Elastic material selection for omni-wheels of in-pipe robots with high traction capability

Abstract

This paper introduces the design of an articulated wheeled robot with four links and three joints that can travel in pipes with inner diameters of 4 in with a traction force of 300 N or more. Although many in-pipe inspection robots have been reported, no examples can yet travel long distances, including many curved sections. This paper presents roller material with the best friction property and durability for in-pipe robots to possess high traction capability. Lifting payload and long distance in-pipe travel tests were also conducted for the robot with the selected elastic materials. The results demonstrate that a 16 kg weight was successfully lifted, and the robot can travel a total length of 23 m, including 19 horizontal and vertical bent sections.