GrowBot - Eversion robot for the construction sector

Q-Bot is replacing centuries-old construction techniques with smart processes that make it easier for contractors to inspect, maintain and upgrade buildings. Q-Bot's solutions combine robotics, 3D scanning, digital tools and AI, enabling contractors to:

* identify the needs of each property;
* automate repetitive tasks;
* reach inaccessible areas;
* track the work done; and,
* seamlessly share information.

These state-of-the-art tools allow fuel poverty and carbon emissions to be reduced simultaneously and cost effectively.

In Northern Europe there are 20m homes with uninsulated suspended floors and Q-Bot has already successfully commercialised a solution that uses a robotic vehicle to apply insulation without needing to take the house apart to access the floor void. Q-Bot's solution is quicker, cheaper, performs better and is hassle free when compared to traditional approaches.

Q-bot's current retrofit insulation service is already fully accredited and is used by Q-Bot's network of installation partners across the UK to deliver insulation services to their clients, including homeowners, Local Authorities and Housing Associations. So far, Q-Bot's robots have insulated over 1,000 sites successfully, with over 1,500 more sites committedl. The outcomes of this project will support the company to increase the proportion of properties that can be insulated and therefore help the UK achieve its climate targets.

This project builds on ground-breaking robotics innovation in the area of soft and flexible robotic manipulators by the Centre for Advanced Robotics @ Queen Mary (ARQ), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), initially developed for surgical applications, and a previous project funded by InnovateUK (104059). This project will develop the technology further, with a view to utilisation not just in under floor voids and inaccessible areas of buildings, but also in other extreme and challenging environments. The project will deliver an industrial demonstration prototype that will be validated in demanding environments as well as further developing the robots as a service business model (with validation in a range of industrial segments using 'Lean Start-up' principles). This business model has the potential to fast-forward the adoption of robotic services in the sector as the capital cost is removed de-risking adoption, whilst enabling immediate performance feedback and continuous improvement (leading to faster technology improvements and further development of applications of the technology).