The present report summarizes the accomplishments of the project during its second three-month period (from January 2003 through March 2003). The project was initiated with delay in February 2003 due to contractual issues that emerged between the NGA and Foster-Miller, Inc. The two organizations are working diligently to maintain the program's pace so that it is completed in time. The efforts of the project focused during this period in the assessment of the tether technology that is intended to be used as the means of communication between robot and operator. Preliminary results indicate that tether is a viable option under certain pipeline operating conditions but not all. The exact range of operating conditions that are viable for tether use are being determined as the study progresses. Work was also initiated regarding the design of the robotic platform.

This development program is a joint effort among the Northeast Gas Association (formerly New York Gas Group), Foster-Miller, Inc., and the US Department of Energy (DOE) through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The DOE's contribution to this project is $572,525 out of a total of $772,525. The present report summarizes the accomplishments of the project during its third three-month period (from April 2003 through June 2003). The project was initiated with delay in February 2003 due to contractual issues that emerged between NGA and Foster-Miller, Inc. The two organizations are working diligently to maintain the program's pace and expect to complete it in time. The efforts of the project focused during this period in finalizing the assessment of the tether technology, which is intended to be used as the means of communication between robot and operator. Results indicate that the tether is a viable option under certain pipeline operating conditions, but not all. Concerns also exist regarding the abrasion resistance of the tether, this issue being the last studied. Substantial work was also conducted on the design of the robotic platform, which has progressed very well. Finally, work on the MFL sensor, able to negotiate all pipeline obstacles (including …