exploreruntetheredreal-timegasmainassessmentrobot.PDFVIP

Explorer: Untethered Real-Time Gas Main Assessment Robot System Hagen Schempf1 Edward Mutschler1 Vitaly Goltsberg1 George Skoptsov1 Alan Gavaert1 George Vradis2 hagen+@cmu.edu edm@cmu.edu vitaly@cmu.edu gls@cmu.edu agavaert@cmu.edu gvradis@poly.edu 1 Carnegie Mellon University 2 Polytechnic University Robotics Institute Dept. of Mechanical Engineering 5000 Forbes Ave. Six MetroTech Center Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Brooklyn, NY 11201 I. ABSTRACT III. STATE OF THE ART Federal government agencies and an industrial industry In the area of in-pipe inspection systems, there are many consortium have funded Carnegie Mellon University examples of prior-art robotic systems for use in (CMU) for the development of Explorer, a long range, un- underground piping (transmission-pipeline pigs tethered, modular inspection robot for the visual excluded). Most of them however are focussed on water- inspection of 6” and 8” natural gas distribution system and sewer-lines, and meant for inspection, repair and pipelines. The robot can be launched into the pipeline rehabilitation (Pearpoint, Beaver, KA-TE, etc.). As such, under live conditions utilizing a commercial no-blow they are mostly tethered, utilizing cameras and specialized system via a specially designed attachment, and can tooling, etc. (see Figure 1). negotiate diameter changes, 45-deg and 90-deg bends and tees, as well as inclined and vertical pieces of the piping network. The modular design of the system allows it to be expanded in the near future to include additional inspection and/or repair tools. The range of the robot is an order of magnitude higher than