Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to localize a robot in a water pipe system or other fluid conduit based in part on obtrusions detected by the robot travelling through the system. The obtrusions can include pipe joints that connect consecutive standard fixed-length pipe segments. By detecting such repeating obtrusions, the robot can estimate its speed and/or the relative distance that it has travelled within the pipe system. The robot can be configured to localize itself by detecting consecutive pipe joints and other obtrusions in the pipe system using low cost, non-conventional on-board tactile sensors.

Abstract: Bending angle sensors, and methods for manufacturing such bending angle sensors, are provided herein to reduce cost and time to manufacture. Exemplary sensors can include a fabric or other material layer disposed on a surface of a first material layer that contains a sensing element. By using a fabric or other material layer that has stiffness greater than the first material layer, the neutral shear axis of the first material layer can be shifted away from the central longitudinal axis of the first material layer. By shifting the neutral shear axis to one side of the first material layer, the sensor can be manufactured with larger less expensive sensing elements. Alternatively, or additionally, the sensing element can be embedded within the membrane with less precision by eliminating the requirement that the sensing element must be disposed on one side of the central longitudinal axis of the first material layer.