Autonomous screw maintenance for runway lighting with AI and electric vehicle

The ScrewRover will use state-of-the-art technologies to autonomously tighten the screws of taxiway lights on the runways. A protal robot with a 3D printed cordless screwdriver tool is used to tighten the screws. The vision sensor uses AI (machine learning) to recognise the screws and their exact positions. This data is sent to the robot controller, whereby the igus Robot Control programme moves to these coordinates precisely one after the other and retightens them.

A specially developed all-electric vehicle is used to move from one runway light to the next. This consists of 4 motors and a mechanical steering system developed in-house, which is controlled by a servo motor. The basic structure of the vehicle is made of aluminium profiles, which make it easy to dismantle for transport and help to make the project cost-effective. The prototype is roughly positioned over a light by means of a remote control and then tightens the screws autonomously.