September 21, 1999

NC State Engineers Design Pipe-Crawling Robot to Save Lives

The pipe-crawling robot developed by students at NC State under the direction of Dr. Eddie Grant (pictured) and Dr. John Muth could help rescuers find survivors trapped in collapsed buildings.

Computer Engineering seniors Steve Cottle (left), Brian Dessent (right), and Jason Cox (not pictured), along with Dr. Eddie Grant and Dr. John Muth, comprise the team that developed the pipe-crawling robot.

Dr. John Muth retrieves the robot as it completes a run of tight turns through the small pipe.

When rescuers approach a collapsed building, they face the difficulty of trying to rescue the survivors they can find without accidentally injuring those that they haven't found. In the rubble of large buildings, it is difficult to know where people are trapped, and rescuers sometimes risk their lives climbing into the rubble to find survivors.

Eddie Grant, visiting professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Undergraduate Design Center at NC State, realized that if robots could get into the building, they would be able to find survivors without endangering the lives of rescuers. Because pipes are often left intact when buildings collapse, Grant conceived the idea of a pipe-crawling robot, and he challenged his senior design students in electrical and computer engineering to build a robot that could navigate pipes.

Under the direction of Grant and Dr. John Muth, visiting assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, the senior design students created MOCASIn 1 and MOCASIn 2, robots that can crawl through six-inch piping, using off-the-shelf components.

"The idea for these robots came when I was in Virginia at a meeting," says Grant. "One of the men I was meeting with was sent in to the Oklahoma City bombing with a marine special force. He told me that the rescuers would have given anything to have a robot that could go in and find the people. When I came back to NC State, I realized that this would make an excellent senior design project. And the students met the challenge very well."

The most recent design, MOCASIn 2, is able to navigate a complicated course of piping, complete with 90-degree turns and vertical climbs. The segmented robot has the look of a cyber-inchworm and uses pneumatics to force padded "feet" against the pipe walls as it extends and contracts its body along the pipe course.

"The use of pneumatics for movement is an important factor because sometimes there are explosive gases present in buildings that have collapsed," says Grant. "Electricity would have the potential for igniting these gases so we designed the robot to use compressed air instead. This gives it added portability, as well. The robot can run off air tanks when there is no electricity to run an air compressor, and it is designed so that it breaks down into components that can easily be carried in backpacks to remote disaster sites."

MOCASIn 2 is outfitted with a tiny video camera and lights that feed video through a cable to a monitor so its location in the pipe can be seen. The robot can also carry sensors that could "hear" or sense vibrations from someone tapping on the pipes.

The on-board video and ability to carry sensors into the pipes makes MOCASIn 2 a versatile robot that could be used not only for search and rescue but also for repairs on piping in areas where humans would be in danger, such as in nuclear power plant pipes or in gas lines. With other modifications, it could be used to detect cracks in sewer or water lines.

"The robot is very versatile," says Grant. "We are currently working on modifying a different robot based on what we have learned from the MOCASIn design. Using compressed air is the key to making a robot that is safer in areas where combustibles are present."

The pipe-crawling robots will be on display at Pack Place in Asheville on September 23 at NC State University's Step Into the Future event -- a scientific exposition and town meeting showcasing some of NC State's research and programs that address the challenges of the future. The event is free and open to the public.

Photos by Roger Winstead

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