Micromachines set to find the cracks
15 Jan 2000
Minute machines could soon be patrolling industrial pipework and checking for cracks. Developed by Mitsubishi Electric, Matsushita and Sumitomo, the machines are currently under development for use in power stations, but have applications across industry.
The machines measure just 93635mm, weigh 0.4g and are powered by one the smallest electric motors ever made - just 1.6mm in diameter. Equally small gears turn the magnetised wheels that propel the machines along pipes at 7.2m/hr. The machines pass an electric current through the pipe via a pair of electrodes: if the electrodes pass over a crack in the pipe, the resistance between them increases sharply.
