Design considerations and prototype implementation of a piezoelectrically driven micro-vehicle for the internal inspection of small diameter pipes

The initial design and the prototype implementation of a micro-vehicle is presented. This microvehicle is capable of moving internally and simultaneously inspecting pipe systems with a diameter between 40mm to110mm. The driving motors are chosen to be of ultrasonic piezoelectric type, due to their high torque and compact design characteristics. The structure of the vehicle is modular, based on a number of carriages, each one responsible for a specific task (e.g. traction, micro-camera support, electronics support, etc). It can carry a color micro-video camera for providing optical images from the inside of pipes. Initial power and force calculations are provided, leading to promising estimates for motion distance and travel speed. Key-Words: Visual Inspection, microrobots, micro-vehicles, piezoelectric motors, pipe-inspection.