As oil and gas exploration extends to deep earth, deep sea and complex geological environments, the conventional exploration equipment struggles to meet exploration demands for efficiency, cost and adaptability. Therefore, the development of drilling robots is extremely urgent. A drilling robot based on connecting rod-slider support structure was designed. A support unit integrating a connecting rod-slider and a support plate, as well as a propulsion unit driven by a lead screw motor, were proposed. The support structure enabled stable radial anchoring and independent attitude adjustment, while the propulsion structure was simple and efficient. Through the static analysis of the robot, the rationality of the structural design was verified. The rigid body dynamics simulation was conducted using the ADAMS software, which revealed the motion posture of the robot in the pipe and the torque characteristics of the steering gears. A prototype was manufactured using 3D printing technology, and performance tests were conducted in a simulated well pipe environment. The experimental results showed that this robot had excellent crawling forward capability. The single movement cycle lasted for 7 s and the step length was 7.98 mm. Its supporting structure was firmly anchored, the maximum anchoring force within the pipe diameter range of 140-155 mm was 96.4 N, and could also remain stable in inclined pipes. The research results have provided new ideas for the design of pipe robots and have positive implications for promoting the intelligent development of underground exploration equipment.