionally, aerospace assembly has always been a craft industry, and with good reason. The highly skilled processes and large-scale structures mean that the application of existing "car industry" automation is not straightforward. But with the pressure of high production rates, increasing Health and Safety legislation, and globalisation, automation has been seen as the only way to keep up with these demands.

Snake-arm robots enable the aerospace industry to reduce Health and Safety costs by allowing operators to conduct work from outside the confined spaces. Not only that, but they also offer the potential to increase production rates by speeding up processes.

Ultimately, automation cannot replace personnel, but it can augment their skills and expertise to improve quality and production rates. The inevitable changes to the current processes and procedures will result in a more repeatable, more reliable and more streamlined production system.

The Duke of York was welcomed by Dr Rob Buckingham, Managing Director, and Andrew Graham, Technical Director. He was shown a presentation about the company and watched a demonstration of the Airbus snake-arm robot conducting an inspection sequence in a mock-up of a wingbox. His Royal Highness was impressed by the advanced technology in the snake-arm and mentioned the wide potential of applications for snake-arm robots in industry. He commented on the challenges facing small businesses today but recognised the importance of these organisations within the UK economy. His Royal Highness noticed how OC Robotics strives to employ the best people from all over the world. OC Robotics' 11 employees include engineers from the UK, Poland, India, Belgium, Latvia and Slovenia.

Later in the day Dr Rob Buckingham attended a UKTI-hosted lunch, held at Airbus, where His Royal Highness met representatives from many regional aerospace companies and regional bodies including SWRDA and WEAF.

OC Robotics to exhibit at SAE Aerotech Exhibition

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 11:00:00 UT

OC Robotics will be exhibiting at the SAE Aerotech Exhibition at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

This year marks OC Robotics' first as an exhibitor at this event although the quality of the business and networking opportunities made it a natural choice. The combination of outstanding technical sessions, excellent networking and first class exhibition makes the SAE Aerotech Congress and Exhibition an exciting forum in which to meet, discuss and build relationships within the aerospace community.

In the last 12 months, OC Robotics has completed work on a pre-production Snake-arm Robot Demonstrator for Airbus UK. The system is capable of conducting in-wing low access assembly tasks such as inspection, swaging and sealant application. Managing Director, Rob Buckingham will be presenting the latest developments of this work at the Congress as well as outlining plans for future work to bring this technology onto the production line.

The SAE Aerotech Congress and Exhibition is being held on 17-20 September 2007 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.

If you are considering visiting the event then contact OC Robotics to arrange a meeting.

-- More information --

Rob Buckingham co-founded OC Robotics in 1997 to "make money out of robots". With co-founder Andrew Graham, Rob has focused on developing snake-arm robots that are specifically designed to operate in confined spaces.

OC Robotics is now working with the UK Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defense on IEDD, with Airbus on automated aircraft wing assembly and has supplied snake-arm robots that conducted a world-first nuclear reactor repair.

Rob is Managing Director of OC Robotics. He has a PhD in robotics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Another OC Robotics student wins prestigious Leadership Award

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 17:00:00 UT

OC Robotics current placement student, Alex Lazell, has become our second student to win the prestigious Engineering Leadership Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The award, worth up to �5,500, aims to allow gifted engineering undergraduates with marked leadership potential to undertake an accelerated personal development programme to prepare them for a fast track executive career in engineering industry.

Alex is now the second placement student at OC Robotics to have won such an award. He said, "I am so pleased to have won this award and am really excited about the opportunities that are now open to me. My colleagues here at OC Robotics, along with the experience of working at such a cutting-edge company, provided great support for my application and, now with two award winners, it is clear that OC Robotics is a great place to learn."

Alex is working with OC Robotics as part of his mechanical engineering degree at the University of Bath and has been involved in many aspects of the company ranging from engineering design, to marketing. OC Robotics Managing Director, Dr Rob Buckingham, said "I'm not surprised that Alex won the Engineering Leadership Award. He's an excellent all-round engineer and will make a significant contribution to OC Robotics in the future."

Alex is now deciding how best to use the funding provided by the award. Andrew Bryant, the previous award winner, is using the funding to study Japanese, and will be spending ten weeks this summer in Japan doing an intensive language course along with undertaking work experience in the robotics sector.

OC Robotics offers student placements with the aim to meet future employees and is taking on more students this summer for between 2 and 12 month placements.

OC Robotics is a growing company and is also looking for full time employees in the following areas: mechanical engineering and robotics, electrical and electronic engineering and software engineering.

Snake-arm robot demonstrations at RoboBusiness and the Robots & Vision Show

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:15:00 UT

We hope to be demonstrating snake-arm robots at two conferences this summer: first at RoboBusiness 2007 in May and then at the International Robots & Vision Show (IRVS) in June.

Since 2001 we have been developing a new type of robot arm - called a 'snake-arm' robot. These are long slender robots that don't have elbows. We have been working closely with organisations including Airbus, the UK Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defense to develop snake-arm robots for remote operations in confined spaces.

At RoboBusiness and IRVS we will be demonstrating a mini snake-arm currently being developed for industrial inspection applications. Visitors will also be able to see videos of other (less portable!) snake-arm robots from projects in the aerospace and security sectors. OC Robotics' Managing Director, Dr Rob Buckingham, will be speaking at both conferences. At RoboBusiness, Rob will talk on "Snake-arm Robots for Human Environments" and at IRVS, he will present a paper entitled "Robots for Confined Spaces". The talk will describe the underlying technologies in a snake-arm and will discuss a variety of current applications, including applications in the nuclear and security sectors.

The USA is a critical market for OC Robotics - almost 50% of business in 2006 came from the US and this is expected only to increase in 2007 - and we are keen to speak to, and learn about, our customers requirements.

RoboBusiness 2007 is being held on May 15-16 in the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, Boston, MA. The International Robots & Vision Show 2007 is being held on June 12-14 in the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center, Rosemont (Chicago), IL.

If you are considering visiting either of these events then let us know and we'll be pleased to meet you and show you our technology. We hope to see you there!

Special lecture on Innovation and Snake-arm Robots

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 16:00:00 UT

Dr Rob Buckingham, Co-founder and Managing Director of OC Robotics will be giving a lecture at the University of Gloucester on Thursday 15th February 2007.

OC Robotics has been at the forefront of robotics development in the UK since the turn of the millennium. Their expertise in snake-arm robots (multi degree-of-freedom robots) has lead to contracts across the globe - reaching around below a nuclear reactor, conducting assembly tasks in aircraft wing-boxes and varied work for the UK MOD and the US DOD in the field of counter-terrorism. In this special lecture Rob Buckingham will describe how snake-arm robots have been developed from concept to prototype to product as well as the technical issues encountered along the way.

The free lecture will be held at the University of Gloucester in Cheltenham, in the Elwes Building at the Park Campus, starting at 7:30pm with refreshments from 7pm.

Snake-arm robots steer aircraft assembly in a new direction

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 13:00:00 UT

Working with Airbus UK, OC Robotics has achieved the first major milestone for a snake-arm robot designed for assembly and inspection tasks within aircraft wings - an area previously inaccessible to automation. OC Robotics has completed build and initial testing of a demonstration snake-arm robot capable of sealing, swaging and inspection inside a mock-up of a rib bay. The robot is due to begin an intensive programme of trials in the near future.

Compared to the automotive industry, the aerospace industry has been slow to introduce industrial robotics onto its assembly lines. This is mainly due to the high accuracy needed over large structures. Recently there has been a general move towards automation in order to increase throughput and standardise processes, however tasks within rib bays and other confined spaces inside aircraft structures have remained practically impossible, until now. Unlike standard robots, snake-arm robots do not have prominent 'elbows'. They have a continuous curving shape - like a snake. This means that they are ideal for applications in confined spaces and can reach lots of awkward places.

Introduction of automation within an aircraft wing could potentially bring benefits in areas including continuous product development; quality; efficiency and cost-saving.

Airbus UK has been working with Kuka, a global supplier of industrial robots, to develop aerospace robots to deliver end effector packages capable of inspection, swaging and sealing. When approached by Airbus to find a solution to low access automation, OC Robotics proposed using a snake-arm robot as an additional tool that the larger industrial robot would deliver. The snake-arm robot acts as a flexible "fore-arm" which is fed through the access hole by the Kuka robot. The snake-arm can follow a path into the wing box using the Kuka as a delivery tool.

The snake-arm robot is equipped with a wrist and tool interface to allow attachment of a variety of different tools designed by OC Robotics. Initial tests show the arm is flexible enough to deliver the required tools to areas of the wing box that were previously inaccessible to automation, to perform tasks such as final sealant application and swaging.

Full case study of this project

OC Robotics on the Material World

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 18:00:00 UT

Rob Buckingham, Managing Director of OC Robotics, appeared today on the BBC Radio 4 programme, The Material World. Sue Nelson spoke to Dr Buckingham about snake-arm robots and the future of robotics in bomb disposal and surgery.

In the last month OC Robotics has been featured on the BBC News website, in the RAEng magazine Ingenia, and in The Engineer magazine.

If you missed it, the show is available via the BBC's "Listen Again" facility.

The Material World, on BBC Radio 4, reports on developments across the sciences. It airs weekly on Thursdays at 4.30pm.

OC Robotics' founders nominated for IEEE/IFR Invention and Entrepreneurship Award

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 12:00:00 UT

The founders of OC Robotics, Rob Buckingham and Andrew Graham, have been nominated as finalists for the IEEE/IFR Invention and Entrepreneurship Award.

OC Robotics hits the news

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:00:00 UT

Over the last week OC Robotics has been hitting the news all over the place. Articles have appeared on the BBC News website, Ingenia magazine (published by the RAEng) and The Engineer magazine. All the articles can be found either as links or to download from the articles page of our website.

OC Robotics at AMAF

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:00:00 UT

Rob Buckingham presented a paper entitled "Snake-arm robots - a new approach to aircraft assembly" at the Aerospace Manufacture and Automated Fastening Conference in Toulouse. The paper can be downloaded from the articles page of OCRobotics' website

OC Robotics has won an EPSRC Industrial CASE Award

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 18:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has been granted an award for an Industrial CASE Studentship to research intelligent skins for snake-arm robots.

The aim of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded studentships is to enable companies to define and arrange research projects with an academic partner of their choice. The company receives high-calibre research relevant to the business and the student gains valuable experience in industry whilst obtaining a PhD.

OC Robotics' Award is to work with the University of Bath in the area of artificial skins for snake-arm robots. The student will research and develop embedded sensor technology that can be incorporated into a low cost rugged flexible skin that will cover the complete robot. The objective of the skin is to provide a barrier between the arm and the environment, for the benefit of both. OC Robotics requires the ability to sense the presence of obstacles, by touch or proximity. The student will also explore the measurement and control of temperature, the sensing of chemicals, and any environmental changes that are relevant to the end user. End users of snake-arm technology currently include the UK MOD and the US DOD.

OC Robotics is currently looking for top-quality candidates for the studentship. More details about the post and how to apply can be found on our jobs page.

Wedding bells at OC Robotics

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:00:00 UT

Congratulations to Rosalind Anscombe, one of our Design Engineers, who got married on the 29th July! She is now Rosalind Conkie.

OC Robotics wins contract with US military

Mon, 28 Jun 2006 18:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has won a contract with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, part of the US Department of Defense, to develop their smallest ever snake-arm robots.

In response to a Sources Sought Announcement, UK-based company OC Robotics has been awarded a sole source contract for remote controlled snake-arm robots. The arm is to be only 1/4 inch (6mm) in diameter and the system will be small enough and light enough to be carried by one person.

Despite a worldwide search, no other company was found to have the technical expertise needed to create a robotic arm of this size and capability.

While previous contracts have pushed the envelope of OC Robotics' technology towards bigger and stronger arms, this contract requires OC Robotics to reduce the size and weight of the design to create the smallest snake-arm robot yet.

This contract also paves the way for other small arm applications such as medical robotics and industrial inspection.

OC Robotics employee receives prestigious leadership award

Fri, 24 Jun 2006 12:00:00 UT

Congratulations to our newest employee, Andrew Bryant, who has won a highly prestigious Engineering Leadership Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The award, worth up to �7,500, is granted to only a handful of the most outstanding British engineering undergraduates each year and aims to accelerate an individual's personal and professional development, preparing them for fast-track careers in UK industry.

Andrew is currently working for OC Robotics for a 12 month industrial placement as part of his Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Bath. He says, "I am thrilled and excited with the opportunities this award will give me, and look forward to using it to better myself as an engineer and a businessman. Certainly, I feel the exceptional support and experience gained here at OC Robotics was critical to my successful application and would recommend the benefits of the placement scheme to all undergraduates."

OC Robotics offers student placements with the aim to meet future employees and is taking on more students this summer for between 2 and 12 month placements.

OC Robotics at IYNC 2006

Wed, 12 Jun 2006 15:20:00 UT

Rosalind Anscombe will be presenting a paper entitled "Snake-arm robots conduct nuclear maintenance" (available for download from our publications page) at the International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC) in Stockholm, Sweden between 18-23rd June 2006.

OC Robotics paper wins Award for Excellence

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 12:00:00 UT

A paper entitled "Snaking around in a nuclear jungle" by Rob Buckingham and Andrew Graham has received a 2006 Award for Excellence by Emerald, publisher of Industrial Robot. The paper is available to download from the articles page of this website.

New baby at OC Robotics

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 12:00:00 UT

April 2006: Congratulations to Design Engineer, Geoff Ferguson, on his latest arrival. Nathan is very excited to be supporting OC Robotics by wearing the team kit!

Snake-arm robots to investigate a new approach to aircraft assembly

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has secured a contract from Airbus to develop snake-arm robot technology for possible aircraft manufacturing processes. The focus will be assembly tasks within wing boxes - an area currently inaccessible to automation.

The composite, single skin construction of aircraft structures, such as the A350 wing, presents new challenges for robotic assembly. Today an aircraft fitter climbs into the wing box through a small access panel and uses manual or power tools to perform a variety of tasks.

OC Robotics' snake-arm robots provide the opportunity to replace manual procedures by delivering the required tools to all areas of the wing box. They could be used to perform tasks such as final sealant application and swaging.

More widely the development of snake-arm robots could ultimately enable major design and process changes creating the opportunity for considerable cost savings for the aerospace industry. Future wings could be designed with fewer and smaller access panels and maintenance times could be reduced.

A demonstration snake-arm robot will be completed in mid-2006. On successful completion of trials, the industrialisation process will be completed in the following 12 months.

OC Robotics completes Sellafield Thorp contract

Fri, 16 Dec 2005 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has completed an initial contract with British Nuclear Group Sellafield Ltd to conduct a feasibility study and specify a design for a snake-arm robot for use at Sellafield. The proposed snake-arm will be OC Robotics' longest, at around 10 metres, and is intended for inspection, instrumentation and repair activities on site.

OC Robotics' Technical Director, Andrew Graham, says, "this project will be very exciting, given that the reach and payload capacity of this arm will exceed any we have built so far. This project will demonstrate the scaleability of our technology and we are pleased to be working with BNG."

Snake-arm robots capable of coating complex aerospace structures

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has recently completed a contract with Comau Pico Inc. investigating the use of snake-arm robots for aerospace coating applications.

Currently, standard industrial robots are used to coat the surfaces of separate parts of a structure before it is assembled. These robots are not able to reach the most awkward areas of the assembly.

OC Robotics has designed a snake-arm robot flexible enough to reach into the assembled structure to apply a uniform coating, increasing production rates.

Snake-arm robots also offer great potential for improved access in all areas of automotive and aerospace assembly and maintenance such as assembly tasks within a wing box and in situ engine inspection.

For more information please contact Ros Conkie.

OC Robotics wins innovation award

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has won the top award in the robotics and control category of the inaugural IEE Awards for Innovation in Engineering.

OC Robotics' winning entry, the novel snake-arm robot, presented a flexible, highly manoeuvrable arm capable of being positioned with accuracy in restricted operating environments. The IEE Innovation in Engineering Award recognised snake-arm robots as innovative, world beating products that are pushing boundaries in the international robotics market.

Entries were judged on a number of factors including social and economic impact, novelty, and patentability.

The distinguished panel of judges for the robotics and control category included Prof Jeremy Watson, BOC Edwards, Prof George Irwin, Queen's University Belfast, Steve Mustard, Logica CMG, Ian Bell, National Instruments, and Prof Paul Taylor.

The technology has already been used for critical nuclear reactor maintenance and remote vehicle inspection. These breakthroughs challenge existing technology in established markets and create new opportunities for the UK and global economies.

The first project, with Uddcomb Engineering (since bought by Framatome), was a critical pipe repair beneath a Swedish reactor. The technology also provides the opportunity to create a generic toolkit to assist with nuclear clean-up. It is recognises that a controlled cost approach to nuclear waste management would significantly affect the new-nuclear build debate, which in turn directly impacts upon Kyoto and CO² emissions. OC Robotics are in discussion with British Nuclear Group and other nuclear organizations around the world.

OC Robotics is also working in the aerospace sector and with the military. For more details please contact us.

We have moved!

Tue, 17 Apr 2005 12:00:00 UT

We have moved! Having outgrown our previous office, OC Robotics has moved to larger premises in Filton, Bristol. The new office is located in Abbey Wood, close to the MoD Defence Procurement Agency, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Hewlett Packard. Our address, and a map to the location, can be found on the contacts page.

Specialist brakes designed for military and nuclear robots

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has developed a range of specialist electro-mechanical brakes that can be used on a variety of electric motors with rear shaft extensions. Rated to hold 200mNm, the brakes have been designed to fit the profiles of very small 42 and 32mm diameter motors.

Open-frame versions are available for use in applications where overall machine housing provide sufficient environmental protection, enabling a weight-saving, while fully-enclosed, housed versions provide physical protection and aesthetics for applications where motors are visible or exposed.

All the brakes provide a rear shaft extension to allow encoders, resolvers or tachometers to be fitted to them.

The brakes have been used on snake-arm robots for military and nuclear applications.

For more details please contact us.

Intelligent CAN-enabled, distributed motor control reduces size and weight of snake-arm robots

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has developed a range of intelligent CAN-enabled servomotor amplifier controllers to meet their requirements for distributed control of the large numbers of motors used within each of their snake-arm robots.

Named DC2, DC3 and DC4, the controllers have been designed for use in size-constrained applications. DC2 has a circular footprint and is designed to fit neatly in line with a 42mm diameter motor, enabling the closest possible packing of large numbers of motors into the smallest possible space. DC3 and DC4 have larger rectangular footprints but are designed with very low-profile skylines to minimise the volume they occupy.

The designs are based on DSPs for more demanding applications with servo loop closure rates of up to 2kHz. Microcontrollers are used for lower cost, less demanding applications with servo loop closure rates of 500Hz. All the controllers use similar communications protocols, allowing different types of controllers to be used in the same application. With on-board encoder decoding, the controllers perform position and velocity motion profiling, current-based or voltage-based loop closure, current-monitoring, I²t monitoring, error handling, homing and limit switch monitoring and all the necessary low-level housekeeping without needing to involve a host computer. Commands, demands and status information are all communicated over a CAN bus operating at up to 1 megabit per second. The amplifiers operate using sign and magnitude PWM for cool operation even with small motors and are rated at up to 50V and 10A making them suited to use with a very wide range of motors.

Brake control is also integrated into the firmware so that when the motor stops the brake (if used) is automatically applied. The brake control output is controlled using PWM to enable different pull-off and hold-off currents to be set to maximise efficiency and minimise brake heating as well as facilitating brake choice for different applications.

Applications include synchronous control of an OC Robotics snake-arm robot that has 32 motors. The snake-arm sits on top of a remote vehicle so the size and weight of the system is critical. One of the most significant advantages of the controllers is the ability to minimise wiring by engineering a totally integrated package. The firmware can be configured to optimise closed loop performance for different motor and gearbox combinations.

Dr Buckingham speaks on the Changing Face of Robotics

Tue, 23 Nov 2004 12:00:00 UT

Dr Rob Buckingham spoke on snake manipulators in the nuclear industry at the IEE Seminar on the Changing Face of Robotics, University of Warwick, Coventry. More details of the event can be found at www.iee.org/events/robotics.cfm

Nuclear Success - OC Robotics robots significantly reduce the commercial risk associated with reactor maintenance.

Tue, 02 Nov 2004 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics is pleased to announce that their snake-arm robots have successfully fulfilled the Factory Acceptance Tests at Ringhals 1 nuclear reactor in Sweden.

Two types of robot were supplied to Ringhals to complete an urgent pipe replacement in an extremely awkward area of one of their reactors. Before the operation could be performed on the real environment, there was extensive training on a custom-built mock-up. After thoroughly practising the whole procedure, the team led by Uddcomb Engineering AB conducted a trial installation and operation in the reactor as part of the acceptance tests. The repair involved approximately 30 distinct procedures with the majority being conducted by the robots.

In August 2004 a single pipe repair was successfully completed and, a month later, the generic solution to repair any similar pipes successfully completed the Factory Acceptance Tests.

Ringhals was delighted with the performance of the robots. A repair can be completed in less than 24 hours and demonstrates a new technology that provides a new way of maintaining complex, limited access parts of the nuclear plant.

Further details on the project including photos and the specifications of the arms can be found in the Nuclear Case Study.

For more information please contact us.

OC Robotics at IARP 2004

Thu, 09 Sep 2004 12:00:00 UT

Dr Rob Buckingham presented a paper, "snake-arm robots and the perception of dependability" at the International Advanced Robotics Programme (IARP) in Manchester, UK.

Snake-arm robots set for nuclear reactor duties

Tue, 10 Aug 2004 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has supplied the first models of two types of snake-arm robot to Ringhals, a Swedish nuclear power utility.

In January 2004 OC Robotics won a significant contract to supply two types of snake-arm robot to Ringhals, a Swedish nuclear power utility. In total five robots will be delivered. The first of each type of snake-arm robot have now been delivered to Ringhals and are being used for operator training prior to use. The two robots gain access to an extremely confined area of the reactor in order to conduct maintenance tasks.

The functions that the snake-arms are designed to fulfil include: precise positioning to place and remove fixtures and sections of pipe, tack welding and inspection.

The two robots are called Overhead Arm (above) and Underneath Arm (right). The name indicates the direction of access to the working area.

The specifications for the robots are as follows: The Overhead Arm system consists of a gantry comprising two twinned vertical axes and a horizontal axis, a snake-arm comprising four segments (eight DoF) and a three-DoF wrist. The Underneath Arm: system comprises a single vertical axis, a 10-segment snake and two-DoF wrist.

OC Robotics to build snake-arms for nuclear maintenance

Mon, 26 Jan 2004 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics won a contract from Uddcomb Engineering AB to supply two types of snake-arm robot to repair a pipe within Ringhals 1 - a Boiling Water Reactor operated by Ringhals AB, Sweden.

OC Robotics at Aerofast 2003

Fri, 12 Sep 2003 12:00:00 UT

Dr Buckingham presented his paper on the applications of snake-arm manipulators for aircraft assembly and maintenance at Aerofast as part of the Aerospace Congress and Exhibition, Palais des Congr�s, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

OC Robotics presents paper at ISR 2003

Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:00:00 UT

Dr Buckingham, Managing Director of OC Robotics, presented a paper in the opening session of the 34th International Symposium of Robotics (ISR). Sponsored by the International Federation of Robotics, ISR is the world's most prestigious annual robotics conference. Dr Buckingham's paper formed part of the opening session, entitled Cutting Edge Research in Robotics, following the opening address of the RIA President Craig Jennings of Motoman.

Applications grow for snake-arm robots

Sat, 03 May 2003 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has made a number of significant commercial breakthroughs in the manufacture of snake-arm robots.

In April 2003 OC Robotics signed a contract with the UK MoD to test a snake-arm robot for EOD (explosive ordnance disposal). Back in February 2003 the company entered into an exclusive agreement with a leading manufacturer to mount its robotic arm on an EOD vehicle. In March 2003 OC Robotics received a second round of funding from the existing shareholders including Oxford Technology 2 Venture Capital Trust. Lucius Cary, Director of OT2 states: "OT2 is very pleased to announce a further investment in OC Robotics. Contracts with the MoD and a leading manufacturer of EOD vehicles are an important breakthrough. The number of potential applications for this new and exciting technology is huge". Also in March 2003 OC Robotics entered into detailed discussions with a global aircraft manufacturer and saw the start of negotiations with GlaxoSmithKline, the global pharmaceutical company, and with Comau and Centro Research Fiat to consider application of snake-arm technology for end of life vehicle disassembly.

Snake-arms are long thin arms with lots of joints. They can be designed for significant payloads - for example, a 3m long device can handle a payload of 50kg - or to be very slender - for example 10m long with 80mm outside diameter. Snake-arm robots have two particularly novel and useful features. OC Robotics has developed hardware and software so that an arm can be controlled to follow-its-nose and deliver tools and sensors into limited access environments. Because snake-arm robots are also compliant and have smooth external and internal surfaces there are also options for interactive use in human environments. By running all services internally the arm becomes a steerable hose with a smooth cleanable external surface.

OC Robotics received a second round of VC funding

Thu, 27 Mar 2003 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics received a second round of funding from the existing shareholders including Oxford Technology 2 Venture Capital Trust plc. Lucius Cary, Director of OT2 stated: "OT2 is very pleased to announce a further investment in OC Robotics. Contracts with the MoD and a leading manufacturer are an important breakthrough in the area of EOD".

OC Robotics and THK exhibit at MACH 2002

Tue, 28 May 2002 12:00:00 UT

By kind invitation of THK UK, OC Robotics took centre stage on THK's stand at MACH 2002 at the NEC. THK are a key component supplier for the snake-arm robots and are working closely with OC Robotics to development a number of key components. Earlier this year OC Robotics demonstrated the snake-arm at the annual Aerospace NDT Symposium as well as at Explo-World, an annual show for specialists involved in safe disposal of explosive ordnance. At all three events, the snake-arm has been widely acclaimed and OC Robotics has generated significant interest in their snake-arm robot technology.

The demonstrator Arm has been launched

Mon, 21 Jan 2002 12:00:00 UT

The Demonstrator Arm was publicly launched as covered in various engineering magazines. Please see the articles on our articles page for details.

OC Robotics has won a second SMART award.

Mon, 24 Sep 2001 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics has won a second SMART award worth �120k from the UK DTi. This prestigious award was made to develop snake-arm technology for a range of applications.

OC Robotics gained venture capital funding

Mon, 26 Feb 2001 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics gained venture capital funding from Oxford Technology 2 Venture Capital Trust and a group of private business angels.

OC Robotics has won a SMART Feasibility award.

Mon, 30 Oct 2000 12:00:00 UT

OC Robotics won a SMART Feasibility award. SMART is a prestigious award scheme operated by local government offices of the DTi. The objective is to support SMEs by funding the early stages of innovative ideas. The purpose of the award was to investigate a number of segment designs for snake-arm robots.