Active Connection and Motion Planning of a Multi-Module Pipeline Robot

In order to equip a robot with the maneuverability required for complex three-dimensional pipeline networks, this paper presents a wall-pressed multi-module reconfigurable pipeline robot with active connections. The passability model of the robot was established to study its characteristics when moving in elbow pipes with different curvatures. The impact of active connection form, length, attitude Angle, and distribution of front and rear modules on the robot's passability in complex pipelines was analyzed. By optimizing the dimensions of the active connections based on the passability objective, the structural design and parameter matching were carried out. The motion planning of the robot in pipes with different curvature radii were conducted, and the robot's motion strategy in elbow pipe was determined. Finally, a kinematic model was built in MATLAB for virtual prototype simulation. The results demonstrated that the robot can successfully navigate through elbow pipes with different curvatures.