Abstract
Incidents to pipes cause damage in water distribution systems (WDS) and access to all parts of the WDS is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose an integrated wireless robotic system for in-pipe missions that includes an agile, maneuverable, and size-adaptable (9-in to 22-in) in-pipe robot, “SmartCrawler”, with 1.56 m/s maximum speed. We develop a two-phase motion control algorithm that enables reliable motion in straight and rotation in non-straight configurations of in-service WDS. We also propose a bi-directional wireless sensor module based on active radio frequency identification (RFID) working in 434 MHz carrier frequency and 120 kbps for up to 5 sensor measurements to enable wireless underground communication with the burial depth of 1.5 m. The integration of the proposed wireless sensor module and the two-phase motion controller demonstrates promising results for wireless control of the in-pipe robot and multi-parameter sensor transmission for in-pipe missions.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 9666 |
Journal | Sensors |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 24 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2022 |
Keywords
- in-pipe robots
- multi-phase motion controller
- wireless control
- wireless sensor module
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Analytical Chemistry
- Information Systems
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Biochemistry
- Instrumentation
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering