Development of an acoustic sensing system for recognising characteristics in a pipe using robotic inspection

Abstract

We investigate the prospects for measuring the characteristics of buried pipes by using acoustic signals with a robotic inspection platform. Numerous studies have been conducted on systems for detecting faults and blockages in pipes using acoustic signals. The objective of our study is to bring about a significant transformation in the management of buried pipe infrastructure through the creation of specialized robots capable of operating within underground pipe networks, using communication to enable cooperative inspection and sensing. Our focus is on developing an acoustic system in a pipe for implementation with robotics in the future. These first results make use of a loudspeaker and microphone to evaluate the effects of environmental noise and acoustic dispersion inside the pipe. It is demonstrated conceptually that a pair of robots can be employed to make acoustic transmission measurements and that a moving robot can be employed to measure the acoustic standing wave created by reflection from a blockage, for accurate frequency domain measurement of amplitude and phase.