Research on Dead Reckoning Algorithm for Self-Propelled Pipeline Robots in Three-Dimensional Complex Pipelines
This addresses the challenge of pipeline mapping in confined, curved environments for gas pipeline inspection, though it is incremental as it builds on existing sensor fusion techniques.
The paper tackled the problem of locating self-propelled pipeline robots in complex 3D pipelines by proposing an extended Kalman filtering method that integrates inertial navigation and wheel odometers, achieving high-precision pipeline location as verified in experiments with a rectangular loop pipeline.
In the field of gas pipeline location, existing pipeline location methods mostly rely on pipeline location instruments. However, when faced with complex and curved pipeline scenarios, these methods often fail due to problems such as cable entanglement and insufficient equipment flexibility. To address this pain point, we designed a self-propelled pipeline robot. This robot can autonomously complete the location work of complex and curved pipelines in complex pipe networks without external dragging. In terms of pipeline mapping technology, traditional visual mapping and laser mapping methods are easily affected by lighting conditions and insufficient features in the confined space of pipelines, resulting in mapping drift and divergence problems. In contrast, the pipeline location method that integrates inertial navigation and wheel odometers is less affected by pipeline environmental factors. Based on this, this paper proposes a pipeline robot location method based on extended Kalman filtering (EKF). Firstly, the body attitude angle is initially obtained through an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Then, the extended Kalman filtering algorithm is used to improve the accuracy of attitude angle estimation. Finally, high-precision pipeline location is achieved by combining wheel odometers. During the testing phase, the roll wheels of the pipeline robot needed to fit tightly against the pipe wall to reduce slippage. However, excessive tightness would reduce the flexibility of motion control due to excessive friction. Therefore, a balance needed to be struck between the robot's motion capability and positioning accuracy. Experiments were conducted using the self-propelled pipeline robot in a rectangular loop pipeline, and the results verified the effectiveness of the proposed dead reckoning algorithm.