Researchers in Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute are developing a modular robot that can creep inside natural gas pipelines to map where pipes are, detect decrepit or leaking pipes, and, when necessary, repair the pipe by applying a resin coating along its inner wall.
“We don’t even know where all the old pipes are,” says Howie Choset, the Kavčić-Moura Professor of Computer Science, who directs the project in the Biorobotics Lab with research scientist Lu Li.
The confined spaces of pipes, largely inaccessible to people, are a natural place to deploy robots. Over the years, CMU researchers and spinout companies have developed a number of schemes and robots for inspecting sewer, gas distribution and nuclear power plant pipes. [Read more…] about CMU Robotics Institute develops system to detect and fix problems in gas pipelines
