Developing a Robust Robotic Inspection System for Internal Inspections of Small Culverts

摘要

This research means to develop a non-proprietary wheeled robot system for use in the internal inspections of small culverts down to a 61 cm (24 in.) diameter, with recorded inspection videos providing additional data to assist the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) in asset management. Culvert inspection data is vital to maintaining the functionality of the roadways in New Mexico, and internal inspections allow for a comprehensive understanding of the condition, or “health,” of a culvert. The system in development has been field tested for inspections with live and recorded video feed up to 30 m (97 ft) into a 61 cm (24 in.) diameter circular culvert. Features of the robot with justifications for inclusion are provided. Further work is being done to improve the functionality and ease of use for the system. The wheeled robot described in this paper is outfitted with two separate first-person-view (FPV) video systems, which are used for robot movement and inspection camera movement and are controlled separately by two inspection personnel. The system provides for the synchronization of power supplies for the functions of movement, wireless transmission of live video, and system retrieval. With the alignment of the required power sources, alongside an optimization of the already sturdy video transmission system, a comprehensive system can be completed. Storage of all the inspection video data for each culvert allows for further data analysis and post-processing of the collected data.