A Novel Articulated Rover for Industrial Pipes Inspection Tasks

Abstract

Inspection and maintenance of industrial pipes using robots represent an emerging application in Oil & Gas and refinery facilities for NonDestructive Tests (NDT). In this work, we present the design and development of a novel articulated mobile robot able to safely navigate over straight and curved pipes for inspection tasks. This rover is meant to be the base of the hybrid aerial-ground platform of the HYFLIERS project that aims to develop novel solutions to perform inspection measurements with reduced exposure to risks and costs. Thanks to the multiple degrees of freedom and onboard sensors, the rover proposed in this paper can stabilize and navigate on a pipe across welding and over curves. After discussed the mechanical design of the rover, we demonstrate its effectiveness in the localization and navigation of curved pipes.