空気圧管内検査用蠕動運動型ロボットのための回転整流機構を用いた空気圧切替弁の提案

抄録

Currently, serious accidents are caused frequently by the aging of sewer pipes. Therefore, to inspect sewer pipes, we developed a peristaltic crawling robot that reproduces the locomotion of an earthworm. This robot can drive for more than 100 m, and it can be used for the maintenance of sewer pipes (100A pipes). Through practical experiments, three problems were clarified. The first is about running performance of the robot. Solenoid valves are attached to the back of the robot. These were sometimes caught when running on a curved pipe. The second is about maintainability. Many parts are densely packed in the solenoid valve housing part, which is a cause of malfunction. The third is about handling difficulties. There was also an opinion that the robot was heavy and long when the inspector handled the robot as an inspection tool at the actual site.

Therefore, we focused on a valve called a ball valve and devised a drive unit that drives a robot with a simple and simple mechanism by using a rotating mechanism. The proposed mechanism has an effective sectional area which is larger than that of a solenoid valve and can respond faster than a solenoid valve. In this report, we have confirmed experimentally whether prototype can be developed and peristaltic exercise can be performed.