Development of pipe inspection robot with extension hose and balloons

Abstract

We are developing a robot for gas pipe inspection, which obtain trust forces by pneumatic actuators. The air pressure to drive them is provided by a compressor, which is set out of the pipe, via tubes. Fictions between these tubes and pipe walls sometimes constrain motions of the robot hardly. Therefore, we developed a tube-sending mechanism, which stays between the compressor and the robot, to support motions of the robot.