Abstract: The specification discloses a robot for inspection adapted to travel virtually unlimited distances through small-diameter enclosed spaces such as conduits or ducts, preferably using a fluid-driven screw-drive propulsion system. The robot preferably includes a plurality of wheels inclined at an angle greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, a plurality of wheels aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and a power system for causing relative rotation of the sections bearing the pitched and non-pitched wheels. The robot may include internal fluid flow passages, notched wheels, multiple retractable wheels, and is configured so as to have an operating diameter less than six and preferably less than two inches.

Abstract: A method for real time message transmission in a token ring network is provided. The method initializes each node in the network, including setting a maximum message transmission time H.sub.i such that ##EQU1## is the transmission time of a message in a message stream, P.sub.i is the period length of the message stream, TTRT is the target token rotation time, and .tau. is the portion of TTRT that is unavailable to transmit messages. The messages are then transmitted when a token arrives at a node for the duration of H.sub.i. Using this method with the timed token protocol, the synchronous messages are guaranteed to be transmitted before their deadlines if the utilization of synchronous messages is no more than 33% of available utilization.