EJBot: Versatile Climbing Robot for Industrial Vessel Inspection

Dr. Mohamed Gouda Alkalla and Mohamed Fanni
Mansoura University
Mansoura, Ad-daqahliyah, Egypt

The EJBot is a propeller-type climbing robot for climbing various types of structures to inspect industrial vessels made of various materials, including non-ferromagnetic material. The inspection process includes capturing images of important spots that are prone to corrosion, as well as measuring the vessel's wall thickness.

The design consists of two coaxial upturned propellers mounted on a mobile platform with four standard wheels. A new hybrid actuation system that consists of propeller thrust forces and standard wheel torques is the adhesion system for this climbing robot. This system generates the required adhesion force to support the robot on the climbed surfaces.

Experimental tests to check the robot's capabilities of climbing different surfaces — such as smooth, rough, flat, and cylindrical surfaces like those on an actual vessel — were successfully completed. The robot stops accurately on the climbed surface at any desired location for inspection purposes, and it overcomes significant obstacles up to 40 mm.

“It was a great pleasure participating in this contest. I was delighted when I received the award of First Prize in the Machinery/Automation/Robotics Category. This win helps my EJBot Climbing Robot to be recognized internationally, and certainly facilitates communicating with industrial companies in the future.”

- Dr Mohamed Gouda Alkalla

This proposed climbing robot is needed for petrochemical and liquid gas companies in which a regular inspection of welds and the wall thickness is required. The interaction between the human and the vessels is dangerous due to the harmful environment inside these vessels. EJBot robot will save the cost of inspection of vessels, as well as protect the health of technicians.

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