Development of in-pipe robot with extension hose and balloons

Abstract

In recent years, the importance of inspection technologies for old gas pipes has been advocated. In this study, we developed a robot that moves in gas pipes and acquires pictures of interior of pipes in order to easily identify problems, such as cracks in the walls or water leakages. The robot consists of two balloons and an extension hose, which can be extended or shrunk by means of changing the internal pressure. This mechanism allows the robot to move like an inchworm in gas pipes. The robot also has an active-bending module, driven by air pressure that allows it to pass curved pipe sections. Therefore, the robot can move horizontally and vertically in pipes having an inner diameter of both 28 mm and 53 mm.