September 30, 2021—The DARPA Subterranean Challenge, a highly competitive event focused on advancing robotics technology for challenging underground environments, has come to a close, with Team CERBERUS emerging victorious after three years of rigorous testing. The team, which brought together Flyability, an indoor drone company, and several prestigious academic institutions, successfully navigated complex scenarios to win the grand prize.
DARPA initially introduced the SubT Challenge in 2018 with the aim of fostering innovations capable of enhancing operations in harsh, subterranean settings. As IEEE Spectrum noted, the competition sought to push robotic teams to perform effectively in tough underground conditions. These environments ranged from man-made structures like subway systems and mines to natural formations such as caves and tunnels.
Adrien Briod, Co-Founder and CTO of Flyability, expressed pride in being part of Team CERBERUS. He highlighted Flyability's commitment to creating practical solutions through robotics, ensuring safer working conditions for humans by deploying advanced technology where it’s most needed.
The journey began in 2019 with two major events—the Tunnel Event and the Urban Event—designed to evaluate the technological progress of participating teams. Unfortunately, the Cave Event scheduled for 2020 was postponed due to global health concerns.
The final showdown took place in Louisville, Kentucky, within the expansive Louisville Mega Cavern—a vast limestone quarry now repurposed into a recreational hub featuring a ropes course, biking trails, and guided tours. Here, finalists faced arduous challenges involving confined spaces modeled after various types of underground terrains. Operations were further complicated by factors such as limited visibility caused by smoke.
Teams were tasked with deploying their robots to locate specific items called "artifacts," strategically placed throughout the course. Upon discovery, robots needed to accurately identify and report the exact position of these artifacts. Each artifact represented one point towards the overall score.
Team CERBERUS triumphed by identifying and correctly pinpointing 23 out of 40 possible artifacts. Although Team CSIRO Data61 matched them in terms of artifact count, they submitted their last artifact slightly later, granting Team CERBERUS the top spot. Meanwhile, Team MARBLE secured third place with 18 points.
Dr. Kostas Alexis, Director of NTNU’s Autonomous Robots Lab and leader of Team CERBERUS, credited their success to integrating both legged and flying robots into cohesive units. Their dedication toè‡ªä¸»ç ”å‘ hardware played a crucial role in achieving this milestone while simultaneously presenting certain constraints due to extensive development efforts.
This competition significantly propelled advancements in autonomous systems and robotics tailored for subterranean missions. The achievements showcased by finalist teams hold immense potential across industries reliant on underground activities, such as mining, wastewater management, and emergency response operations.
Among the key tools utilized by Team CERBERUS were four advanced ANYmal C robots. To witness these machines in action, check out this video demonstrating their capabilities.
For those interested in learning more about Flyability, a pioneering firm based in Switzerland specializing in inspecting hard-to-reach areas using drones, visit www.flyability.com or follow @fly_ability on social media platforms.
Should you wish to connect directly with Flyability, feel free to reach out via phone at +41 21 311 55 00.
As for Team CERBERUS, it comprises an impressive coalition of experts from the University of Nevada Reno, ETH Zurich, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), UC Berkeley, Oxford, Flyability, and Sierra Nevada Corporation. Under the guidance of Professor Dr. Kostas Alexis from NTNU’s Department of Engineering Cybernetics, along with other distinguished leaders, this group has consistently delivered groundbreaking results aligned with its mission: Collaborative walking & flying Robots for autonomous Exploration in Underground Settings.
To explore further details about Team CERBERUS, head over to https://www.subt-cerberus.org/.
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In summary, the DARPA Subterranean Challenge not only tested cutting-edge robotics but also underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in solving real-world problems. It serves as a testament to how far innovation can go when driven by shared goals and relentless pursuit of excellence.
Air To Water Heating System
Introduction to GENT fixed frequency air to water heating system
Air to water heating system is a heat pump unit that uses the heat in the air as the heating source, absorbs the heat in the air to prepare hot water. Combined with the indoor terminals and the hot water produced by the unit, the indoor space heating can be achieved. The thermo pump heating system is divided into two types: fixed frequency unit and variable frequency unit. This category mainly introduces the fixed frequency type.
What is a fixed frequency heat pump house heater?
The main difference between fixed frequency heaters and variable frequency heaters lies in the frequency at which the compressor in the unit runs. The compressor in the fixed frequency heatpump furnace runs at a fixed frequency. When the indoor temperature reaches the set value, the unit is completely shut down, and the unit restarts after the temperature drops. The operation mode of the fixed frequency Air Source Heat Pump Heating unit is a continuous cycle of "start-stop".
Unit advantages
1. Initial equipment investment can save 30~50%
2. Low maintenance cost (no risk of inverter module failure)
3. Suitable for areas with low electricity prices
4. Recommended for: intermittent heating scenarios (such as weekend villas), mild climate areas (areas with the lowest temperature in winter above -5℃)
Unit disadvantages
1. The compressor starts and stops many times, which increases power consumption and affects the service life of the unit.
2. The room temperature drops significantly during the winter defrosting period.
3. The COP of this heat pump heater is lower than that of the variable frequency unit.
Therefore, it can be said that the fixed frequency electric heat pump water heaters can meet the demand for indoor heating, and this unit also has its advantages and disadvantages. Users can comprehensively consider your personal needs and the advantages and disadvantages of the unit to determine whether this unit is really suitable for you. If it is suitable, you can take it into consideration.
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