Development of a Kinematic Model Based on Simulation Data for a Three Symmetrical Wheeled Pipeline Robot

This study presents the development and validation of a simulation-calibrated kinematic formulation for a three-wheeled symmetric pipeline inspection robot operating under cylindrical confinement. The proposed model integrates analytical implementation in MATLAB 2023b with multibody simulation in SolidWorks 2023 to identify semi-empirical correction terms that improve motion prediction under straight and curved pipe conditions. The formulation incorporates curvature-dependent and asymmetry-related effects derived from structured simulation datasets, ensuring consistency between analytical predictions and simulated behavior within the evaluated operating range. Quantitative comparison using statistical indicators demonstrates strong agreement between both approaches, with MAE values of 0.0547 for linear velocity and 13.96 for displacement, RMSE values of 0.0681 and 19.0401, and coefficients of determination of R2=0.9997 and R2=0.9476, respectively. Slightly larger deviations are observed at higher rotational speeds. The results provide a consistent analytical representation of the robot’s motion under the studied geometric constraints and establish a basis for future experimental validation and control-oriented extensions in confined pipeline environments.