Modeling and Simulation of a Ground Mobile Rover for Inspection Tasks

Authors

Keywords:

Mobile Robots, Robotic Inspection, Mechatronics, Mechanical Design, Simulation, Structural Health Monitoring

Abstract

This paper proposes design improvements and simulations for an inspection rover developed for inspection tasks. The proposed system is suitable for both indoor and outdoor surveys and, due to its compact size and ability to overcome obstacles, is particularly well-suited for use in confined spaces where human intervention is difficult or nearly impossible. Autonomous or teleoperated systems can replace experienced personnel, navigating complex, unstructured environments that are often hard to access. These systems carry appropriate sensors and manage data, which can then be transmitted for further analysis. The survey uses advanced mechatronic systems consisting of robots, instrumentation, and a networking system to operate both internal and external sensors. The former is used for navigation, while the latter provides data from the area of interest. This paper focuses on the robotic structure designed for inspection tasks. Building on an existing hybrid rover, the paper examines the mechanical design and simulation of the system to optimize its functionality in terms of motion smoothness and compactness, all while adhering to a low-cost design philosophy.

Author Biography

Erika Ottaviano, Università degli studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale

Erika Ottaviano is Associate Prof. and got the National Hab. as Full Prof. in 2023, she is Departmental Coordinator for the International Relations at the Dept. of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio. Since 2004, she is member of the IFToMM Technical Committee for Computational Kinematics (TCCK). She served as secretary of this Committee from 2009 to 2017. Since 2014, she served as project evaluator for Int. Science Foundation programs at EU and Non EU level. Since 2011, she served as a member of the Editorial Board of the Int. Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems, Sage Journals, since 2015 she served as Associate Editor, section “Medical Robotics”. Since 2012, she has been appointed Editor for the Int. Journal of Imaging and Robotics (ISSN 2231-525X). Since 2015, she has been appointed Associate Editor for Mechatronics of the Journal of Applied Sciences, Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, from 2016, she is Editor for American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Science Publications. Since 2015, she serves as University Evaluator for the ANVUR (Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes) and project evaluator for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). From 2021 to 2024, she is member of the ESF College of Expert Reviewers (European Science Foundation). Since July 2022 she is Panel Member for the National Science Center, Poland, Section Physical Science and Engineering, on dec. 2022 she was appointed as Panel Chair. Since Nov. 2023 she been appointed as a member of the NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme's Independent Scientific Evaluation Group' (ISEG). In 2018, she served as Editor of the book titled “Mechatronics for Cultural Heritage and Civil Engineering (86726336)”, Intelligent Systems, Control and Automation: Science and Engineering, http://www.springer.com/series/6259. In 2019 she served as Guest Editor of the Special Issue “Advances in Inspection Robotic Systems”, in the Journal Robotics (ISSN 2218-6581).

In 2021 she served as Editor of the book titled “Design, Applications, and Maintenance of Cyber-Physical Systems”, 2021 Pages: 314, DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-6721-0, ISBN13: 9781799867210, , https://www.igi-global.com/book/design-applications-maintenance-cyber-physical/256643

In 2022 she served as Editor of the book titled “Innovations in Mechanical Engineering”, Part of the Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering book series (LNME), 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Part of Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-79165-0.

Research interests cover aspects of Mechanics, Robotics and Mechanical Design of Manipulators and Mobile Robots, with special emphasis on robotic and mechatronic solutions for the inspection of structures and infrastructure, and design simulation and experimental tests on assisting devices composed by rigid links and flexible ones. She served as a member of the PhD defenses of more than 20 scientists. She is the author and/or co-author of more than 200 papers published in Proceedings of Int. Conferences or in Journals and as book chapters.

References

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Published

2025-04-30

How to Cite

Rea, P., Ottaviano, E., & Ruggiu, M. (2025). Modeling and Simulation of a Ground Mobile Rover for Inspection Tasks. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Digital Transformation of Industrial Processes, 1(1). Retrieved from https://publications.eai.eu/index.php/dtip/article/view/9048

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): EAI Endorsed Transactions on Digital Transformation of Industrial Processes

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Pierluigi Rea, Erika Ottaviano, Maurizio Ruggiu

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