Pipeline Inspection Robot
Pipeline inspection has become a crucial aspect in pipeline integrity management. Precise and reliable inspection data ensures environmental as well as public safety. Detecting defects in the pipeline components and maintaining good condition inside the pipelines are challenging tasks for human prof
2025-06-28 16:28:47 - Adil Khan
Pipeline Inspection Robot
Project Area of Specialization RoboticsProject SummaryPipeline inspection has become a crucial aspect in pipeline integrity management. Precise and reliable inspection data ensures environmental as well as public safety. Detecting defects in the pipeline components and maintaining good condition inside the pipelines are challenging tasks for human professionals. Moreover, going inside remote areas in a pipeline is not only risky but also can be life threatening in some cases. Most of the faults in pipelines occur due to aging, corrosion, cracks, and mechanical damages. These faults can cause resource wastage in a large amount, environmental pollution, and other calamities. The struggle, risk and the expenditure forhuman inspection can be enormously in elevation. This escalates with an increasingly complicated pipeline these days. If a robot can inspect inside the pipes, fastend accurate investigation is possible. Regular inspection and pipeline managementin terms of preservation are indispensable. .
Project ObjectivesAim:
Wheel based pipe inspection robot is designed for inspecting pipes which are mostly used in oil and gas field industries. The main aim of this design is to perform crawling in the pipes, fault detection through image processing, and maintenance free and commercially economic model.
Objectives:
1.Designing of a pipe inspection robot .
2. Live transmission of video of inside the pipe.
3.To make the robot to move in vertical , horizontal and bend pipes
Project Implementation MethodPipe inspection robot consist of one active compliant middle joint, two passive compliant joints, three pairs of the drive wheel (Omni-wheel), and two pairs of roll wheel (hemispherical wheel). Omni-wheel with Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) is specially designed to achieve durability and high friction. One of the easiest ways to enhance the robot’s adaptability to branch pipes is by providing an active degree of freedom at each joint. This robot module can control its joint angle and torque and adapt to any directed bent pipe regardless of its orientation. Stretching the drive wheels against the inner wall of pipes is essential for adapting robots to be used in vertical pipes and slippery inner surfaces. To achieve this, a series elastic actuator (SEA) with a high reduction system and a polyurethane rubber spring is installed to sense the joint torque. Furthermore, the remarkable feature of this mechanism is that it can pass through even a vertical T-branch pipe (including those with zero radius of curvature). It consists of only one active joint and two passive compliant joints, succeeded the travel though vertical T-branches by controlling the angle along the cosine wave trajectory without adding motors to all three joints. The camera system is mounted at the front end of the robot to get the images or video of the pipe. We can rotate the camera by using gear motor to get more accurate image from different angle of the pipe
Benefits of the ProjectApplications:
1.Used to inspect the pipe to detect fault and cracks.
2.It can also be used as a surveillance system.
Technical Details of Final DeliverableThe robot is equipped with a camera, a steering mechanism, and sensors to find defect inside the pipeline. For carrying the robot system, an extension cable is used which is infiltrated into the pipeline. The robot thoroughly inspects the inside of the pipeline and uses the camera to detect the condition of water leakage as well as corrosion.
Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry ManufacturingOther Industries Petroleum , Agriculture , Others Core Technology RoboticsOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 20300 | |||
| Mechanical Model | Equipment | 1 | 7000 | 7000 |
| Arduino | Equipment | 2 | 1400 | 2800 |
| Motors | Equipment | 12 | 400 | 4800 |
| Sensors | Equipment | 4 | 250 | 1000 |
| Camera | Equipment | 1 | 1200 | 1200 |
| Others | Miscellaneous | 1 | 3000 | 3000 |
| Power Cable | Equipment | 1 | 500 | 500 |