PipeBot was a final project for the MDes Program's Technological Design Foundations (TDF) class. Our group set out to design and build a robot prototype with the goal of presenting a novel solution to clear blocked pipes and sewers at the residential-municipal interface. 

In our final proposal, the project is described as follows:

"The objective of this project is to develop a soft robotics system capable of navigating sewer networks to detect and clear blockages in a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly manner.
Reducing reliance on harsher cleaning methods; the robot uses a flexible, adaptive structure to travel through narrow and curved pipe sections, locate obstructions, and perform precise cleaning operations. This approach promotes preventative maintenance while protecting urban infrastructure, safeguarding worker health, and minimizing ecological impacts from wastewater pollution"

As a team, we quickly moved away from plastic linkages to TPU-based spines, improving reliability by reducing moving parts, and drastically increasing the efficacy of the anchor mechanism by increasing the contact patch with the pliable material. 

TPU found its way into most components of our robot, as well as our rear umbillical tether, and the pliable linkages between actuator

We also off-boarded many major components - including the microcontroller and motor controllers - into a control box, instead connecting to the robot with an umbillical tether that could also be used as a retrieval mechanism. 

Right: rear view of the umbillical port and cable bundle

Below: Final showcase-ready prototype