A real-time robotic platform for pipeline inspection

Abstract

Pipelines are used around the world to transport raw materials, waste products, and, critically, potable water. Protecting the pipes from the elements often leaves them difficult to inspect for leaks and corrosion, which can cause costly, even deadly, damage. Currently, typical inspection methods are costly, interrupt service, and have highly limited inspection range. This thesis details the continuing development of a robotic platform capable of actively maneuvering inside an in-service, potable-water pipe, for the purpose of providing continuous, autonomous, long-range inspection of a pipe network. Complete inspection of municipal water pipelines requires a compact robot capable of maneuvering junctions around 100mm in diameter, with flows that can exceed 1m/s. This work focuses on several additions to prior work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which developed a hull and planar propulsion system. The addition of ailerons allows full 3-dimensional control of the robot. A custom-built, wireless embedded controller runs a customized real-time OS to provide closed-loop control, as well as data-logging and remote access. A generic task architecture is designed to simplify the addition of real-time software modules.