Design and research of a new hexapod robot for autonomous cleaning of pipeline blockages

As the process of urbanization accelerates, the complexity and scale of pipeline systems are continuously increasing. Traditional manual pipeline unclogging methods face challenges of high cost, high risk, and technical difficulty. This study proposes an automatic pipeline cleaning system based on a wheel-legged hexapod robot, aiming to improve the safety, stability, and cost-effectiveness of pipeline unclogging. The system uses the STM32F407ZGT6 microcontroller as the main control unit, combined with the PCA9685 servo driver board and MG90s servos, to achieve precise movements of the hexapod robot. The robot adopts a triangular gait inspired by bionic hexapod insects and is equipped with a WIFI camera module to enable real-time monitoring and visualization of the internal environment of the pipeline. Additionally, the robot is equipped with a mechanical arm that, through Bluetooth remote control, can grasp and remove blockages. Experimental results indicate that the robot demonstrates good movement stability and unclogging effectiveness in complex pipeline environments, showcasing a broad range of application prospects.