The invention discloses a self-adaptive detection robot for a cargo ship pipeline, and belongs to the field of cargo ship pipeline system detection. The self-adaptive detection robot comprises a robot main body, the robot main body is divided into two parts, and each part comprises a reducing mechanism, a curve adaptation mechanism, wall-attached wheels, a first power device and a second power device; the robot main body is provided with a camera pan-tilt, a communication cable and a control module; and the robot main body is divided into two sections which are symmetrical to each other and have the same structure, the middle of the robot main body is connected through the curve adaption mechanisms, the communication cable is fixed to the tail of the robot main body, and the camera pan-tilt is installed at the front end of the robot main body. According to the self-adaptive detection robot, through the arrangement of the reducing mechanisms, the curve adaption mechanism, driving wheels, the first power devices, the second power mechanisms, the camera pan-tilt, the communication cable and the control module, the robot can move in vertical, horizontal, inclined and bent pipelines, and clear images are provided through a camera carried on the robot.