One of the nation’s most respected pipeline rehabilitation contractors, SAK brings proven experience and innovation to every project. Leveraging cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP), one of several trenchless rehabilitation methods used to repair existing pipelines, SAK employs milling robot operators to reinstate laterals once the product is in place.

Simulation-Based Training for Remote Robotic Lateral Reinstatement Cutters

ForgeFX Simulations developed the SAK TV Tech Robot Training Simulator to help SAK Construction train and evaluate robotic milling operators. The simulator helps reduce wear-and-tear on real-world machines during training, increases operator familiarity with the controls of the robot and the pipeline environment, and quickly and affordably increases trainee throughput.

The training simulation software connects to the real-world milling robot controllers, so that trainees learn all the specifics of the robotic milling process, as well as developing muscle memory for the real-world controls. The simulator replicates a collection of conditions that operators will encounter, allowing them to learn to how to navigate the sewer environment, operate the milling head, and conduct pipeline inspections. Through the use of the training simulator, operators learn how to avoid maneuvers that could lead to costly mistakes during real-world operation.

In addition to training operators to use the robotic miller to restore pipelines, the simulator includes a pipeline inspection mode that allows operators to conduct both pre and post inspections of the virtual pipeline they’ll be working on.

 

Simulation-Based Training for Pipeline Inspection

Simulation users are able to choose from a variety of preferences, everything from sewer use, to direction of survey, to pipeline length and diameter, in order to closely simulate the types of physical pipelines they’ll be working on. Self-propelled robotic lateral reinstatement cutters are used to rehabilitate sewers during the Cured-In-Place-Piping (CIPP) process. These robots are used to inspect and remove obstructions that may interfere with the installation of the CIPP, and to reinstate lateral connections after the liner is installed.

By leveraging CIPP to renovate aging wastewater pipelines, operators can restore the pipeline’s structural and functional integrity, cost effectively and with minimal above-ground disruption to streets and neighborhoods. Avoiding accidents and mistakes in the real-world sewer environment is a paramount priority, and having a reliable training system in place to produce teams of highly skilled operators is a must. To achieve this goal, SAK Construction worked with ForgeFX Simulations to produce this comprehensive virtual training simulator for robot operator trainees. The simulator application allows for simulated training with, or without, the real-world remote control hardware connected to the computer running the software, in a variety of pipeline circumstances and situations, presenting a collection of challenges and job skill training scenarios to produce highly trained operators that are more effective and efficient.

The simulator is operated by the same real-world controls which they’ll use to control the real-world robotic cutters. During simulation sessions, rather than seeing the onscreen video feed from the robots front and rear-facing cameras, trainees see a virtual live video feed from the simulated pipeline they’re working on. Operator trainees develop muscle memory and become comfortable operating the real-world controls and how they affect the different components of the robot, as well as become familiar with the view and orientation of the video feed they’ll be using to see while the robot is in the pipeline.