An Agile Bicycle-like Robot for Complex Steel Structure Inspection

Abstract

This paper presents a simple but compact design of a bicycle-like robot for inspecting complex-shaped ferromagnetic structures. The design concept for versatile locomotion relies on two independently steered magnetic wheels formed in a bicycle-like configuration, allowing the robot to possess multi-directional mobility. The key feature of a reciprocating mechanism enables the robot to change its shape when passing obstacles. A dynamic joint of the robot configuration makes it naturally adapt to uneven and complex surfaces of steel structures. We demonstrate the usability and practical deployment of the robot for steel thickness measurement using an ultrasonic sensor.