Novel robot mechanism capable of 3D differential driving inside pipelines

摘要

In this paper, novel mechanisms for an in-pipe robot are presented. Multi-axial differential gear mechanism is designed to be driven with only single motor at any elbow-pipe without additional control efforts while all three wheels keep driving power. Brake system was added to prevent slip of wheel. Active wall pressing mechanism allows controlling the contact forces. And additional rescue mechanism is designed for emergency situation. Lastly, their effectiveness is experimentally validated.