RAIN was a community of enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and motivated individuals working together to solve some of the most challenging robotics problems in the world.

At its core were ten research institutions, led by the University of Manchester, each bringing their own expertise.

The RAIN-Snake is a flexible delivery system for in-situ inspection and repair, composed of a flexible delivery arm and an actuation pack (analogous to a small drum). The RAIN-Snake can navigate into hard to reach, hazardous environments for inspection and in-situ repair, and can be used in gloveboxes, and other complex areas. A range of tooling options makes the RAIN-Snake adaptable and suitable for a range of applications. Some examples of tools that have been integrated into the system include:

Soft Gripper:

A soft gripper (vacuum) developed by Rolls-Royce was integrated with the snake robot. The RAIN-Snake can be controlled using an on-board camera to navigate narrow spaces. The RAIN-Snake arm carrying the gripper in this instance was used to catch a workpiece.

Raman Spectroscopy:

A sensor was attached to the end-effector of snake arm to analyse unknown materials inside a narrow space, using Raman spectroscopy.

Technical Specifications Flexible snake arm:

• Reach of ~1m
• Outside diameter tapered from 27mm to 12 mm [minimum deployment diameter]
• Arm designed to be both flexible and stiff, allowing the RAIN-SNAKE to access narrow spaces while carrying a camera, sensor, gripper, or other specialised tools.
• Easy attachment of different tools.
• Internal working channel of 7.5mm for inspection tool.

Actuation Pack:

• Compact actuation pack resembling a small portable drum.
• Coiling function saves storage space.
• Compatible with other platforms, software or devices.
• Remote controlled by Android devices.

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