STANDARDIZED PIPE CLIMBING ROBOT ABSTRACT In this era where automation and surveillance are in need of time more and more devices are being invented to serve the said purpose. In the project work, a robotic device is fabricated that can grip and walk along the length of a long cylindrical object. The robot is equipped with grippers these grippers are used to grip the cylindrical object. These cylindrical objects can be industrial pipes which has more or less cylindrical-shape. The project has two grippers one in front and the other in the back. These grippers are two in number on each side. The grippers are arranged in a subassembly that is affixed to an expandable chassis. The grippers are provided just to grip and hold a cylindrical-shaped object and they lose the same whenever required. While the expandable chassis movement in the form of expanded version and contracted version is meant for the linear motion of the robot over said cylindrical shaped object. The project is powered using the onboard secondary battery. While the motion of the grippers and the chassis are done using heavy-duty servo motors. Overall control of the project work can be kept wireless in nature to be operated from a distance. A visual or NoIR camera can be mounted on this robot for good surveillance and monitoring ability, and the camera feed may be transmitted using a wireless technique. The project can also be used in various industrial situations and national security issues. In industries the project can be used for checking leakages and the condition of fluid pipes, using MQ-135 sensor; also it can be used for periodic checking of the same along with monitoring of adjacent vicinity. While in national security issues it can be used as a surveillance robotic device that can climb on some special poles and can monitor the area. INTRODUCTION What is robotics? A robot can be defined as, a "Re-programmable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks. Robotics originated to build human-like machines, but it has become much more than that. Even though we are still decades away from human-like machines, the developing robotics technologies are proving useful in ways that nobody expected; robot-assisted non-invasive surgery; disposal of roadside bombs; automated lab science for drug discovery; even autofocus features in digital cameras. The broad impact of robotics is proven, even though robotics is still in the early stages of its development. Robotics thus affords a unique opportunity to make a cross-cutting investment that advances both fundamental research and development in an area vital to U.S. competitiveness while providing the potential for near-term jobs, business development, and educational returns. Robotics transforms the connection of computers to the real world. The significance of this connection is difficult to overstate. Robotics also transforms the connection of humans to the real world. Robotics is about action, and the main goal of that action will be to serve humans. Robots are the largest growing technological devices in the world. They perform many functions ranging from space exploration to entertainment. The reasons for using robots are almost endless for example; robots are ideal for jobs that require repetitive, precise movements. Human workers get bored doing the same thing over and over, which can lead to fatigue, RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury, and costly mistakes). Robots are also ideal for dangerous tasks, or where human workers may damage the product. For example, in a factory manufacturing medicines and chemicals that may harm humans, and factories that manufacture food that humans may damage by handling. Also used in tasks that are impossible for humans e.g. navigating mars or deep sea exploration. Thus, it plays a vital role in human life. Every year industry develops a new technology & in the entire world, the use of electronic products has grown substantially over the past two decades, changing the way & speed of communication. Technology is one of the principal driving forces of the future; it is transforming our lives and shaping our future at rates unprecedented in history, with profound implications that we can't even begin to see or understand. Many different elements affect how satisfied we are with our lives. The impact of technology on these elements can change how safe, healthy, and happy people feel. This paper discusses robotics, a technology that deals with the design, construction, and operation of robots that are used in numerous applications. It looks at how these applications range from industries that require accurate and repetitive tasks (such as the car and computer manufacturing industries), to dangerous tasks such as diffusing bombs and other chores that cannot be performed by humans, e.g., carrying out research on far-away planets, or walking inside live volcanoes. It describes what robots are and how they work, the history of robotics, the present applications of robots, the impact of robots in our lives and their limitations, and the future of robots. It also discusses how close we are to the development of a "bionic" man. Robotics originated to build human-like machines, but it has become much more than that. Even though we are still decades away from human-like machines, the developing robotics technologies are proving useful in ways that nobody expected: robot-assisted non-invasive surgery; disposal of roadside bombs; automated lab science for drug discovery; even auto‐ focus features in digital cameras. The broad impact of robotics is proven, even though robotics is still in the early stages of its development. Robotics thus affords a unique opportunity to make a cross‐cutting investment that advances both fundamental research and development in an area vital to U.S. competitiveness while providing the potential for near-term jobs, business development, and educational returns. CLASSIFICATION OF ROBOTS Robot-like devices: 1. Prosthesis 2. Exoskeletons 3. Telecherics 4. Locomotive mechanism Classification by coordinate system: 1. Cylindrical coordinate robots 2. Spherical coordinate robots 3. Jointed arm robots 4. Cartesian coordinate robots Classification by control method: 1. Non-servo-controlled robots 2. Servo-controlled robots 3. Point-to-point servo-controlled robots 4. Continuous-path servo-controlled robots CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF STANDARDIZED PIPE CLIMBING ROBOT The project is constructed using various materials like plywood sheet, aluminium sheet, MDF sheet, etc, and components like steel studs, 3/16 nuts, bolts and screws, battery, battery holder pack, battery charger unit, node MCU 8266, ESP 32 cam module, servo motors, ribbon wires, support wheel, etc. First of all top and bottom sub-assemblies are constructed using 22cm long plywood pieces, of cross-section 20mm x 20mm, such two types of plywood blocks are connected at a distance of 110mm with the help of steel studs of diameter 6mm having an overall length of 160mm. These two blocks are also connected using the middle block which supports a metal gear servo motor. The two blocks are supplied/affixed with two claws-like structures made of aluminium strips. These claws are affixed to each peripheral part. The other end of this aluminium claws/gripper assembly is affixed. The gripper assembly of all four grips two at each claw. These grips can use asbestos sheets, Thermal resistance sheets, and rubber sheets, the grip has curvature for better gripping on the pipe. These claws are made to move /swing about the peripheral pivot joints with the help of a high-torque servo motor. This servo motor is placed at the central support. This servo motor is provided with a crank disc and connecting section attached to the claws structure. The same structure is made in two numbers, one on the frontal side and the other as a mirror image kept on the rear side of the project. These two structures are interconnected using an expandable chassis unit. The expandable chassis unit is nothing but a telescopic link, two links are connected, and these links are four in number. These links are made to expand and contract using a servo motor. This servo motor is provided with a crank and connecting rod, thus the chassis is made to expand and then contract. The upper and lower structures are supported by a support wheel pair. These wheels are height adjustable in nature; and thus can be adjusted according to the pipe diameter on which the project is made to run. All these three servo motors are supplied with a 6V DC power supply using a power regulatory IC 7806, which receives electrical supply from two Li-ion batteries. These batteries are two in number, each having voltage of 3.7 V DC. These servo motors are controlled using a microcontroller unit i.e. Node MCU 8266. At another MCU ESP 32 thinker camera is used for live video and photo streaming. This streaming is done using a separate WIFI connection. The robot is controlled using WIFI connection with a mobile. A GUI at the mobile end is used to operate various control buttons to operate the robot at one’s convenience. Power to the video streaming MCU is provided using a voltage regulatory IC 7805, that provides 5V DC to the MCU. The IC 7805 receives its power from the same Li-ion battery pack. These Li-ion batteries are secondary/rechargeable in nature and can be recharged with a strong USB power supply. Each microcontroller unit can be made on and off separately using on / off switches. Each microcontroller unit is programmed in a specific way to work as expected. This is how the project is constructed. When an operator wants to run the project, first of all, the power source is made on, after booting the MCUs, respective smartphones are connected to the MCUs using WIFI connections. And relevant software is opened in the smartphone to control the project work. This software consists of various buttons like hold, release, stop, forward, and reverse. These buttons are associated with a specific piece of coding that controls the specific sequence of movement/motion and direction of all servo motors to execute some specific movement of the gripper of the project work thus moving the project in the desired way. Advantages: If a heavy load is placed on the motor, the driver will increase the current to the motor coil as it attempts to rotate the motor. There is no out-of-step condition. High-speed operation is possible. Disadvantages: Since the servomotor tries to rotate according to the command pulses but lags, it is not suitable for precision control of rotation. Higher cost. When stopped, the motor’s rotor continues to move back and forth one pulse, so it is not suitable if you need to prevent vibration USES OF STANDARDIZED PIPE CLIMBING ROBOT 1. Industrial monitoring of pipes and related things. 2. Border and forest surveillance. 3. Monitoring of electric poles. 4. Detection of leakage in industrial pipes. 5. Video and image capturing of important sites. ESTIMATED COST MATERIAL COST Plywood sheet Aluminium sheet Aluminium strip MDF sheet 800 800 300 200 COMPONENTS COST Servo Motor Controller unit Plastic box Battery Power regulator Crank links Nut, Bolts, Washer, & Screws Battery chargers Steel studs Rubber sheet Styrofoam sheet 2400 880 30 650 50 150 200 250 200 50 50 SERVICES COST Cutting Drilling Finishing Soldering Painting 200 150 200 100 300 CONCLUSION The project work thus constructed exhibits expected results. The project climbs a pipe externally in forward and reverses direction. The onboard supply of the project makes it work flawlessly and without any entanglement of any kind of power and control wiring. The wireless controlling of the project work makes the same easier to handle and also improves the range of operation or distance of controlling. A wireless camera to the project work also makes live transmission of video thereby making any decision. The project is much useful in the Indian context of view as well; because the Indian agriculture and industry scene is changing very fast. Robotic and automated devices are being widely used in industries but these days growth of the same is being exponentially seen. The same rapid growth in nonconventional agriculture is being seen these days, hence there will be more and more demand for robotic and automated devices in agriculture. The project work seems worthy and futureproof in the Indian context of the view.
