中空複室型ソフトアクチュエータで駆動する小径配管内点検ロボットの発生力特性

抄録

In-pipe robots for narrow pipes have been studied to improve the efficiency and reliability of the inspection. Authors have proposed an inspection system using a hollow-type duplex-chambered inchworm mechanism. This mechanism can generate inchworm-like locomotion by switching expansion and elongation motion by pneumatic power. The force and length of the elongation are interdependent and, thus it may greatly affect locomotion performance. In this study, we elucidated the force characteristics of the actuator experimentally and found that an increase in the elongation length greatly decreases the elongation force. We then discussed the effect of the elongation on the elongation force from the viewpoint of locomotion performance.