A Study of an Earthworm type Inspection Robot Movable in Long Pipes

This paper describes development of a three somites earthworm type mobile inspection robot which is able to move in long pipes. We have many small diameter pipes which are gas or water pipes for individual or corporate houses and boilers or hot water pipes for industries. They are settled in the gro...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Manabu Ono, Shigeo Kato
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2010-02-01
Series:International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/a-study-of-an-earthworm-type-inspection-robot-movable-in-long-pipes
_version_ 1818759450000883712
author Manabu Ono
Shigeo Kato
author_facet Manabu Ono
Shigeo Kato
author_sort Manabu Ono
collection DOAJ
description This paper describes development of a three somites earthworm type mobile inspection robot which is able to move in long pipes. We have many small diameter pipes which are gas or water pipes for individual or corporate houses and boilers or hot water pipes for industries. They are settled in the ground horizontally or in the narrow spaces vertically and some of them are covered by casings or hard heat insulating matters. It is very difficult to inspect from out of the pipes. If we can insert a mobile inspection robot into the pipes from the suitable position, we are easy to inspect the pipes. Authors fabricated a three somites earthworm type mobile inspection robot in which we use three rubber bellows as pneumatic actuators. Sixteen rubber friction rings are used to get friction force between pneumatic actuators and the pipes. The electromagnetic valves and air-feeding tubes for the pneumatic actuators are carried on trolleys in order to decrease friction force between the pipes and them. The fabricated three somites earthworm type mobile inspection robot can move in a pipe which is 78 mm in inner diameter and vertical pipe carrying a load that is equivalent to the air-feeding tube of 32 m length. Consequently, the inspection robot was confirmed to move in the long pipes.
first_indexed 2024-12-18T06:42:55Z
format Article
id doaj.art-be5488f1a9dd4804b28eae0566df53e3
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1729-8806
1729-8814
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-18T06:42:55Z
publishDate 2010-02-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems
spelling doaj.art-be5488f1a9dd4804b28eae0566df53e32022-12-21T21:17:34ZengSAGE PublishingInternational Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems1729-88061729-88142010-02-0171A Study of an Earthworm type Inspection Robot Movable in Long PipesManabu OnoShigeo KatoThis paper describes development of a three somites earthworm type mobile inspection robot which is able to move in long pipes. We have many small diameter pipes which are gas or water pipes for individual or corporate houses and boilers or hot water pipes for industries. They are settled in the ground horizontally or in the narrow spaces vertically and some of them are covered by casings or hard heat insulating matters. It is very difficult to inspect from out of the pipes. If we can insert a mobile inspection robot into the pipes from the suitable position, we are easy to inspect the pipes. Authors fabricated a three somites earthworm type mobile inspection robot in which we use three rubber bellows as pneumatic actuators. Sixteen rubber friction rings are used to get friction force between pneumatic actuators and the pipes. The electromagnetic valves and air-feeding tubes for the pneumatic actuators are carried on trolleys in order to decrease friction force between the pipes and them. The fabricated three somites earthworm type mobile inspection robot can move in a pipe which is 78 mm in inner diameter and vertical pipe carrying a load that is equivalent to the air-feeding tube of 32 m length. Consequently, the inspection robot was confirmed to move in the long pipes.http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/a-study-of-an-earthworm-type-inspection-robot-movable-in-long-pipesearthworminspectionrobotbellowspneumatic actuators
spellingShingle Manabu Ono
Shigeo Kato
A Study of an Earthworm type Inspection Robot Movable in Long Pipes
International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems
earthworm
inspection
robot
bellows
pneumatic actuators
title A Study of an Earthworm type Inspection Robot Movable in Long Pipes
title_full A Study of an Earthworm type Inspection Robot Movable in Long Pipes
title_fullStr A Study of an Earthworm type Inspection Robot Movable in Long Pipes
title_full_unstemmed A Study of an Earthworm type Inspection Robot Movable in Long Pipes
title_short A Study of an Earthworm type Inspection Robot Movable in Long Pipes
title_sort study of an earthworm type inspection robot movable in long pipes
topic earthworm
inspection
robot
bellows
pneumatic actuators
url http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/a-study-of-an-earthworm-type-inspection-robot-movable-in-long-pipes
work_keys_str_mv AT manabuono astudyofanearthwormtypeinspectionrobotmovableinlongpipes
AT shigeokato astudyofanearthwormtypeinspectionrobotmovableinlongpipes
AT manabuono studyofanearthwormtypeinspectionrobotmovableinlongpipes
AT shigeokato studyofanearthwormtypeinspectionrobotmovableinlongpipes