A mobile vibro-robot for locomotion through pipelines

Abstract

The subject of our work is the creation of different designs of mobile robots for the movement through pipelines and similar technical systems. Using the transversal vibrations of an elastic bristle body, allows us to develop a new crawling vibro-robot. The motion is mainly realized by anisotropic friction forces. For the design process, we use the well-known construction principle of combination of alternative systems. It enables the transfer of structural characteristics (i.e. its kinematics) from one object to another, leading to new desirable characteristics or optimisations of existing technical objects. An analytical model of the motion of the bristles is presented.