1. A small player in Big Science European Parliament, January 2019
Contact:
Dr.ir. C.J.M. (Cock) Heemskerk
2/22/2019
A small player in Big Science

2. A small player in Big Science
Introduction
How to create and maintain a position as a small player between large international companies and institutions?
Big chances or big challenges & risks?
How do you get noticed?
How to get a foothold?
How to make serious money?
How to team up?
What is the added value?
A small player in Big Science

3. About HIT SME, established 2007 19 employees, 8 fte
Location: Delft, The Netherlands
SME, established 2007
19 employees, 8 fte
4 PhDs, ~10 graduate & undergraduates
Core business: consultancy in remote handling
Proud to be part of robovalley

4. Partners & Clients

5. Maintenance Analysis Cycle

6. Improving shutdown safety and efficiency
Improve Operator Safety
Shorten shutdown downtime (MTTR)
Get it right the first time

7. Interactive Maintenance Analysis
Using Virtual Reality to conceptualize, validate and train
Interactive haptics for validation
Augmented reality for operation support

8. Why use Virtual mockups?
How to prepare for shutdown maintenance?
New machine, new plant, high investments, pressure on MTTR (Mean Time To Repair)
While the machine or plant is still in operation
When shutdown conditions are unique
How to develop the procedures?
How to avoid expensive 1:1 scale hardware mock-ups
How to validate complex procedures
How to get early feedback on practical maintainability
How to train the operators?
Large teams to be prepared for the shutdown
Nominal procedure training: multiple views
Non-nominal procedures, safety training

9. Maintenance Procedure Validation
Does it fit? Do we avoid collisions?
View points: can we see every critical transition? 
With all focus on the work (hoist), do not forget collisions near the crane base, or crane stability - crane falls over during final manoeuvring.

10. From nuclear fusion into care robots?
Safe and reliable control over critical tasks in uncertain environment
ITER reactor maintenance robot
Operator
Remote robot
Tele-operation
Common technology:
Human in the loop
tele-operation
Verbaal bespreken de complexiteit van de taken, en:
Unstructured environment
Need for reliable, robust and safe execution
Note:
Water hydraulic robot for ITER reactors maintenance image source:
Development emphasis:
Verification and validation
Top right image: Water hydraulic robots developed for the maintenance of ITER reactors - credit: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

11. ROSE: Remotely Operated SErvice Robot A family of service robots for ADL support in home care & care homes
Efficient care:
Increase productivity care professionals (reduce transfer, 1:X)
Increase productivity medical professionals
decrease stress clients / load informal care takers
High-quality care
More frequent, less waiting
More structured contact, less privacy invasive
Smart & robust robotics:
Symbiosis between human intelligence and robot autonomy
Scalable solution:
to increasing demand
to international market
to technology development (evolving autonomy, h/w costs)
“smart nation”: zorg efficienter, increase productivity and quality, longer home care... Cheap labour

12. Target Market: Medium level care
potential users in The Netherlands
Clients that need support in Activities of Daily Life
Home care: Assistance (BG) + personal care (PV) + nursing (VP) + treatment (BH)
Care home clients: Supporting clients with “mild” disabilities
Prolonging safe home stay, efficient use of scarce care staff resources
CIZ basisrapportage AWBZ 1 januari 2013

13. Field test at care homes -what do clients need?
Support in Activities of Daily Living
Logistics
Food & drinks (‘rush’ hours)
Dispose garbage
Pick up from floor
Load washer, dryer
Handle laundry
We did all this with success.
Light out, open/close curtains
Audio/video contact with family
Screencare(Plus)
Remote supervision (e.g. toilet visit)
On the spot requests. To do such a variety of tasks, with such flexibility in acceptable time frames…
…and people liked it.
Easy contact with medical professionals
Search for glasses, remote control, phone

14. Field test at care homes -what do clients need?
Photo’s by Jeroen Poortvliet.

15. Results: Immaterial Value
Positive reports (5-point Likert scale):
Independence (“sense of control over own life”)
security
social contact
movement
“ [Rose can do things which make me independent] “
“ [Why can we go to the moon, but don’t we have a robot that puts the garbage outside?] ”
“ [I want Rose just for myself] ”
And clients liked it
“ [Rose gives me hope for the future] ”
Meet Rose (2016 tests)
Tele-operation of TIAG0:

16. Building blocks for Service Robot applications:
Image recognition
Autonomous navigation
Cockpit with Haptic tele-operation
And clients liked it

17. A small player in Big Science
Conclusion
How do you create and maintain a position as a small player?
Work hard, team up, bring value
Big chances or big challenges and big risks?
Big science projects have unique challenges in size, complexity, technology
The organizations are complex and evolving, e.g. IO, F4E and other Domestic Agencies
How do you get noticed?
Big Science is largely R&D driven => team up, publish, visit conferences
How to get a foothold?
Team up, start small, perform
How to make serious money?
Forget it! Big Science is NOT a big bag of money, => aim for topics with potential spin-out
How to team up?
Add value to established partners
Added value
Spin-out
A small player in Big Science

18. Thanks for your attention!
But the real question:
Contact
Dr.ir. C.J.M (Cock) Heemskerk T: M: E: W: