Sensing pipes of a nuclear power mechanism using low-cost snake robot

Abstract

Snake robots have come to represent a new subfield of bionic robot research in recent years. A snake robot comprises many modules and performs various movements in arranged connections. The structure of a snake body enables it to move smoothly in narrow spaces or pipes with high stability and reliability. This article studies the application of a snake robot on a large-scale nuclear power facility to sense in pipe components. Therefore, a snake robot must move in pipes in which high radiation is present to explore the surrounding environment and take samples. A simple but effective method of locomotion is developed and executed to confirm feasibility of motion, especially in narrow space. A sampling mechanism with a storage box is designed at the tail of the snake to take and keep the samples well at designated locations. We built a pipe system which has two right-angled turns to simulate the pipes of a large-scale nuclear power facility. A user interface helps operators to manipulate the snake robot.