{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T09:36:23Z","timestamp":1780997783616,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,19]],"date-time":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1621382400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"EFOP","award":["EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00003"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Robotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper outlines the design of a novel mechatronic system for semi-automatic inspection and white-water in-pipe obstruction removals without the need for destructive methods or specialized manpower. The device is characterized by a lightweight structure and high transportability. It is composed by a front, a rear and a central module that realize the worm-like locomotion of the robot with a specifically designed driving mechanism for the straight motion of the robot along the pipeline. The proposed mechatronic system is easily adaptable to pipes of various sizes. Each module is equipped with a motor that actuates three slider-crank-based mechanisms. The central module incorporates a length-varying mechanism that allows forward and backward locomotion. The device is equipped with specific low-cost sensors that allow an operator to monitor the device and locate an obstruction in real time. The movement of the device can be automatic or controlled manually by using a specific user-friendly control board and a laptop. Preliminary laboratory tests are reported to demonstrate the engineering feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed design, which is currently under patenting.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/robotics10020074","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,19]],"date-time":"2021-05-19T21:49:21Z","timestamp":1621460961000},"page":"74","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Design of PEIS: A Low-Cost Pipe Inspector Robot"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4711-8116","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mario","family":"Salvatore","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessio","family":"Galloro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leonardo","family":"Muzzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Pullano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"P\u00e9ter","family":"Odry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Control Engineering and Information Technology, University of Duna\u00fajv\u00e1ros, 2407 Duna\u00fajv\u00e1ros, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0831-8358","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Carbone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1715","DOI":"10.1017\/S0263574720000946","article-title":"Special Issue on Human\u2013Robot Interaction (HRI)","volume":"38","author":"Aspragathos","year":"2020","journal-title":"Robotica"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Worley, R., and Anderson, S. (2020, January 7). Topological robot localization in a pipe network. Proceedings of the UKRAS20 Conference: \u201cRobots into the Real World, Online conference. EPSRC UK-RAS Network.","DOI":"10.31256\/Zw1Wq5M"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Carbone, G., Malchikov, A., Ceccarelli, M., and Jatsun, S. (2009, January 12\u201315). Design and Simulation of Kursk Robot for in-Pipe Inspection. Proceedings of the 10th IFToMM International Symposium on Science of Mechanisms and Machines SYROM\u201909, Brasov, Romania."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"576","DOI":"10.1109\/60.257076","article-title":"Pipe crawling inspection robot: An overview","volume":"8","author":"Roman","year":"1993","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Energy Convers."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nagano, S., and Oka, Y. (1988, January 6\u20138). Application of In-Pipe Visual Inspection Robot to Piping Internal Surface Lining. 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Control"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"184","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mechmachtheory.2014.06.004","article-title":"Experimental tests in human-robot collision evaluation and characterization of a new safety index for robot operation","volume":"80","author":"Cordero","year":"2014","journal-title":"Mech. Mach. Theory"},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Salvatore, M.M., Galloro, A., Muzzi, L., Pullano, G., and Carbone, G. (2021). Device for Automatic Monitoring of Occlusions in White Water Pipelines. (Application No. 102021000002651), Italian Patent, (In Italian)."}],"container-title":["Robotics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2218-6581\/10\/2\/74\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T06:04:10Z","timestamp":1760162650000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2218-6581\/10\/2\/74"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,19]]},"references-count":23,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6]]}},"alternative-id":["robotics10020074"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/robotics10020074","relation":{},"ISSN":["2218-6581"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2218-6581","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,19]]}}}