Topy Industries Ltd, Japan has launched two models of crawler robots used for exploration/inspection of disaster sites in hostile environment or limited space such as under floor space. The models are extra large type T-01and small type D-90. To attain more maneuverability and portability Topy Industries Ltd reduced the weight of crawler belt by 25% compared with conventional chain-type crawler belt. The extra large crawler robot T-01 weighing 66kg is suitable for exploration of disaster sites or places of hostile environment. High maneuverability and portability is attained by high rigidity and well-thought-out body design. It can climb over the gap of up to 180 mm and tolerate the angle of 45° in moving up and down the stairs. The controller is equipped with LCD. The crawler robot with a maximum of 3km/h speed can be controlled via the camera in the main body as well as integrated data of running condition, etc. obtained from the sensor.
The smaller crawler robot D-90, intended for inspection of limited areas, is downsized. It travels through remote control in limited spaces where workers can not enter. Crawler robots stand out from other robots with mobile function in that they have superior road ability on irregular terrains with piles of debris, for example.The crawler robot T-01 costs 20 million Yen and the smaller one 1.5 million Yen.
