Pipe inspection robots: a review

Abstract

Pipelines are one of the safe and most economical ways of transporting fluid matters in industries and households. These pipelines get deteriorated due to aging, internal and external corrosion, and so on. This may cause fluid leakages and may contaminate the environment. So, pipelines are inspected regularly to maintain proper functioning and cost-effectiveness. In-pipe inspection robots (IPIR) that move inside pipelines are widely used to carry out inspection operations. IPIR along with visual and other r non-destructive tests (NDT) are proven to be useful compared to manual inspection. Wheel-driven robots, track-driven robots, wall-press robots, pipe inspection gauge (PIG) robots, and many other bio-inspired designs are available. The design parameters and specializations of each type of robot will be presented in this article. Because each robot is created with different factors in mind, such as pipeline diameter, mobility, adaptability, working conditions, and so on, these robots are unique and have different constraints. These topics will be covered in depth in this article, and will ultimately aid in the selection of certain robots based on specific criteria. New design strategies in the pipe inspection industry that have yet to be explored will also be covered in depth.