Design of a maneuverable swimming robot for in-pipe missions

Autonomous underwater robots provide opportunities to perform missions in confined environments such as water pipe networks. They can carry sensors in these pipes and perform tasks such as mapping and inspection. Those robots must have a high level of maneuverability in order to navigate through complex networks of pipes with irregularities due to rust and calcite deposition. We propose a fully integrated, untethered robot capable of carrying sensors and maneuver into water pipe networks. The objective of this paper is to present (i) the optimal shape design and (ii) a propulsion system selection and sizing procedure for such robots. A prototype is built to demonstrate the basic elements of maneuverability, including following straight lines and making sharp turns.

I. Introduction

Autonomous Underwater robots provide opportunities to perform tasks that are difficult or dangerous for human beings. Such tasks could be in areas that are difficult to access, such as underground water pipes in cities. Existing robotic devices [1] [2] and newly proposed devices [3]–[7] aim at providing pipeline survey, maintenance and leak detection. Their services could be faster and more accurate in comparion to those of human operators. Another category of jobs could be in hazardous environment, such as nuclear power plants. Underwater robots were also proposed to inspect the interiors of nuclear reactors. [8] [9] [10]