OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION
OT-2026-000002196

Robot provided with a flexible arm that may be deployed by eversion and use thereof in confined areas

Published: 2026-09-15T19:11:24.083786Z
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000002196
Categories: Robotics & Automation > Robot Architectures

------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABSTRACT

A robot is provided with an arm in the form of a tubular body having a sleeve
( 12 ) formed of a flexible membrane that is capable of being inflated and
deployed by eversion at the distal end of the arm from the storage chamber ( 4
) by means of a first fluid stream. This tubular sleeve ( 12 ) forms, when it
is in the deployed state, a central inside sheath that can be used to house
and receive a flexible tubular element carrying a payload such as a camera or
a sensor or an actuator. A second fluid stream is injected between the tube
and the tubular element, thereby enabling the latter to move separately from
the tube. Cables or wires ( 22 a, 22 c ), arranged in peripheral sheaths of
the sleeve ( 12 ), guide and orient the movement of the arm. Such an
arrangement is configured for inspection of straight or bent pipes such as
pipes in a confined environment or for the transport of payloads in pipes, in
particular in an industrial, sanitary, nuclear or marine environment, or in
aggressive or hazardous conditions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000002196
Published 2026-09-15T19:11:24.083786Z
https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000002196