Development of a 3 in Sewer Pipe Inspection Robot with an Articulated Differential Mechanism using X-shaped Linkages

Abstract: This paper proposes, an improved version of the 3 in sewer pipe inspection robot equipped with an emergency evacuation mechanism. The low traction force and poor stepover capability, which were challenges of the first version, have been improved by simply connecting the propulsion units. The coupled propulsion units feature a differential mechanism capable of posture changes via a single wire, enabling adaptation to pipe diameter variations. To traverse obstacles like pipe joints, a control method was devised that detects obstacle contact through current load on the drive wheel motors and slackens the wire. This method was verified through simulated pipe experiments. Load comparisons were made using current waveforms applied to the drive wheels. Our proposed control method significantly improved the step-over capability of the new articulated robots.