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Analysis of institutional authors

Rodriguez-Nieto, DanielAuthorFernandez, RoemiAuthor

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March 22, 2025
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Proceedings Paper
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Soft bellow-based 3D printed robot for in-pipe inspection applications

Publicated to: 2024 7th Iberian Robotics Conference, Robot 2024. - 2024-01-01 (), DOI: 10.1109/ROBOT61475.2024.10797416

Authors: Blanco, Kai; Navas, Eduardo; Rodriguez-Nieto, Daniel; Emmi, Luis; Fernandez, Roemi

Affiliations

Ctr Automat & Robot CSIC UPM, Arganda Del Rey, Spain - Author

Abstract

In-pipe inspection frequently involves toxic chemicals, fluids, and spaces that are inaccessible to human operators. To ensure the well-being of workers in this sector, various approaches have been explored, most notably the use of rigid robotics. These robots use rigid elements linked together, along with multiple actuators, to achieve movement. However, the main drawback of rigid robotics is their difficulty in adapting to changing, unstructured environments. However, in the past decade, the use of soft robots, which employ soft materials as the basis for their operation, has begun to be studied for these types of tasks. The use of these materials in the robot's actuators offers significant adaptability, enabling more efficient movement and performance in unstructured environments. Additionally, the soft actuators allow the robot to navigate irregular surfaces, overcome small obstacles, and change direction within pipes without the need for extra actuation systems. This article explores the use of soft robotics in pipe inspection tasks, showcasing their potential in such applications. The study highlights the benefits of using Finite Element Modeling (FEM) combined with hyperelastic models during the initial design and planning stages to predict and better plan the behavior of the soft robot prior to its manufacturing.

Keywords

3-d printing3d printin3d printing3d-printingBellowsChemical spaceHyperelastic materialHyperelastic materialsIn-pipe inspectionIndustrial robotsInspectionMachine designPipe inspectionRobot applicationsRobot programmingSoft actuatorSoft actuatorsSoft robotToxic chemicalsUnstructured environments

Quality index

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-12-05:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 4 (PlumX).

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Blanco, Kai) and Last Author (Fernandez Saavedra, Roemi Emilia).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Blanco, Kai.

Awards linked to the item

The research leading to these results was supported in part by: (i) the Grant PID2020-116270RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033; (ii) the Grant TED2021-132710B-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the "European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR"; and (iii) CSIC under Grant 202350E072, Proyecto Intramural IAMC-ROBI-II (Inteligencia Artificial y Mecatronica Cognitiva para la Manipulacion Robotica Bimanual -2 degrees Fase).