User:Inuktun/sandbox
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | |
| Products | Pipeline video inspection Unmanned ground vehicles Pan tilt zoom cameras Image editing Hardware |
| Website | http://www.inuktun.com |
Inuktun Services Ltd, is a Canadian based robotics, and industrial video camera company that designs, sells and manufactures remote pipeline video inspection and tether based unmanned ground vehicle systems. These systems are utilized in a number of industries including in the nuclear power, petroleum, subsea , military, search and rescue and wastewater industries.
Founded and based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Inuktun has sales offices in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and Aberdeen, Scotland. The company employs a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, scientists, administrative and production personnel at its corporate headquarters.
History
[edit]1989-1998: Early Years and Underwater ROV's
[edit]Inuktun Services Ltd.began in 1989 as a partnership between Terry Knight and Al Robinson. It was incorporated as a private company that same year. The firm's name Inuktun is derived from the Inuit language, which broadly translated, means "service to mankind."
Inuktun's roots as a robotics company began with the design and manufacture of small, low cost, underwaterRemotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), originally developed in Knight’s garage utilizing equipment at hand (such as his wife’s sewing machine motors). While the first system was originally designed with the recreational boat user in mind, very quickly Terry and Al found it had many industrial applications with nuclear, oil& gas and underwater inspection clientele.
During the first years of its incorporation, Inuktun was heavily involved in developing small and innovative light duty work-class underwater ROV's[1]. The Scallop ROV in particular was one of the first micro-format ROV to incorporate a high resolution color CCD video camera,two quartz halogen lights and three thruster motors. It carried no batteries, and was powered and controlled from the surface over a small-diameter, neutrally buoyant, umbilical cable. The small format, 8-pound ROV was sold for over a decade. In 1999, it was purchased by investors who would go on to start VideoRay.
1996-Present: Crawler Tracks and Camera's
[edit]A few years after the first sale of its ROV, ISL developed the first 'Minitrac' crawlers with the intent of penetrating the municipal sewer and storm drain inspection market. However, it quickly became a useful modular crawler unit for inspecting radiologoical contaminated pipe.[2]. It was soon discovered, however, that in order to sell the Minitracs, Inuktun had to be able to provide complete turn key systems for their clients, including video cameras, lights and other devices. As such, Inuktun began offering standard product, custom engineering and integration services.
During the mid 90's, the company has built a reputation as the expert in remote-controlled, modular robotic transport and delivery of visual inspection equipment and instrumentation tooling. In addition to producing and selling a complete line of standard equipment for a variety of remote robotic inspection applications, the company also offers a complete range of services from engineering conceptual design through to project completion.
Inuktun UGV's crawlers made headlines when they were deployed to aid in search and rescue efforts at the 2001 World Trade Center.[3].
In 2004, Inuktun crawlers were utilized by NASA's 2004 NEEMO research team.[4].
In 2006, Inuktun developed a custom robotic crawler and camera system to search for surviors after the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse.[5]
Products
[edit]Inuktun has produced a number of custom and standard solutions to customers around the world. Inuktun's current portfolio of standard products is focused upon three segments – Crawlers, Cameras and Tracks.
Crawlers
[edit]Since the mid 1990's, Inuktun has been offering a complete line of amphibious crawler systems with pan & tilt video cameras capable of extensive remote inspection applications. The crawler feature sets vary by design, but common to all designes are a treaded track that facilitate movement around obstacles. Inuktun crawlers also come with a remote camera that permits remote tele-operation.
Verstrax 300 Very Long Range Crawler Verstrax 150 Pipe Inspection Crawler Verstrax 100 Pipe Inspection Crawler Verstrax 450
Cameras
[edit]Tracks
[edit]Media and awards
[edit]- 2011 MISTIC ICET Excellence in Technology Award[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Christ, Robert D.; Wernli, Robert. ROV Manual: A User Guide for Obseration Class Remotely Operated Vehicles (1st ed.). Butterworth–Heinemann.
- ^ "The Inspection of a Radiologically Contaminated Pipeline Using a Teleoperated Pipe Crawler" (PDF). International Journal of Robotics and Automation. June, 1994. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "How is a Canadian robot helping rescuers at ground zero?". The Globe and Mail. September 24, 2001. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ "NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations". The Canadian Space Agency Journal. October 15, 2004. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ Robot-Assisted Rescuers Seek Answers in Wake of Utah Mine Collapse" — ScientificAmerican.com
- ^ "MISTIC rewards innovative ideas". Nanaimo News Bulletin. November 09, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
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Category:Companies established in 1989 Category:Robotics companies Category:Companies based in British Columbia