Abstract-A train-like miniature climbing inspection robot for ferromagnetic tubes is presented in this paper. Using magnetic wheels, it climbs in tubes of 25 mm of diameter and bigger in any orientation, and pass bends with curvatures above 150 mm in some cases. It has embedded electronics and energy, and can transmit images through a cable. Applications are in tubes inspections as found in power plant boilers for example.
In this paper, we describe a miniature climbing robot, 96 x 46 x 64 [mm 3 ], able to climb ferromagnetic surfaces and to make inner plane to plane transition using only two degrees of freedom. Our robot, named TRIPILLAR, combines magnetic caterpillars and magnets to climb planar ferromagnetic surfaces. Two triangular tracks are mounted in a differential drive mode, which allows squid steering and on spot turning. Exploiting the particular geometry and magnetic properties of this arrangement, TRIPILLAR is able to transit between intersecting surfaces. The intersection angle ranges from -10° to 90° on the pitch angle of the coordinate system of the robot regardless of the orientation of gravity. A possible path is to move from ground to ceiling and back. This achievement opens new avenues for mobile robotics inspection of ferromagnetic industrial structure with stringent size restriction, like the one encountered in power plants.
Cy-mag 3D is a miniature climbing robot with advanced mobility and magnetic adhesion. It is very compact: a cylindrical shape with 28 mm of diameter and 62 mm of width. Its design is very simple: two wheels, hence two degrees of freedom, and an advanced magnetic circuit. Despite its simplicity, Cy-mag 3D has an amazing mobility on ferromagnetic sheets. From an horizontal sheet, it can make transition to almost any intersecting sheet from 10 • to 360 • -we baptise the last one surface flip. It passes inner and outer straight corners in any almost inclination of the gravity. Cy-mag 3D opens new possibilities to use mobile robots for industrial inspection with stringent size limitations, as found in generators. A patent is pending on this system.
A Magnetic Switchable Device (MSD) is a ferromagnetic circuit using permanent magnets where the flux can circulate between different paths when its configuration is changed. This routes or cancels the flux trough specific surfaces, and thus turns on or off adhesion forces. We present classic and innovative magnetic configuration to realize powerful MSD. We designed and prototyped some miniature systems and give their characteristics. Finally various robotics applications for gripper, anchor and climbing robot are unveiled where the MSD solution has proved to be advantageous.
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