A Small-Scale Robotic Spill Detection and Cleaning Method

Small-scale spill detection and removal represents a fundamental concern for a wide variety of industries such as food production plants. Often these spills are detected and cleaned manually resulting in slower operations and less productivity. In this design project, a robotic solution, including detection of the spill and removal of it, is presented to maintain high productivity and operations standards in a given organization. The design consists of a plastic structure including acrylic and polylactide (PLA), a vacuum motor, spill detection electronics using image processing and control apparatus. For initial testing purposes, the robotic attachment was mounted to iRobot Create 2 as a movement platform. Testing methods consisted of rounds of spill cleaning for a variety of materials including oil and syrup. As a result of those tests, the design can be scaled to different industries such as Oil and Gas, Energy, Supermarket and Warehouses. Results show improved spill detection and removal compared to manual methods.