Looking For A Robot
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Roger, I don't know anything about sewer pipes, save for the fact that they are super gross and liquid plumber magically fixes them when they get clogged. Beyond that, I'm thinking you get yourself a Lego Mindstorm NTX kit, a wireless web cam and build your own S.L.U.D.G.E (Super Lego Underground Droid for Gunk Examination) Bot. And if that doesn't work out, which I'm fairly certain it won't, throw a Nerf gun on top and you can have endless fun using your co-workers for Nerf target practice; not that I would ever endorse such childish behavior ... unless the robot looked like a Dalek, in which case, I would totally endorse that, especially if you get it to fire a plunger at people. Good-luck.
:..::. Douglas H. Troy ::..
Bad Astronomy |VCF|wxWidgets|WTLGreat idea! But those blocks tend to come apart at the worst of times, and I wouldn't care to be the one to chase after them down there.
Will Rogers never met me.
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I'm off to take care of emptying (It's no use, I can't come up with a verb that doesn't sound perverted in this context, so I'm sticking with emptying) the one-eyed trouser snake and then beddy byes.
Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.”
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How far does the robot have to traverse? If not far can it have an umbilical? If not far and can have an umbilical is a simple matter of mounting a camera on something as simple as an RC car?, or other small wheeled object? If farther would have to get a Wireless transmitter and receiver, all depends on how much DIY you want to put into it. I got this [^] as a first hit when googling.
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity. http://www.hq4thmarinescomm.com[^] My Site
Good site, and worth looking into - forgive the pun. Sewers are required by code to have manholes every 300', but service laterals have no limits. I'm thinking about 500' should be a minimum, which gets a little unmanageable with an umbilical. I've suggested calling in a proctologist, but that didn't go over very well.
Will Rogers never met me.
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The robot itself is $800, the rest is for making him go down the hole.
Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | WhoIncludes - Analyzing C++ include file hierarchyFor some reason that brings to mind the classic Peter Sellers & Ringo Starr movie, "The Magic Christian." :-D
Will Rogers never met me.
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The robot itself is $800, the rest is for making him go down the hole.
Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | WhoIncludes - Analyzing C++ include file hierarchy -
Lego always has, but I fear they may not be up to this challenge.
Will Rogers never met me.
i _dare_ ya B
MCAD --- To paraphrase Fred Dagg - the views expressed in this post are bloody good ones. --
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Great idea! But those blocks tend to come apart at the worst of times, and I wouldn't care to be the one to chase after them down there.
Will Rogers never met me.
SuperGlue!
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I've been pricing robotic cameras for sewer pipe inspections, and I'm appalled at the pricing! For a unit that can traverse a 6" pipe, they want $25,000, and that's before options to make it more usable! I'm thinking that $5000 is more realistic, assuming only a 1000% profit. Does anyone know of such a product, or something that can be adapted to this purpose, that sells for a more realistic price? Note that while it must be water resistant, it doesn't have to be water proof as we drain the line before inspection.
Will Rogers never met me.
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I've been pricing robotic cameras for sewer pipe inspections, and I'm appalled at the pricing! For a unit that can traverse a 6" pipe, they want $25,000, and that's before options to make it more usable! I'm thinking that $5000 is more realistic, assuming only a 1000% profit. Does anyone know of such a product, or something that can be adapted to this purpose, that sells for a more realistic price? Note that while it must be water resistant, it doesn't have to be water proof as we drain the line before inspection.
Will Rogers never met me.
Seems to me to be an application for fiber optics similar to this ProVision-SLIPV2636-Pro-Vision-Hi-Definition[^] combined with Inspection-Scope-Camera-Coupler-ProVision[^] Build a 300 ft extension cable and hook to a powered snake. Which probably would snap the fiber optic cable! So alternatively can you run a snake to an access point and then attach a line and pull the camera?
Melting Away www.deals-house.com www.innovative--concepts.com
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I've been pricing robotic cameras for sewer pipe inspections, and I'm appalled at the pricing! For a unit that can traverse a 6" pipe, they want $25,000, and that's before options to make it more usable! I'm thinking that $5000 is more realistic, assuming only a 1000% profit. Does anyone know of such a product, or something that can be adapted to this purpose, that sells for a more realistic price? Note that while it must be water resistant, it doesn't have to be water proof as we drain the line before inspection.
Will Rogers never met me.
I think you're being overly optimistic on the cost. A 30lbs class battlebot powered by wallyworld cordless drills (cheapest source of motors, lion batteries, and chargers) combined with a decent handheld wireless controller will set you back a few hundred bucks in parts even if it's just a basic wedge design.
3x12=36 2x12=24 1x12=12 0x12=18
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It's an excellent suggestion, but I'm afraid the lines in question are a bit longer than 130'. I may still try it, as I can design a decent video amp to extend the cable, but the boss keeps me stuck in admin stuff these days, and doesn't let me play designer very often. :(
Will Rogers never met me.
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Cool stuff! But to reach where we need to inspect, the snake would have to be autonomous, and these products are tethered to a control box.
Will Rogers never met me.
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Or try this http://www.fiberscope.net/servlet/the-Pipe-Inspection/Categories[^] - 120m (approx 400ft) for $6000 ?
Bingo! Since I'm off today I've sent it on to the boss. I think that will do the job - Thanks! :-D
Will Rogers never met me.
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Bingo! Since I'm off today I've sent it on to the boss. I think that will do the job - Thanks! :-D
Will Rogers never met me.
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What have you been using it for until now?
Will Rogers never met me.
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I've been pricing robotic cameras for sewer pipe inspections, and I'm appalled at the pricing! For a unit that can traverse a 6" pipe, they want $25,000, and that's before options to make it more usable! I'm thinking that $5000 is more realistic, assuming only a 1000% profit. Does anyone know of such a product, or something that can be adapted to this purpose, that sells for a more realistic price? Note that while it must be water resistant, it doesn't have to be water proof as we drain the line before inspection.
Will Rogers never met me.
When working at an aquarium, we used cameras from these guys: Submertec[^] They do a camera on a telescopic pole that you could push down the sewer - lower tech than a robot, but also less likely to fail!
==================================== Transvestites - Roberts in Disguise! ====================================
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I've been pricing robotic cameras for sewer pipe inspections, and I'm appalled at the pricing! For a unit that can traverse a 6" pipe, they want $25,000, and that's before options to make it more usable! I'm thinking that $5000 is more realistic, assuming only a 1000% profit. Does anyone know of such a product, or something that can be adapted to this purpose, that sells for a more realistic price? Note that while it must be water resistant, it doesn't have to be water proof as we drain the line before inspection.
Will Rogers never met me.
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I've been pricing robotic cameras for sewer pipe inspections, and I'm appalled at the pricing! For a unit that can traverse a 6" pipe, they want $25,000, and that's before options to make it more usable! I'm thinking that $5000 is more realistic, assuming only a 1000% profit. Does anyone know of such a product, or something that can be adapted to this purpose, that sells for a more realistic price? Note that while it must be water resistant, it doesn't have to be water proof as we drain the line before inspection.
Will Rogers never met me.
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I've been pricing robotic cameras for sewer pipe inspections, and I'm appalled at the pricing! For a unit that can traverse a 6" pipe, they want $25,000, and that's before options to make it more usable! I'm thinking that $5000 is more realistic, assuming only a 1000% profit. Does anyone know of such a product, or something that can be adapted to this purpose, that sells for a more realistic price? Note that while it must be water resistant, it doesn't have to be water proof as we drain the line before inspection.
Will Rogers never met me.
I've seen several wireless camera recommendations in these posts. The problem with wireless is that it doesn't travel very far through earth. If the pipes are underground that could be a problem, especially if you need to go 500 feet. That is also the case if the pipe is metal. Most stuff of this nature broadcasts somewhere around 2.5Ghz. That would give a wavelength around 4.7 inches. So, the pipe might act like a waveguide and carry the signal back to the source and it could be received there. But, don't know, never tried it...
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I've seen several wireless camera recommendations in these posts. The problem with wireless is that it doesn't travel very far through earth. If the pipes are underground that could be a problem, especially if you need to go 500 feet. That is also the case if the pipe is metal. Most stuff of this nature broadcasts somewhere around 2.5Ghz. That would give a wavelength around 4.7 inches. So, the pipe might act like a waveguide and carry the signal back to the source and it could be received there. But, don't know, never tried it...
I know - wireless sucks through ground, and the VLF frequencies that do work don't have enough signal bandwidth for a video signal. I think the solution is going to have to be tethered by a cable, but all the models I've seen have a limit of 6' to 100' of cable. I suppose I could design a preamp module to extend the cable reach, but it's so hard to find parts nowadays that can be hand soldered; everything is designed for machine insertion and mass production.
Will Rogers never met me.
