Automatic pipe negotiation control for snake-like robot

In this paper, the purpose is to realize self-propelling ability of a snake like robot which travels in pipes. The robot consists of thirteen intelligent actuators and each actuator has a DC motor and a micro processor including a motor driver and communication function. Three control algorithms, force control, adjusting controls to changing pipe diameter and to curved pipe are proposed and programmed in the processors. As the experimental results, automatically the robot can negotiate several kinds of pipes such as different diameter, elbow shape, T branch shape and vertical setting without overloaded.