Pipe-finder: Adaptive, Lightweight Pipe Robot Integrating Origami Anisotropic Stiffness Structure

Yifei Chen; Deyu Yang; Ziyu Liu; Boyu Yang; Hongqiang Wang

10.1109/ROBIO58561.2023.10354759

2023

979-8-3503-2571-3

2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO)

1-6

4-9 Dec. 2023

Koh Samui, Thailand

Pipeline inspection poses challenges that require robots to navigate complex environments. However, existing pipeline robots with the rigid bodies often face limitations in terms of efficiency, flexibility, and adaptability considering the significant size variations and complex terrains in pipelines. This paper introduces a novel design of wheel pipeline robots that addresses these limitations by incorporating the Origami Anisotropic Stiffness Structure (OASS). Inspired by the desert iguana's skin, the OASS offers a unique combination of rigidity and flexibility in different directions, making it an ideal skeletal framework for the robot with only 146 g weight. By integrating the OASS with PLA and resin materials, we enhance the robot's support and enable it to effectively navigate diverse pipeline configurations. Experimental results demonstrate the robot's capability to maneuver through pipelines of different diameters, U-shaped turns, obstacles, and even vertical sections. This research provides a promising solution for inspection tasks in complex pipeline systems.

Navigation Pipelines Robot vision systems Wheels Inspection Distance measurement Skin

第一

EI

20240315404511

IEEE

Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics and Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

Yifei Chen,Deyu Yang,Ziyu Liu,et al. Pipe-finder: Adaptive, Lightweight Pipe Robot Integrating Origami Anisotropic Stiffness Structure[C],2023:1-6.