Final Design

The ROBO MAT is an autonomous mapping tool that has the capability to effectively measure railgun bore degradation (specifically designed for General Atomics’ Blitzer Railgun). The ROBO MAT design effectively avoided this section of the railgun bore by using the bore upper and lower forcing cone allowing for easier, less-impeded motion. While there is some sludge in the bore on the upper and lower forcing cone areas, it is quite minimal and significantly less pronounced than the sludge on the bore corners. It is important to note that the exact amount, size, and location of the sludge in the bore cannot be completely defined, due to the fact that it changes after each railgun projectile launch test. Thus, the ROBO MAT utilized the fact that while the dispersion of sludge along the forcing cone varies, its intensity and size is always minimal. 

Components

Chassis       Battery      Microcontroller     Motor/Gear Assembly     Rollers     Tracer Wheel     Optics System

Results

•ROBOT MAT effectively traveled through 8m test bore, recording constant video