This paper proposes a robotic system that automatically identifies and removes spatters generated while removing the back-bead left after the electric resistance welding of the outer and inner surfaces during pipe production. Traditionally, to remove...
This paper describes the development of an in-pipe inspection robot system designed for large-diameter water pipes. The robot is equipped with a Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) sensor module. The robot system is intended for pipes with diameters ranging...
This paper aims to present the design and prototype of an inspection robot that can perform both horizontal and vertical locomotion in ferromagnetic pipelines. The proposed robot applies to a range from 5-inch (127 mm) diameter pipes to flat plates....
This paper analyzed the locomotion of a snake robot in narrow spaces such as a pipe or channel. We developed a unique experimental snake robot with one revolute and one linear joint on each module, with the ability to perform planar motion. The desig...
The peristaltic in-pipe robot incorporates multiple actuators, and achieving precise cooperative control among these actuators poses significant complexity. To address these issues, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is applied to identif...
Based on the large-scale wall-pressing three-legged crawler pipeline inspection robot, our team proposed a cornering algorithm based on space constraints, that aims to better control the smooth operation of the pipeline robot in the pipeline. This al...
Soft robots are particularly suitable for in-pipe inspection, where locomotion must be achieved within confined, curved, and geometrically constrained environments without damaging the pipe wall. In this context, structural compliance is not only a s...
This paper presents the design of SPIINE, a compliant six-wheeled robot for in-pipe inspection with geometry constraints. SPIINE, the Self-Propelled Interior Inspector for Non-destructive-testing (NDT) Examination, is designed to navigate 53 mm (2 in...
Pipelines are embedded in industrial sites and residential environments, and maintaining these pipes is crucial to prevent leakage. Given that most pipelines are buried, the development of robots capable of exploring their interiors is essential. In...
This paper outlines the design of a novel mechatronic system for semi-automatic inspection and white-water in-pipe obstruction removals without the need for destructive methods or specialized manpower. The device is characterized by a lightweight str...
Steel pipe pile head cutting work is performed to adjust the horizontal levels of piles, and it is essential for the stable transfer of an upper structure load to the ground. However, the field survey results show that steel pipe pile head cutting pr...
The inlet pressure steel pipe is an important part of the hydropower unit, and its inspection tasks mainly include cleaning with high-pressure water, surface anti-corrosion layer detection and internal flaw detection. In order to accomplish the above...
Large oil and gas pipelines are prone to corrosion and leakage, so in-pipe inspection is necessary. In this article, we show a novel robot mechanism for long-distance pipeline inspection. The robot consists of three crawlers and electric putters, whi...
The current drainage pipeline repair methods present significant limitations, and this paper proposes a new construction technology applied to the internal collapse repair of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). This study designed the hot-melt, deflect...
Screw-drive in-pipe robots are widely used for inspection and maintenance of pipeline infrastructure because their tilted-wheel locomotion enables continuous traversal of horizontal, vertical, and curved pipes. However, most existing designs rely on...
Aiming at the problem of difficult crack detection in underground urban sewage pipelines, a lightweight sewage pipeline crack detection method based on sewage pipeline robots and improved YOLOv8n is proposed. The method uses pipeline robots as the eq...
The estimation of robot pose and pipe diameter is an essential task for reliable in-line inspection (ILI) operations and the accurate assessment of pipeline attributes. This paper addresses the problem of robot pose and pipe diameter estimation for n...
This research proposes a multi-modal pipe-climbing robot design and a position-based force-tracking adaptive impedance controller for pipe surface inspections and maintenance in unstructured industrial environments. The driving foot combines underact...
Robotic pipe welding represents a key and rapidly evolving technology for the automation of pipe and pipe-joint welding processes with standard, intersecting, and complex geometries. This review analyses 84 studies published over the past three decad...
In-pipe inspection robots have proven useful in examining the inside of pipes without affecting their structure, therefore, the interest in researching these robots has constantly increased over time. There are many different types of inspection robo...
A wheeled-leg pipeline robot suitable for operation in small pipes is proposed to address the challenges of detecting the condition of pipelines, such as solution corrosion and crack defects, which cannot be conducted externally due to the pre-buried...
In recent years, interest in in-pipe robot research has been steadily increasing. This phenomenon reflects the necessity and urgency of pipe inspection and rehabilitation as several pipe networks have become outdated around the globe. In-pipe robots...
One of the most fundamental tasks for robots inspecting water distribution pipes is localization, which allows for autonomous navigation, for faults to be communicated, and for interventions to be instigated. Pose-graph optimization using spatially v...
Piping inspection robots are of greater importance for industries such as nuclear, chemical and sewage. Mechanisms having closed loop or tree-like structures can be employed in such pipelines owing to their adaptable structures. A bio-inspired caterp...
The in-pipe robot is the most commonly used technique in offshore pipelines. The use of rubber sealing discs is important for in-pipe robots to ensure that the robots are moved by fluid pressures inside offshore pipelines. This paper focuses on the m...
With the advantages of high specific strength and well corrosion resistance, polymer-matrix composite tee pipes are widely used in aerospace and civilian fields. The robotic filament winding technology is suitable for forming complex shape parts. Thi...
Rust removal on pipe surfaces is hazardous and labor-intensive, yet it is a prerequisite for inspection and recoating in maintenance. Existing solutions rely on industrial robots or specialized robots with limited obstacle-negotiation capability and...
Miniature robots in small-diameter pipelines require efficient and reliable environmental perception for autonomous navigation. In this paper, a tiny machine learning (TinyML)-based resource-efficient pipe feature recognition method is proposed for m...
To address the challenges of low control accuracy and poor robustness for pipe robots operating in complex environments with compound uncertainties, including parameter variations, nonlinear friction, and external disturbances, this paper proposes an...
Incidents to pipes cause damage in water distribution systems (WDS) and access to all parts of the WDS is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose an integrated wireless robotic system for in-pipe missions that includes an agile, maneuverable, a...
The movement capabilities of snake robots allow them to be applied in a variety of applications. We realized a snake robot climbing in crowded pipes. In this paper, we implement a sinusoidal curve control method that allows the snake robot to move fa...
This paper presents an intelligent robotic system for in-pipe inspection that integrates a novel mechanical design, deep learning-based defect detection, and high-fidelity simulation for real-time validation. Unlike existing solutions, the proposed s...
Usually, polyhedra are viewed as the underlying constructive cells of packing or tiling in many disciplines, including crystallography, protein folding, viruses structure, building architecture, etc. Here, inspired by the flexible origami polyhedra (...
Steel pipes and curved steel plates in the petroleum, chemical, and energy industries are prone to surface and weld defects that threaten structural integrity. Single-modality inspection by machine vision or magnetic flux leakage (MFL) struggles unde...
Pipeline intelligent plugging robots (PIPRs) are used for in-line isolation and emergency repair of oil and gas pipelines. During anchoring, slip teeth contact the inner pipe wall. This contact causes stress concentration, microslip, and local wear....
This article investigates visual servoing for a hydraulically actuated dual-arm robot, in which the user selects the object of interest from an on-screen image, whilst the computer control system implements via feedback control the required position...
In order to enhance the environmental adaptability of peristaltic soft-bodied pipe robots, based on the nonlinear and hyperelastic characteristics of silicone rubber combined with the biological structure and motion characteristics of worms, a hexago...
In-pipe robots must navigate narrow, curved passages where rigid mechanisms often require bulky steering units. Soft crawlers offer better compliance but typically rely on multiple actuators or reconfigurable contacts to achieve multi-directional mot...
Pipe welding automation requires accurate weld seam extraction and reliable robotic weld path generation under complex geometric conditions. Existing vision-based approaches often rely on expensive laser sensing systems, multi-view sensing, or contin...
This study presents a spiral pipeline robot designed for detecting and preventing oil and gas pipeline leakages. A comprehensive analysis of factors such as spiral angle, normal force, pipe material, and operating attitude is conducted based on the r...
The need of improving the quality of professions led to the idea of simplification of processes during chimney sweeping. These processes have been essentially the same for tens of years. The goal of this paper is to bring an automation element into t...
Ondol is a heating system unique to Korean homes that increases indoor temperatures by supplying hot water through pipes embedded in floor slabs. Known for its comfort and sustained heating advantages, ondol has garnered international interest in cou...
The twisted bundled-tube locomotive device is an elongated soft robot that moves inside a pipe in a helical bending motion. This motion mimics the behavior of microorganisms called spirochetes. This device is inexpensive and easy to miniaturize becau...
In this study, a vision-based remote and synchronized control scheme is proposed for the double six-DOF robotic manipulators. Using an Intel RealSense D435 depth camera and MediaPipe skeletal image feature technique, the operator’s 3D hand pose...
The maintenance and inspection of sewer pipes are essential to urban infrastructure but remain predominantly manual, resource-intensive, and prone to human error. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision offer significant pote...
Weakly textured closed pipelines—including energy and buried drainage conduits—require timely inspection of cracks, corrosion, joints and related defects. Weak illumination, sparse texture and repetitive cylindrical geometry degrade visua...
This paper presents a Self-Learning Robotic System (SLRS) for healthcare assistance using Deep Imitation Learning (DIL). The proposed SLRS solution can observe and replicate human demonstrations, thereby acquiring complex skills without the need for...
Internal wall grinding of pipes constitutes a critical pretreatment procedure in the anti-corrosion repair operations of Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipes (PCCP). To address the limitations of low efficiency and poor safety associated with traditio...
Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) consist of an elastomeric bladder wrapped in a Kevlar braid. When inflated, PAMs expand radially and contract axially, producing large axial forces. PAMs are often utilized for their high specific work and specific...
The inspection of legacy nuclear facilities to aid in decommissioning is a world wide issue. One of the challenges is the characterisation of pipe networks within them. This paper presents an autonomous control system for the navigation of these unkn...
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