Robot maker · early
Pike Robotics
UT Austin Nuclear and Applied Robotics Group spin-out building Wall-Eye, described as the first wall-crawling inspection robot certified Class 1 Division 1 for flammable atmospheres, enabling in-service inspection of oil and refined-product storage tanks (floating roofs, shells) without draining or human entry. Adaptable sensor payloads capture wall-thickness and integrity data. Initially funded by Phillips 66 through a $350k sponsored research agreement to address its refinery and tank-farm inspection needs, followed by NSF SBIR Phase I ($275k) and Phase II awards; other backers include NextFab Ventures and Antler.
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Wall-Eye
- First wall-crawling robot certified Class 1 Division 1 for operation in explosive atmospheres
Intrinsically safe crawler able to inspect in-service petrochemical storage tanks containing flammable vapors
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