A Soft Continuum Manipulator for Multi-environmental Inspection

The current methods for inspecting partially submerged structures require employing different types of robots to inspect the parts of the structure above and below the water surface. This increases the cost and complicates the operation. This paper proposes a solution in the form of a teleoperated soft continuum manipulator capable of inspecting a partially submerged structure above and below the water surface. The manipulator employs tendon actuation to control the posture of its thin arm, and a sliding mechanism to alter the length of the bending segment, thus changing the location and attitude of the arm’s tip. The manipulator’s modular design facilitates the replacement of its arm with another of different lengths and materials to suite different structures and environments. A camera placed at the manipulator’s arm tip was used to inspect several numeric labels, some below and others above the water surface. The experimental results demonstrated the manipulator’s ability to inspect the partially submerged structure and provide clear images above and below the water surface. The manipulator’s ability to use arms of different lengths and materials makes it suitable for operating in different environments unsuitable for current inspection robots and manipulators.