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Design and motion mechanism analysis of screw-driven in-pipe inspection robot based on novel adapting mechanism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2024

Jihua Yin Open the ORCID record for Jihua Yin [Opens in a new window] ,
Xuemei Liu ,
Youqiang Wang  and
Yucheng Wang
Jihua Yin*
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
Xuemei Liu
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
Youqiang Wang
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
Yucheng Wang
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
*
Corresponding author: Jihua Yin; Email: JihuaYin@outlook.com
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Abstract

In the pipeline industry, it is often necessary to monitor cracks and damage in pipelines, or need to clean the inside of the pipeline regularly, or collect adhesive on the inner wall of the pipe, but the pipe is too narrow and difficult for humans to enter, it is necessary to use a pipe machine to complete the work. In this paper, a newly designed screw-driven in-pipe inspection robot (IPIR) is proposed. Compared with common robots, this robot innovatively designs adapting mechanism. The robot can not only adapt to the change of the inner diameter size of the pipeline by using the bionic principle and the deformation characteristics of flexible components but also can pass smoothly in the horizontal/oblique/vertical pipelines and has a certain ability to cross obstacles. In addition, it can transmit images of the inner wall of the pipeline wirelessly for data analysis. Finally, through theoretical analysis and prototype construction, the performance of the robot is verified. The results show that the prototype robot can not only smoothly pass through the acrylic pipe with inner diameter of 120–138 mm but also pass through boss with a height of 3 mm.

Keywords

Screw-drivenin-pipe inspection robot (IPIR)pipe diameter adaptionmotion mechanism
Type
Research Article
Information
Robotica , Volume 42 , Issue 4 , April 2024 , pp. 1297 - 1319
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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