Inventas' Fredrik Lund (left) and SINTEF's Gorm Johansen with the new robot (Photo: Inventas)

When it comes to robots that perform internal inspections of water pipes, virtually all of them move along on rubber tires or treads. As that rubber grips against the inside of the pipe, however, it dislodges rust particles that ultimately end up coming out of peoples' taps. In an effort to address that problem, the European Union TRACT project is developing a propeller-driven inspection robot that keeps the pipe-touching to a minimum.

The current 3D-printed prototype was created by Norway's SINTEF research group (which has previously developed a wheeled pipe-inspection robot), along with Breivoll Inspection Technologies and industrial design firm Inventas.

It has an articulated segmented body, with propellers located at either end. While those props provide the power to move it, spring-loaded fins on its body do lightly brush against the inside of the pipe, just to keep the bulk of the robot from contacting it.

Depending on which prop is activated, the robot can move forward or backward through pipes as small as 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter. It can travel up to 150 meters (492 ft) – making turns as sharp as 90 degrees as it goes – and then simply reverse back through the pipes to get to its starting point for retrieval.

The robot performs its inspections using 64 onboard ultrasound transducers. By emitting ultrasound signals into the pipe walls and then analyzing the reflected signals, it's able to determine the thickness of the metal. If a significant amount of that thickness has been lost to corrosion at any given location, the transducers will pick up on it.

The TRACT project started last December, and is due to wrap up next year. You can see the robot in action, in the video below.

不会造成污染的排水管道检测机器人

Inventas“弗雷德里克·伦德（左）和SINTEF的格姆·约翰森与新的机器人

当它涉及到执行的水管内部检查，几乎所有的人都沿着橡胶轮胎胎面或移动机器人。作为该橡胶握槽对管道内部，但是，它被驱逐铁锈微粒，最终落得走出人们的水龙头。在努力解决这一问题，欧盟TRACT项目正在开发一种螺旋桨驱动检测机器人，保持管道，触摸到最低程度。

目前3D打印的原型是由挪威SINTEF研究小组创建了（里面有以前开发出了轮式管检测机器人），以及Breivoll检测科技和工业设计公司Inventas。

它的铰接分割体，与位于任一端螺旋桨。虽然这些道具提供移动至它的功率，在它的主体弹簧加载鳍对管内做轻刷，只是为了保持该散装机器人的接触它。

根据哪个支柱被激活时，机器人可以向前或向后移动通过管小至10厘米（3.9）的直径。它可以行驶150米（492英尺） - 转弯那样尖锐90度，因为它去 - 然后简单地转回通过管道来获得它的出发点检索

用64机载机器人进行巡查超声换能器。通过发射超声波信号进入管壁，然后分析反射信号，这是能够确定金属的厚度。如果显著量厚度已经失去了腐蚀，在任何给定的位置，传感器将拿起它。

管道在项目开始于去年12月合约，是由于包裹在明年。你可以看到在行动的机器人，在下面的视频