Design of Reconfigurable In-pipe Exploration Robots

Existing pipeline systems are located underground and cannot be frequently monitored by conventional monitoring systems. Inspection of these pipelines on a regular basis is essential to keep them functional and prevent future disasters. This paper presents two robots, SAPER I & SAPER II Both the robots are in-pipe exploration robots that can help in identifying the problems in existing network of ducts and pipelines without land excavation before they can lead to disasters like floods, contaminated drinking water, various health hazards, etc. Both the robots are reconfigurable and can operate in different kinds of 6"-14" diameter pipeline structures. Several tests were conducted to examine and verify the feasibility of these inspection robots.