Designing a Robotic Mechanism for Cleaning Trench Drains

Abstract

This paper discusses the testing of a robotic mechanism for cleaning trench drains. The robot runs and operates inside the drain and cleans it without interfering with the surrounding traffic or the drain itself. The robot combines a three-step cleaning process to achieve maximum efficiency in cleaning of the drains. This three-step process includes breaking the dirt down inside the drain, sucking the dirt out of the drain, and transporting it to a collection unit. There is a drive system to move the robot inside the drain. The drive is bidirectional to control the robot motion as required. The robot also has a suction tube and cutting assembly with cutting arms to better facilitate the suction. The cutting arms have metal brushes installed, the rotation of which loosen the debris and push it towards the drain surface. Over the course of developing this robot, two prototypes were designed and built. All aspects relating to the fabrication and testing of the robot prototypes will be discussed in this paper.