Omnidirectional Tractable Three Module Robot
This addresses the challenge of robotic traversal in confined pipe environments, representing an incremental improvement in specialized robotic design.
The paper tackles the problem of navigating complex pipe networks by introducing an omnidirectional three-module robot that achieves holonomic motion to overcome motion singularities at T-junctions and arrive in preferred orientations, with design and motion capabilities validated through simulations in MSC ADAMS and physical experiments.
This paper introduces the Omnidirectional Tractable Three Module Robot for traversing inside complex pipe networks. The robot consists of three omnidirectional modules fixed 120° apart circumferentially which can rotate about their own axis allowing holonomic motion of the robot. The holonomic motion enables the robot to overcome motion singularity when negotiating T-junctions and further allows the robot to arrive in a preferred orientation while taking turns inside a pipe. We have developed a closed-form kinematic model for the robot in the paper and propose the Motion Singularity Region that the robot needs to avoid while negotiating T-junction. The design and motion capabilities of the robot are demonstrated both by conducting simulations in MSC ADAMS on a simplified lumped-model of the robot and with experiments on its physical embodiment.