ComBot for Inspection and Fault Monitoring/Reporting of Telecommunication Mast Elements

摘要

Inspection and maintenance activities of the communication masts associated with numerous hazards and risks such as fall dangers, risks related to structural collapses, inappropriate rigging, raising practices, ‘struck-by’ dangers etc. Also a risk for exposure to sudden RF radiation is another essential factor that is needed to consider regarding the periodic maintenance inspections. The utmost thing is the safety of the riggers and those who are performing relevant inspections. Therefore this project endeavors to design a robotic climber for inspection and online/offline monitoring/reporting of communication mast elements. This study explores the development of a mobile climbing robot which can perform corrosion detection testing inspections using a hall effect sensor and which can do the online/offline monitoring/reporting of communication mast elements. This mobile robot walks on the bracings of the communication masts. The movement is based on the leech mechanism with four arms of 2 DoF equipped with eight servo-motors and four electro-magnets. Results of the extensive tests shows that the model can be applied to execute the monitoring and inspection assignments controlled by the operator.