Conceptual design and analysis of a dredger robot for irrigation canals

Purpose This paper aims to present a solution to dredging the irrigation canals using a robotic system. Considering the importance of irrigating water, the waste within the water canals should be avoided. Irrigation canals are artificial linear structures in the landscape that are used for transporting the water. One important problem in water transferring is the waste materials flow inside the water, and in some areas, they block the main stream, reducing the effective capacity of the canal. Among the waste materials, aquatic plants are grown on the surface of the canal that needs to be removed from the canal. This removal operation is conducted using chemical, biological, ecological and physical methods with complex supply systems. In addition, robotic systems are used as such complex systems. So, a robotic system is proposed to dredging the irrigation canals. The assumed robot was manufactured in AGRINS laboratory of Tehran University. Design/methodology/approach Design procedure, dynamic modelling and simulation of this robotic system are studied. To validate the system design before its construction, ADAMS software is used to perform simulations. Finally, performance evaluation of the dredger robot in the canal is studied based on the experimental data. Findings Results show that the design procedure has been correctly fitted to the real condition. Therefore, the designed robot could be easily used to dredging irrigation canals. Practical implications The assumed robot was manufactured in AGRINS laboratory of Tehran University. Originality/value Performing a dredging operation in the canals could be conducted by a new technique considering both free sides of the canal. Therefore, in this paper, a conceptual design of a 3-wheels stair dredger robot is numerically and experimentally studied.