Research on the Force Analysis and Motion Control of a Crack Inspection Robot for Steel Box Girders

XU Zuen; ZHANG Guoliang; ZHU Lingfeng; WANG Zheng; QIN Xiao; GUO Jian

doi:10.3724/j.gyjzG26040802

Volume 56 Issue 5

May 2026

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XU Zuen, ZHANG Guoliang, ZHU Lingfeng, WANG Zheng, QIN Xiao, GUO Jian. Research on the Force Analysis and Motion Control of a Crack Inspection Robot for Steel Box Girders[J]. INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION, 2026, 56(5): 232-238. doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG26040802

Citation:

XU Zuen, ZHANG Guoliang, ZHU Lingfeng, WANG Zheng, QIN Xiao, GUO Jian. Research on the Force Analysis and Motion Control of a Crack Inspection Robot for Steel Box Girders[J]. INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION, 2026, 56(5): 232-238. doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG26040802

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Research on the Force Analysis and Motion Control of a Crack Inspection Robot for Steel Box Girders

doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG26040802

1. Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310016, China;
2. State Key Laboratory of Bridge Intelligent and Green Construction, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China;
3. Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China

Received Date: 2026-04-08
Available Online: 2026-06-06
Publish Date: 2026-05-20

Abstract

Abstract

To address the low efficiency， high risk， and limited quantitative capability of manual inspection for fatigue cracks in steel box girders， a study was conducted on the force analysis and motion control of a magnetic wall-climbing robot for crack inspection. According to the crack inspection requirements for deck plates and diaphragms， a wall-climbing robot equipped with an eddy current testing device was designed， and key parameters including overall dimensions， payload capacity， and operating speed were determined. Static and dynamic models of the robot were established to analyze the minimum magnetic adhesion force and driving torque required on steel plate surfaces. Based on the Webots platform， simulations were carried out to investigate the robot’s motion under different payload and weld obstacle conditions. The results showed that the robot could move continuously between the diaphragm and deck plate. As the payload increased， the start-up time on the diaphragm became longer and speed fluctuation became more pronounced， while the motion on the deck plate remained relatively stable. When crossing a weld， short-term speed fluctuations occurred， and the pitch angle increased significantly with the rising payload. Overall， the robot still maintained good obstacle-crossing capability and motion stability.
- steel box girder,
- crack inspection,
- magnetic wall-climbing robot,
- force analysis,
- motion control

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References(20)

References

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