Sewers are extremely dark, day and night. How about the best visibility? As of model year 2012, Schwalm Robotic GmbH has been uniformly equipping its Talpa FSR 1330 and Talpa FSR 2060 robots with either the MiNa or the MiMoZo as optional accessories.
These are two newly developed cameras for use in sewers. While the MiNa (featuring a 1/3-inch CCD sensor) was deliberately designed as a compact and simple product, the MiMoZo (featuring a 1/4-inch CCD sensor) is additionally equipped with shutter control and a zoom function.
The MiNa and MiMoZo are characterized by their extreme robustness and unusually precise and bright image reproduction. Their lenses are based on highly sensitive CCD sensors from Sony.
Sophisticated technology from Bad Hersfeld
From the interior to the housing, Schwalm produces everything on its own premises. Josef Prosoli (Precision Engineering and Assembly) and Alex Reimer (Electrical Engineering and Programming) are responsible for these new high-performance cameras from Schwalm Robotic. The MiNa and MiMoZo can be panned 135 degrees to both sides from the neutral, horizontal zero position. "This way, the robot is entirely capable of looking backward into a 45 degree port directed opposite the driving direction, for instance," explains Josef Prosoli. "In the past, you had to turn the robot. This is no longer necessary." Another technical finesse: the pan mechanism is equipped with a wear-free friction clutch, which is beneficial for maintenance.
Sewer inspection: Good color view is decisive in daylight mode
Speaking of color, the luminous sensitivity of the CCD sensors impresses many a person with the Lux values in night mode. "In actual fact, the large number of decimal places for sensor sensitivity in night mode isn't important to us," explains Alex Reimer. "You can only see shades of gray in faint light conditions, which is why all colors will agree in the dark." Schwalm therefore states the Lux values in daytime mode. "Highly qualified specialists for pipeline, sewer, and industrial services examine the condition of sewers in color. Powerful LEDs provide for sufficient brightness levels, which are decisive if sewer inspections are to produce reliable results."