M2000-171

Computer Aided Robotics in Severe Environmental Applications

Philip Moore, Junsheng Pu
Mechatronics Research Group, Department of Engineering and Technology, De Montfort University, UK
Jury Poduraev, Ivan Ermolov
Mechanics and Control Faculty, Moscow State Technological University "STANKIN", Moscow, Russia
Dr.Vladim Shvedov
TARIS Inc, Moscow, Russia

Abstract

The objectives for the collaborative international research project described in this paper is to investigate the use of mobile robots for applications in underground pipe-lines (e.g. water supply pipes, sewerage, gas and oil-pipes, etc.) to carry-out essential inspection, repairs and maintenance work. Current generation robots used for this work are remotely controlled systems where a human-operator sends commands through long umbilical cables linked to the robot. Feedback is provided from an onboard camera and displayed on a TV monitor to the operator. However, this mode of control has many limitations and many applications (e.g. such as dressing weld joints, grasping and removal of unknown objects, cutting and opening of side channels in pipes after relining) could only be effectively realised with sensor-based semi-autonomous control regimes. The enhancement of mobile robot systems in such application domains through the incorporation of Computer Aided Modelling and intelligent sensor-based control is the focus of the research discussed here. The research programme is being undertaken jointly by TARIS, manufacturers of pipe-inspection robotic equipment in Moscow, the Robotics group at MSTU- STANKIN, and the Mechatronics research group at De Montfort University, UK, with sponsorship from the Royal Society.

Philip Moore*
Junsheng Pu
Mechatronics Research Group
Department of Engineering and Technology
De Montfort University
The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, U.K.
Tel: +44 116 257 7053
Fax +44 116 257 7099
Email: prmoore@dmu.ac.uk

Jury Poduraev
Ivan Ermolov
Mechanics and Control Faculty
Moscow State Technological University "STANKIN"
Moscow, Russia
Tel: +7 095 9733153
Fax: +7 095 972 9447
Email: poduraev@stankin.ru

Dr.Vladim Shvedov
TARIS Inc, Moscow, Russia