514: Robot to Traverse Uneven Terrain

Dow Inc. is a company known for producing polyurethane, rubber and acrylic acids. Producing these materials creates toxic gases that can cause explosions and chemical fires. To uphold safety standards, Dow sends employees to inspect and repair pipes used for production. This task has put workers at risk of toxic gas exposure, which can lead to fainting or death. We aimed to reduce the risk of worker harm as they perform inspections and repairs. 

To help workers safely perform these tasks, we designed a robot named Luffy that can do this dangerous work instead of a human. The worker will have a controller that controls Luffy’s tank tracks and a telescoping arm that helps Luffy climb up or down a pipe by constantly pressing against the pipe wall. The robot body holds three gas sensors and two wide-angle cameras. These parts should allow the user to inspect cracks and gas levels inside a pipe without exposing the worker to a toxic environment. 

There were several constraints for Luffy’s design: it must fit within different pipe sizes, move using a remote control and use sensors to detect gas leaks. With our design, Luffy successfully moved through pipes and climbed areas with 45- to 90-degree inclines. Luffy’s cameras successfully livestreamed video to a computer screen with minor delay. Also, the gas sensors reported accurate air quality levels to the user through Wi-Fi. We created a successful design that can help identify basic inspection targets like gas leaks and pipe cracks.