System and method for configuring an inspection robot for inspecting an inspection surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11565417-B2
Application number	US-202016869691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2020
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuring a robot for inspecting an inspection surface are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot having a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors and a controller. The controller may include a route profile processing circuit to interpret route profile data for the inspection robot, a configuration determining circuit to determine one or more configurations for the inspection robot in response to the route profile data; and a configuration processing circuit to provide configuration data in response to the determined one or more configurations, the configuration data defining, at least in part, one or more inspection characteristics for the inspection robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for configuring an inspection robot for inspecting an inspection surface, the apparatus comprising:
the inspection robot comprising:
a plurality of payloads;
a plurality of arms, wherein each of the plurality of arms is pivotally mounted to a corresponding payload of the plurality of payloads; and
a plurality of sleds, wherein a first sled of the plurality of sleds has a first inspection sensor mounted thereto and a second sled of the plurality of sleds has a second inspection sensor mounted thereto, wherein each sled is mounted to at least one of the plurality of arms,
wherein the inspection sensors are operationally couplable to the inspection surface, and
wherein the plurality of sleds are horizontally distributed on the inspection surface at selected horizontal positions, and wherein at least one of the plurality of arms is horizontally moveable relative to the corresponding payload; and

a controller structured to:
interpret data for the inspection robot relative to the inspection surface;
determine one or more configurations for the inspection robot in response to the data; and
provide configuration data in response to the determined one or more configurations, the configuration data defining, in part, one or more inspection characteristics for the inspection robot.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more inspection characteristics include at least one inspection characteristic selected from the inspection characteristics consisting of:
a type of inspection sensor for the inspection robot;
a horizontal spacing between adjacent inspection sensors for the inspection robot;
a horizontal spacing between inspection lanes for an inspection operation of the inspection robot;
a magnitude of a downward force applied to a sled housing an inspection sensor of the inspection robot;
a sled geometry for a sled housing an inspection sensor of the inspection robot;
a payload configuration for a payload of the inspection robot;
a wheel configuration for the inspection robot; and
a type of a downward force biasing device for the inspection robot structured to apply a downward force on an inspection sensor of the inspection robot.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the controller further structured to configure the inspection robot in response to the provided configuration data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further structured to configure the inspection robot by performing at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of:
configuring a horizontal spacing between inspection lanes for an inspection operation of the inspection robot;
configuring at least one of an inspection route and a horizontal spacing between adjacent inspection sensors, thereby performing an inspection operation compliant with an on-surface inspected resolution target; or
configuring a downward force biasing device to apply a selected down force to a sled housing an inspection sensor of the inspection robot.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further structured to:
interpret updated data during an inspection operation of the inspection surface by the inspection robot;
determine one or more updated configurations of the inspection robot in response to the updated data; and
provide updated configuration data in response to the determined updated one or more configurations.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising the controller further structured to re-configure the inspection robot in response to the updated one or more configurations.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises:
obstacle data.

8. A method for configuring an apparatus comprising an inspection robot for inspecting an inspection surface, the method comprising:
interpreting data for the inspection robot relative to the inspection surface;
determining one or more configurations for the inspection robot in response to the data; and
providing configuration data in response to the determined one or more configurations, the configuration data defining, at least in part, one or more inspection characteristics for the inspection robot,
wherein the apparatus further comprises:
the inspection robot comprising a plurality of payloads;
a plurality of arms, wherein each of the plurality of arms is pivotally mounted to a corresponding payload of the plurality of payloads;
a plurality of sleds, wherein each sled is mounted to one of the plurality of arms; and
a plurality of inspection sensors, each of the plurality of inspection sensors coupled to one of the plurality of sleds such that each sensor is operationally couplable to the inspection surface, wherein the plurality of sleds are horizontally distributed on the inspection surface at selected horizontal positions, and wherein each of the plurality of arms is horizontally moveable relative to the corresponding payload.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more inspection characteristics include at least one inspection characteristic selected from the inspection characteristics consisting of:
a type of inspection sensor for the inspection robot;
a horizontal spacing between adjacent inspection sensors for the inspection robot;
a horizontal spacing between inspection lanes for an inspection operation of the inspection robot;
a magnitude of a downward force applied to a sled housing an inspection sensor of the inspection robot;
a sled geometry for a sled housing an inspection sensor of the inspection robot;
a payload configuration for a payload of the inspection robot;
a wheel configuration for the inspection robot; and
a type of a downward force biasing device for the inspection robot structured to apply a downward force to a sled housing an inspection sensor of the inspection robot.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing the configuration data comprises communicating the configuration data to a user device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the one or more configurations for the inspection robot is performed during an inspection operation of the inspection robot of the inspection surface.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising adjusting a configuration of the inspection robot in response to the determined one or more configurations for the inspection robot during the inspection operation of the inspection robot.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the configuration of the inspection robot comprises at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of:
configuring a horizontal spacing between inspection lanes for an inspection operation of the inspection robot;
configuring at least one of an inspection route and a horizontal spacing between adjacent inspection sensors, thereby performing an inspection operation compliant with an on-surface inspected resolution target; or
configuring a downward force biasing device to apply a selected down force to a sled housing an inspection sensor of the inspection robot.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising mounting an inspection sensor to the inspection robot in response to the provided configuration data.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising mounting a module to the inspection robot in response to the provided configuration data.

16. The method of claim 8 , further comprising adjusting an inspection sensor disposed on the inspection robot in response to the provided configuration data.

17. A system comprising:
an inspection robot comprising a plurality of payloads comprising at leas

Assignees

• Gecko Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Bryner Edward A
• Low Kevin Y
• Moore Joshua D
• Jourde Dillon R
• Cho Edwin H
• Binger Michael A
• Cho Mark
• Gu Yizhu
• Mrkonich Jeffrey J
• Trogu Francesco H
• Rodriguez Domenic P

Classifications

• G01B17/06

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• B25J9/102

  Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears (gearings in general F16H) · CPC title

• B25J19/02

  Sensing devices · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• G05D1/0016

  characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00) · CPC title