Mosaicing for Automatic Pipe Scanning (MAPS)

This collaborative R&D project follows on from the successful “Mosaicing for Automatic Pipe Scanning (MAPS)” TSB Feasibility Study that confirmed the feasibility of a novel approach to combining optical hardware and advanced image processing techniques for interactive 3D remote visual inspection (RVI) of pipe work in the nuclear industry. The project aims to progress from this feasibility study to a ruggedized prototype which will be deployed and demonstrated in a range of test environments, both in the laboratory and on-site. The five member consortium includes Inspectahire (INS), University of Strathclyde (UoS), Wideblue Ltd and a nuclear site licence company and is led by National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). The specification of the hardware will be driven by the supply chain companies (NNL and INS) and the nuclear site license company (SL), to meet both their existing needs and the emerging opportunities associated with reactor lifetime extension and new build programmes both in the UK and overseas. The combination of skills within the consortium is unique, and as such this proposal represents a unique opportunity to develop a world leading capability for nuclear inspection.