Design and Control of a Diameter-Adaptable In-Pipe Inspection Robot

Abstract

In-Pipe Inspection Robots have been a viable option in non-intrusive internal pipeline inspection. In this study, a new battery-powered wall-pressing In-Pipe Inspection Robot is proposed with a design aimed at its diameter-adaptability to a wide range of pipe diameters. The proposed robot is battery-powered and features a single drive motor whose power is transmitted to the robot’s active wheels through a drive train. The robot’s diameter can be adjusted actively via a lead screw mechanism actuated by a stepper motor and controlled via an Arduino-based microcontroller in order to generate necessary tractive forces to support user-specified payloads. This robot’s diameter adaption mechanism allows it to inspecting pipelines of diameters in the range of [233- 324] mm.