A Review: Technological Trends and Development Direction of Pipeline Robot Systems

Aging pipes are a deadly hazard that necessitate continuous and periodic pipe maintenance. However, it is impossible for humans to work directly inside small pipes or pipes with toxic internal environments. Pipeline robots were developed for this purpose. They have already been used in the field and there is ongoing research to increase their efficiency and develop additional functions that have not yet been commercialized. Recognizing latest research trends in pipeline robot systems will be useful in setting meaningful development goals and reducing the possibility of research duplication. In addition, understanding the practical purpose of pipeline robots in the market will hasten the commercialization of developed models. In this review, studies on pipeline robot research over the past 10 years are reviewed to chart the future directions of research on pipeline robots. The key topics in pipeline robot research are largely divided into six categories, according to the purpose and mechanism, namely, locomotion mechanism, wall-press mechanism, steering joint, sensing and control, localization and mapping, and tool. Recent studies are classified according to each item. Finally, we analyzed the research cases that were not limited to laboratories, but have been tested in the fields and established the key points to be considered to ensure field applicability.