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Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot
The inspection of power lines and associated hardware is vital to ensuring the reliability of the transmission and distribution network. The repetitive nature of the inspection tasks present a unique opportunity for the introduction of robotic platforms, which offer the ability to perform more syste...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Electrical Engineering
2016
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| _version_ | 1867613324745637888 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Patel, Javaad |
| author2 | Boje, Edward |
| author_browse | Boje, Edward Patel, Javaad |
| author_facet | Boje, Edward Patel, Javaad |
| author_sort | Patel, Javaad |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The inspection of power lines and associated hardware is vital to ensuring the reliability of the transmission and distribution network. The repetitive nature of the inspection tasks present a unique opportunity for the introduction of robotic platforms, which offer the ability to perform more systematic and detailed inspection than traditional methods. This lends itself to improved asset management automation, cost-effectiveness and safety for the operating crew. This dissertation presents the development of a prototype industrial brachiating robot. The robot is mechanically simple and capable of dynamically negotiating obstacles by brachiating. This is an improvement over current robotic platforms, which employ slow, high power static schemes for obstacle negotiation. Mathematical models of the robot were derived to understand the underlying dynamics of the system. These models were then used in the generation of optimal trajectories, using nonlinear optimisation techniques, for brachiating past line hardware. A physical robot was designed and manufactured to validate the brachiation manoeuvre. The robot was designed following classic mechanical design principles, with emphasis on functional design and robustness. System identification was used to capture the plant uncertainty and a feedback controller was designed to track the reference trajectory allowing for energy optimal brachiation swings. Finally, the robot was tested, starting with sub-system testing and ending with testing of a brachiation manoeuvre proving the prospective viability of the robot in an industrial environment. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20464 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:34:20.437Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Department of Electrical Engineering |
| publisherStr | Department of Electrical Engineering |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20464 Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot Patel, Javaad Boje, Edward Electrical Engineering Power line inspection Brachiating robot Feedback control Trajectory generation The inspection of power lines and associated hardware is vital to ensuring the reliability of the transmission and distribution network. The repetitive nature of the inspection tasks present a unique opportunity for the introduction of robotic platforms, which offer the ability to perform more systematic and detailed inspection than traditional methods. This lends itself to improved asset management automation, cost-effectiveness and safety for the operating crew. This dissertation presents the development of a prototype industrial brachiating robot. The robot is mechanically simple and capable of dynamically negotiating obstacles by brachiating. This is an improvement over current robotic platforms, which employ slow, high power static schemes for obstacle negotiation. Mathematical models of the robot were derived to understand the underlying dynamics of the system. These models were then used in the generation of optimal trajectories, using nonlinear optimisation techniques, for brachiating past line hardware. A physical robot was designed and manufactured to validate the brachiation manoeuvre. The robot was designed following classic mechanical design principles, with emphasis on functional design and robustness. System identification was used to capture the plant uncertainty and a feedback controller was designed to track the reference trajectory allowing for energy optimal brachiation swings. Finally, the robot was tested, starting with sub-system testing and ending with testing of a brachiation manoeuvre proving the prospective viability of the robot in an industrial environment. 2016-07-20T06:47:55Z 2016-07-20T06:47:55Z 2016 Master Thesis Masters MSc (Eng) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20464 eng application/pdf application/pdf Department of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Electrical Engineering Power line inspection Brachiating robot Feedback control Trajectory generation Patel, Javaad Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot |
| title_full | Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot |
| title_fullStr | Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot |
| title_short | Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot |
| title_sort | design modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot |
| topic | Electrical Engineering Power line inspection Brachiating robot Feedback control Trajectory generation |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20464 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pateljavaad designmodellingandcontrolofabrachiatingpowerlineinspectionrobot |