Simulation, Sensorization and Testing of a Hybrid Inspection Robot

In this paper, simulations and tests for a hybrid inspection robot are addressed. The proposed system can be used for indoor and outdoor surveys, and thanks to its compactness and ability in overpassing obstacles is extremely efficient in confined spaces, for which it is difficult or almost impossible the use of other solutions. Robots can replace operators in dangerous or unsafe operations, and in the context of structures and infrastructure inspection, autonomous or tele-operated systems can be used for monitoring purposes for securing the access to industrial sites or confined spaces. Indeed, the hybrid robot can be used for the inspection of indoor sites, which are difficult or almost impossible to access, and for which tele-operated survey by mobile robots can be an effective solution. In addition to the sensors used for the inspection, such as camera or thermal imaging camera, it can be of great interest to adopt additional sensors, named as internal sensors’ suite, in order to get additional information for aiding the pilot during the survey. In this paper, we report the simulation and experimental tests for a hybrid rover developed and equipped with suitable internal sensors to accomplish an inspection task.