A biologically-inspired tube inspection robot with friction-based mobility

IF 2.1 Q3 ROBOTICS

International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications Pub Date : 2024-08-25 DOI:10.1007/s41315-024-00370-x

Nihar Masurkar, Ankit Das, Manoj Rudraboina, Drake Morris-Sjolund, Fernando Alvidrez, Ehsan Dehghan-Niri, Hamid Marvi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The aging power plants are critical infrastructures that require regular inspection to ensure their longevity. Automated inspection, in particular, can save a significant amount of time and cost, and eliminate the safety concerns of manual inspection. For this purpose, we propose a biologically-inspired robot that integrates friction-based mobility and sensing. It is capable of traversing horizontal and vertical boiler tubes as well as tubes with a \(45^{\circ }\) bend. Furthermore, the friction pads on the robot fingers allow for locomotion on the rough surfaces of the boiler tubes. These pads also provide grip on non-magnetic tubes enabling the robot to be deployed on tubes made of any material. In addition, this robot has electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMAT) embedded in all of its fingers that enable defect detection during locomotion. The presented platform can inspect complex tubular structures and considerably reduce the time, cost, and hazards experienced in manual inspection.

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受生物启发的管道检测机器人，具有基于摩擦的移动能力

老化的发电厂是重要的基础设施，需要定期检查以确保其使用寿命。自动检查尤其可以节省大量时间和成本，并消除人工检查的安全隐患。为此，我们提出了一种受生物启发的机器人，它集成了基于摩擦力的移动和传感功能。它能够穿越水平和垂直的锅炉管道，也能穿越有（45^{\circ }\ ）弯曲的管道。此外，机器人手指上的摩擦垫可以在锅炉管的粗糙表面上移动。这些摩擦垫还能在非磁性管道上提供抓力，使机器人能够在任何材料制成的管道上部署。此外，该机器人的所有手指上都嵌入了电磁声学传感器（EMAT），可在运动过程中进行缺陷检测。所介绍的平台可以检测复杂的管状结构，大大减少人工检测的时间、成本和危险。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications ROBOTICS-

CiteScore

3.80

自引率

5.90%

发文量

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications (IJIRA) fosters the dissemination of new discoveries and novel technologies that advance developments in robotics and their broad applications. This journal provides a publication and communication platform for all robotics topics, from the theoretical fundamentals and technological advances to various applications including manufacturing, space vehicles, biomedical systems and automobiles, data-storage devices, healthcare systems, home appliances, and intelligent highways. IJIRA welcomes contributions from researchers, professionals and industrial practitioners. It publishes original, high-quality and previously unpublished research papers, brief reports, and critical reviews. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:Advanced actuators and sensorsCollective and social robots Computing, communication and controlDesign, modeling and prototypingHuman and robot interactionMachine learning and intelligenceMobile robots and intelligent autonomous systemsMulti-sensor fusion and perceptionPlanning, navigation and localizationRobot intelligence, learning and linguisticsRobotic vision, recognition and reconstructionBio-mechatronics and roboticsCloud and Swarm roboticsCognitive and neuro roboticsExploration and security roboticsHealthcare, medical and assistive roboticsRobotics for intelligent manufacturingService, social and entertainment roboticsSpace and underwater robotsNovel and emerging applications