• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 제어로봇시스템학회 2005년도 ICCAS
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• pp.963-968
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• 2005

For worm robots applied to pipe inspection and colonoscopy, earthworm-like robots that have a locomotion pattern in backward wave or green caterpillar-like robots that have a locomotion pattern in forward wave have been studied widely. Note however that a method using a single and fixed locomotion pattern is not desirable in the sense of mobility cost, if there are various changes in pipe diameter. In this paper, locomotion patterns are considered for a semi-looper-like robot, which adopts a locomotion pattern of green caterpillars as the basic motion and sometimes can realize a locomotion pattern of looper, whose motion approximately consists of two rhythms or relatively low rhythm.

• 한국인터넷방송통신학회논문지
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.167-173
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• 2020

원자력발전소와 석유화학의 노후화된 파이프 구조물을 검사를 위하여 파이프 등반 로봇에 많은 연구가 이루어졌다. 그러나 파이프 등반 로봇 연구에서는 대부분 파이프 등반 로봇의 구조 설계와 기본적인 동작 제어에 초점을 맞추고 제작되어, 작업자가 파이프 등반 로봇을 제어하기 위해서는 수동 조작으로 파이프를 등반 및 장애물 회피하기 위해 많은 어려움을 가진다. 본 논문에서는 파이프 등반 로봇의 카메라 영상을 이용하여 장애물을 인식하고 파이프 등반 로봇과 장애물 사이의 거리를 추정 및 파이프 등반 로봇이 파이프를 잡을 수 있는 위치를 결정하여 파이프 사이의 장애물을 회피 할 수 있는 알고리즘을 제안한다.

• 한국기계가공학회지
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.58-65
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• 2021

Most pipe-inspection robots have fixed sizes and use a wired cable system. Pipelines are generally composed of various structures, including bent pipes, vertical pipes, branch pipes, and holes, and it is difficult to explore the insides of such modular piping structures. In an offshore plant pipeline, a robot that can pass through the pipe hole in the downward direction or avoid obstacles, such as a measuring instruments, has not been introduced yet. In this study, an inspection robot that can travel through most pipelines in offshore plants is proposed. This robot uses mecanum wheels; upward, downward, and rotary motion; and a novel rotatable mechanism. Moreover, the robot is designed to be compact and lightweight to include additional devices in the middle.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 1997년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.576-579
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• 1997

In order to repair sewage pipes, it is necessary to dig up the damaged sewage pipes, which results in traffic jams. Since digging up the pipes takes too much time and cost, this method is inefficient. So, in stead of digging up the damaged pipes, a robot is sent down to the pipe to do the repair works. For big pipes, human workers go into the pipe and do to repair works, but for small pipes, it is impossible for human worker to go inside the pipe. In this case, mobile robots have used. The procedures for repairing pipes are as follows : First, the condition of the sewage pipes is observed by a robot. Second, appropriate steps for repair are determined according to the types of the damage. While repairing procedures, a newly-developed packer is sent into the sport to be repaired inside the pipe. Then, the packer is filled with air by a V-shaped wrinkel pipe. This makes the packer inflates uniformly and adhere closely to the inside wall of the pipe in large area. This increases the area that can be repaired. Therefore, the newly-developed packer will be very helpful for sewage pipe repair works.

• 대한전기학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전기학회 2011년도 제42회 하계학술대회
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• pp.1780-1781
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• 2011

There have been numerous studies on application of robots to in-pipe inspection system. In this thesis, a mobile robot that can move through elbows and vertical pipes having diameter 100mm is developed. Defect detection technology for locating wall-thinnings, corrosions and foreign materials is developed for high temperature and pressure pipings in thermal power plants, utilizing laser sensors installed on the robot. Actual defect detection performance is evaluated with application of the developed robot system to a mock-up pipings.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 제어로봇시스템학회 2001년도 ICCAS
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• pp.173.1-173
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• 2001

This paper proposes the methodology in image processing algorithm that estimates the pose of the pipe crawling robot. The pipe crawling robots are usually equipped with a lighting device and a camera on its head for monitoring and inspection purpose. The proposed methodology is using these devices without introducing the extra sensors and is based on the fact that the position and the intensity of the reflected light varies with the robot posture. The algorithm is divided into two parts, estimating the translation and rotation angle of the camera, followed by the actual pose estimation of the robot. To investigate the performance of the algorithm, the algorithm is applied to a sewage maintenance robot.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
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• 제20권10호
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• pp.1044-1050
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• 2014

Robots used for pipe inspection have been studied for a long time and many mobile mechanisms have been proposed to achieve inspection tasks within pipelines. Localization is an important factor for an inpipe robot to perform successful autonomous operation. However, sensors such as GPS and beacons cannot be used because of the unique characteristics of inpipe conditions. In this paper, an inpipe localization algorithm based on elbow detection is presented. By processing the projected marker images of laser pointers and the attitude and heading data from an IMU, the odometer module of the robot determines whether the robot is within a straight pipe or an elbow and minimizes the integration error in the orientation. In addition, an off-line positioning algorithm has been performed with forward and backward estimation and Procrustes analysis. The experimental environment has consisted of several straight pipes and elbows, and a map of the pipeline has been constructed as the result.

• 한국생산제조학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.123-129
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• 2012

Recently, interests on cleaning robots workable in pipes (termed as in-pipe cleaning robot) are increasing because Garbage Automatic Collection Facilities (i.e, GACF) are widely being installed in Seoul metropolitan area of Korea. So far research on in-pipe robot has been focused on inspection rather than cleaning. In GACF, when garbage is moving, the impurities which are stuck to the inner face of the pipe are removed (diameter: 300 mm or 400 mm). Thus, in this paper, by using TRIZ (Inventive Theory of Problem Solving in Russian abbreviation), an in-pipe cleaning robot of GACF with the 6-link sliding mechanism will be proposed, which can be adjusted to fit into the inner face of pipe using pneumatic pressure(not spring). The proposed in-pipe cleaning robot for GACF can have forward/backward movement itself as well as rotation of brush in cleaning. The robot body should have the limited size suitable for the smaller pipe with diameter of 300 mm. In addition, for the pipe with diameter of 400 mm, the links of robot should stretch to fit into the diameter of the pipe by using the sliding mechanism. Based on the conceptual design using TRIZ, we will set up the initial design of the robot in collaboration with a field engineer of Robot Valley, Inc. in Korea. For the optimal design of in-pipe cleaning robot, the maximum impulsive force of collision between the robot and the inner face of pipe is simulated by using RecurDyn(R) when the link of sliding mechanism is stretched to fit into the 400 mm diameter of the pipe. The stresses exerted on the 6 links of sliding mechanism by the maximum impulsive force will be simulated by using ANSYS$^{(R)}$ Workbench based on the Design Of Experiment(in short DOE). Finally the optimal dimensions including thicknesses of 4 links will be decided in order to have the best safety factor as 2 in this paper as well as having the minimum mass of 4 links. It will be verified that the optimal design of 4 links has the best safety factor close to 2 as well as having the minimum mass of 4 links, compared with the initial design performed by the expert of Robot Valley, Inc. In addition, the prototype of in-pipe cleaning robot will be stated with further research.