Design of a high-pressure waterjet hull-cutting robot based on the snake-shaped mechanical arm structure

The high-pressure water jet cutting technology provides a highly efficient and low-pollution way for the green dismantling of ships. However, high equipment costs and operational complexity hinder its development and widespread application. Thus, this paper proposes a high-pressure waterjet robot for ship hull dismantling based on a snake-shaped robotic arm design. First, a prototype high-pressure waterjet robot is proposed, integrating mechanical structure, waterjet cutting system, power and drive units, and a control module into a unified platform. Second, the integration of the serpentine robotic arm with an improved GAPF-RRT* path planning algorithm enables autonomous motion control. Results show that the GAPF-RRT* algorithm enhances sampling efficiency and obstacle avoidance capability, enabling the robotic arm to dynamically adjust its trajectory and execute cutting tasks. The proposed system replaces manual operations with intelligent cutting capabilities, advancing green and automated ship dismantling.