To improve the energy efficiency of a mobile robot, a novel energy modeling method for mobile robots is proposed in this paper. The robot can calculate and predict energy consumption through the energy model, which provides a guide to facilitate energy-efficient strategies. The energy consumption of the mobile robot is first modeled by considering three major factors: the sensor system, control system, and motion system. The relationship between the three systems is elaborated by formulas. Then, the model is utilized and experimentally tested in a four-wheeled Mecanum mobile robot. Furthermore, the power measurement methods are discussed. The energy consumption of the sensor system and control system was at the milliwatt level, and a Monsoon power monitor was used to accurately measure the electrical power of the systems. The experimental results showed that the proposed energy model can be used to predict the energy consumption of the robot movement processes in addition to being able to efficiently support the analysis of the energy consumption characteristics of mobile robots.

Large oil and gas pipelines are prone to corrosion and leakage, so in-pipe inspection is necessary. In this article, we show a novel robot mechanism for long-distance pipeline inspection. The robot consists of three crawlers and electric putters, which can adjust their speed and radius independently. Independent adjustment and system self-checking of the robot are achieved through multiple sensors. To make the robot operate efficiently, we studied the influence of size parameters on the forces between the central body and crawler. Moreover, we investigated how to adjust the attitude of the robot through the differential speed of the three crawlers. Static and dynamic simulations of internal forces are presented. The primary experiments indicate that our robot can operate stably in a large steel pipe.

Based on the large-scale wall-pressing three-legged crawler pipeline inspection robot, our team proposed a cornering algorithm based on space constraints, that aims to better control the smooth operation of the pipeline robot in the pipeline. This algorithm is aimed at large robots that use an electric telescopic rod structure to replace the elastic structure on traditional small robots. The electric telescopic rod structure meets the large-scale weight change of the robot and provides sufficient supporting force. However, this structure also makes it difficult for the robot to automatically adapt to the change of pipe diameter and increases the difficulty of the robot’s control. In order to solve this problem and more accurately control the operation of the robot during cornering, this paper analyzes the space constraints of the robot when turning, the optimization analysis of the telescopic rod expansion and the ratio of the speed of each crawler, obtaining a stable turning algorithm for pipeline robots. The algorithm guarantees that the robot can provide sufficient support in the bend pipeline, and that it has good stability and mobility.

The four-wheeled Mecanum robot is widely used in various industries due to its maneuverability and strong load capacity, which is suitable for performing precise transportation tasks in a narrow environment. While the Mecanum wheel robot has mobility, it also consumes more energy than ordinary robots. The power consumed by the Mecanum wheel mobile robot varies enormously depending on their operating regimes and environments. Therefore, only knowing the working environment of the robot and the accurate power consumption model can we accurately predict the power consumption of the robot. In order to increase the applicable scenarios of energy consumption modeling for Mecanum wheel robots and improve the accuracy of energy consumption modeling, this paper focuses on various factors that affect the energy consumption of the Mecanum wheel robot, such as motor temperature, terrain, the center of gravity position, etc. The model is derived from the kinematic and kinetic model combined with electrical engineering and energy flow principles. The model has been simulated in MATLAB and experimentally validated with the four-wheeled Mecanum robot platform in our lab. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the model reached 95%. The results of energy consumption modeling can help robots save energy by helping them to perform rational path planning and task planning.

In the context of pipeline robots, the timely detection of faults is crucial in preventing safety incidents. In order to ensure the reliability and safety of the entire application process, robots’ fault diagnosis techniques play a vital role. However, traditional diagnostic methods for motor drive end-bearing faults in pipeline robots are often ineffective when the operating conditions are variable. An efficient solution for fault diagnosis is the application of deep learning algorithms. This paper proposes a rolling bearing fault diagnosis method (PSO-ResNet) that combines a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) with a residual network. A number of vibration signal sensors are placed at different locations in the pipeline robot to obtain vibration signals from different parts. The input to the PSO-ResNet algorithm is a two-bit image obtained by continuous wavelet transform of the vibration signal. The accuracy of this fault diagnosis method is compared with different types of fault diagnosis algorithms, and the experimental analysis shows that PSO-ResNet has higher accuracy. The algorithm was also deployed on an Nvidia Jetson Nano and a Raspberry Pi 4B. Through comparative experimental analysis, the proposed fault diagnosis algorithm was chosen to be deployed on the Nvidia Jetson Nano and used as the core fault diagnosis control unit of the pipeline robot for practical scenarios. However, the PSO-ResNet model needs further improvement in terms of accuracy, which is the focus of future research work.

Four-wheel Mecanum mobile robots (FWMRs) are widely used in transportation because of their omnidirectional mobility. However, the FWMR trades off energy efficiency for flexibility. To efficiently predict the energy consumption of the robot movement processes, this paper proposes a power consumption model for the omnidirectional movement of an FWMR. A power consumption model is of great significance for reducing the power consumption, motion control, and path planning of robots. However, FWMRs are highly maneuverable, meaning their control is complicated and their energy modeling is extremely complex. The speed, distance, path, and power consumption of the robot can vary greatly depending on the control method. This energy model was mathematically implemented in MATLAB and validated by our laboratory’s Mecanum wheel robot. The prediction accuracy of the model was over 95% through simulation and experimental verification.