DamBot Testing at Stillhouse Hollow Lake
Chuck Ellison, research mechanical engineer with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Information Technology Laboratory’s Robotic Assessment of Dams, operates a prototype site characterization vehicle known as “DamBot” during testing at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District’s Stillhouse Hollow Lake. DamBot is a robotic platform carrying a variety of sensors such as high-resolution cameras and Lidar and can create an extremely detailed model of the Dam entire outlet works system. Typically, an inspection involves a human physically entering the tunnel to take photographs of concerning spots and document anomalies by hand. The DamBot allows for precise and repeatable inspections that can be viewed remotely, meaning inspectors can do their jobs from a safe distance. (U.S. Army photo by Trevor Welsh)