Design of a Novel Long-Reach Cable-Driven Hyper-Redundant Snake-like Manipulator for Inspection and Maintenance

Robotic inspection and maintenance are gaining importance due to the number of different scenarios in which robots can operate. The use robotic systems accomplish such tasks has deep implications terms safety for human workers significantly extend life infrastructures industrial facilities. In this context, long-reach cable-driven hyper-redundant be employed inspect areas that difficult reach hazardous environments as tanks vessels. This paper presents a novel robot called SLIM (Snake-Like manipulator Inspection Maintenance). consists arm, pan tilt mechanism end-effector, an actuation box rotate around arm wrap. total 15 degrees freedom and, therefore, task positioning tool centre point bi-dimensional Cartesian space with specific attitude, it 10 redundancy. is designed operate harsh high temperatures deploy itself up about 4.8 m. requirements drove design robot, main aspects mechanical electronic systems, control strategy, results preliminary experimental tests performed physical prototype evaluate performances.