Inspecting ultra-high vacuum pipe systems of particle accelerators without disassembling the beam pipes is a complex challenge. In particular, curved sections of particle accelerators require a unique approach for the examination of the interior. For the planned heavy ion synchrotron SIS100 at FAIR, an inspection robot is currently under development, featuring an optical imaging system with which the robot can be navigated through the beam pipe. We present the current prototype, which is based on a modular snake-like robot with active wheels and joints. Due to the stipulated low movement velocity, it can be shown that a kinematic model is sufficient to control the robot whereas dynamical effects can be neglected. This concept is proven in experiments with the prototype. At the current development status, the robot is controlled manually by setting the velocity of the first module and its desired turning angle. In simulations we include a CAD model of a dipole chamber of the SIS100 and let an operator successfully navigate the robot through the beam pipe while only observing the camera image.

• Publisher-DOI