Rose: Robotic sensor networks

The Rose project is another Dutch Robotics project but should not be confused with the Tele Operated Service Robot: Rose.

The Netherlands are famous for their water engineering works; this is not strange, since a large part of the Netherlands is below sea level. Due to an excellent dike system, this ‘low country’ can survive, but it does require around the clock checks to make sure the dikes do not show signs of weakness. Since the largest cities of the Netherlands like Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam are all situated close to the sea, this means that problems in a dike can end dramatically.

Because a large part of the sea dikes are of unknown quality, the Dutch Robotics project Rose aims to start using sensor technology to better check the quality so that repairs can be done where necessary. This robotics project wants to develop a team of robotic sensors that can automatically acquire data about the composition, consistency and condition of the inspected dikes. In an ideal situation, there will be a team of three different types of robots; those scanning the dikes from in the air, on the ground and from the water.

The first priority, however is to develop a ground type robotic sensor unit. This robot will have to work with energy efficiency on different types of unknown and rough terrains. These are the most challenging issues to face in the Rose project.