Dispositivo robótico para inspeção de tubulações com diâmetro reduzido

Small diameter pipe inspection is a frequent task in the industry. The flow of materials through the pipes can generate problems, like clogs, cracks, or discontinuities that prevent or reduce its carrying capacity. Therefore, these industrial systems must always be subject to regular inspection activities. In this sense, Instituto Tecnológico Vale (ITV) proposes a robotic platform to inspect pipes over 14 inches in diameter that can visualize anomaly situations using cameras and other sensors. The robot parts are mainly low-cost materials such as 3D-printed polymers. The platform has a track locomotion mechanism, which can be adjusted to overcome diverse piping conditions. The robot software uses ROS (Robot Operating System), which helps implement autonomous features and the possibility of anomaly identification. This work presents the robotic platform, the preliminary results of the mechanical and electronic design, and the software embedded in the robot, demonstrating the feasibility of producing low-cost alternatives for inspections of industrial pipes with reduced diameters.