Consortium:

ZeniaLabs Automation Intelligence S.L. Electronics and Opto-Mechanics Engineering EXOM S.L. Alpha Laser GmbH Tecnalia Research & Innovation

Project Hashtag:

#ROVER4RT

Watch the experiment’s video here.

Overview

ROVER4RT aims at being the robotic alternative to chemical herbicides that are used today in the railway maintenance tasks. For environmental and health reasons (due to changes in legislation, the herbicide glyphosate will be prohibited from end 2022), therefore it is necessary to find a non-chemical solution to remove or cut back vegetation.

Through the joint efforts of robotic and laser experts, the novel robotic inspection and maintenance solution will be based on stopping or delaying the growth of plants in between the railway tracks through the effects of laser, rather than sprinkling chemicals. The basic principles have already been proven in laboratory environment and the consortium aims at raising the technological readiness level of the solution and its commercial availability through several experiments that will prove it to be a feasible, clean, and profitable solution.

The ROVER4RT solution is expected to:

• Detect and eliminate weeds at least 10cm on the railway tracks.

• Detect and eliminate weeds at least 10cm on the railway tracks.

• Prevent them from growing again at least in the next months after the treatment.

• Have a safe laser procedure.

• Adapt to different track sizes.

• Coexist with the normal function of the trains, therefore withstanding any suction forces.

• Detect obstacles on the tracks and handle those situations to continue

• Detect obstacles on the tracks and handle those situations to continue working.

• Work with a useful performance for the End-User, in terms of autonomy, velocity and maintenance requirements.