Development of a Mechanism of Pipe-Surface Inspection Robot

Abstract

Inspection of industrial piping is a well-known and highly practical application of robotic technology. The present study examines a mechanism that allows a pipe inspection robot to move along the outside of a pipe. Robots especially designed to inspect the surface of piping have recently been realized by some companies, and are in practical use as mechanical piping inspection devices in various plants. These robots are equipped with ultrasonic diagnostic equipment that can measure the thickness of the pipe along its surface. However, they are able to move by manual operation only. Such robots cannot be applied to pipes with flanges and valves, etc. In this paper, we have designed a mechanism that enables robots to traverse flanges, rise along vertical flanges, and move along the underside of the piping. The proposed robots are composed of three connected units. Our robots move by means of magnetic elements (magnetic wheels or electromagnets).