Inspection robot having a laser profiler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11669100-B2
Application number	US-201815997545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A system includes an inspection robot having an input sensor comprising a laser profiler and a plurality of wheels structured to engage a curved portion of an inspection surface, wherein the laser profiler is configured to provide laser profiler data of the inspection surface; a controller, comprising: a profiler data circuit structured to interpret the laser profiler data; determine a feature of interest is present at a location of the inspection surface in response to the laser profiler data; and wherein the feature of interest comprises a shape description of the inspection surface at the location of the feature of interest.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a profiler data circuit structured to:
interpret inspection data comprising sensed information from a location on an inspection surface acquired during an inspection run, wherein the inspection data comprises laser profiler data and additional data, the additional data sensed from the location on the inspection surface via a plurality of additional sensors interrogating the location with a first resolution; and
determine a feature of interest is present at the location on the inspection surface in response to the inspection data,
wherein the feature of interest comprises a shape description of the inspection surface at the location of the feature of interest; and

a profile adjustment circuit structured to:
provide an inspection operation adjustment during the inspection run in response to the shape description, wherein the inspection operation adjustment comprises a change from the first resolution to a second resolution, wherein the change from the first resolution to the second resolution includes enabling a further sensor, wherein the further sensor is structured to interrogate the inspection surface, and wherein the further sensor is at least one of:
(a) horizontally distributed with the additional plurality of sensors relative to a travel path of the additional plurality of sensors, or
(b) vertically displaced from the additional plurality of sensors relative to the travel path of the additional plurality of sensors, and at least one of: offset in alignment from the travel path of the additional plurality of sensors, or operated out of phase with the additional plurality of sensors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inspection operation adjustment further comprises performing a post-processing operation on ultra-sonic sensor data in response to the shape description.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inspection operation adjustment further comprises performing a post-processing operation on electromagnetic induction sensor data in response to the shape description.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inspection operation adjustment comprises a command for a marking operation that comprises at least one physical marking.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the marking operation further comprises a virtual marking operation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inspection operation adjustment further comprises a command for performing an image capture operation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a position definition circuit structured to determine an inspection robot position on the inspection surface; and
a data positioning circuit structured to correlate the inspection data to the inspection robot position on the inspection surface and to correlate a captured image information with the inspection data corresponding to the location of the inspection surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising an inspection visualization circuit structured to determine an inspection map in response to the inspection data corresponding to the location of the inspection surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the inspection map comprises a visual depiction of the inspection data positioned on a visual representation of the inspection surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a virtual mark positioned at a location of interest on the inspection map.

11. A system, comprising:
an inspection robot having an input sensor, comprising a laser profiler, a plurality of additional sensors, and a plurality of wheels structured to directly contact a curved portion of an inspection surface, wherein the laser profiler is configured to provide laser profiler data of the inspection surface and the plurality of additional sensors is configured to provide additional data sensed from the inspection surface with a first resolution; and
a controller, comprising:
a profiler data circuit structured to:
interpret the laser profiler data during an inspection run; and
determine a feature of interest is present at a location of the inspection surface in response to the laser profiler data,
wherein the feature of interest comprises a shape description of the inspection surface at the location of the feature of interest; and

a profile adjustment circuit structured to provide an inspection operation adjustment during the inspection run in response to the shape description, wherein the inspection operation adjustment comprises changing from the first resolution to a second resolution,
wherein the change from the first resolution to the second resolution includes enabling a further sensor, wherein the further sensor is structured to interrogate the inspection surface, and wherein the further sensor is at least one of:
(a) horizontally distributed with the additional plurality of sensors relative to a travel path of the additional plurality of sensors, or
(b) vertically displaced from the additional plurality of sensors relative to the travel path of the additional plurality of sensors, and at least one of: offset in alignment from the travel path of the additional plurality of sensors, or operated out of phase with the additional plurality of sensors.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the curved portion of the inspection surface comprises one of a tube or a pipe, and wherein the laser profiler is further configured to provide the laser profiler data by interrogating a same side of the tube or the pipe engaged by the plurality of wheels.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the inspection robot further comprises at least one of: an ultra-sonic (UT) sensor or a magnetic induction sensor; and
the profiler data circuit is further structured to interpret at least one of: UT data from the UT sensor or magnetic induction data from the magnetic induction sensor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
at least one of the UT sensor or the magnetic induction sensor further comprise a plurality of inspection data sensors;
each of the plurality of inspection data sensors are positioned on one of a plurality of sleds, wherein the plurality of the sleds are each positioned on an arm operationally coupled to the inspection robot; and
the plurality of sleds are horizontally distributed relative to the inspection surface at selected horizontal positions.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the inspection operation adjustment further comprises at least one of: an adjustment to a sled or an adjustment to a sensor orientation within a sled.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the inspection operation adjustment further comprises at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of: changing one of a number or a configuration of sleds; adjusting a down force of a sled; and adjusting a shape of a sled bottom surface.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the plurality of inspection data sensors further comprises an image capture sensor; and
the controller further comprises:
a sensor operation circuit structured to command the image capture sensor to capture image information from the location on the inspection surface; and
an inspection visualization circuit structured to correlate the captured image information with the inspection data corresponding to the location of the inspection surface.

18. A method, comprising:
operating an inspection robot having a plurality of input sensors, the plurality of input sensors comprising a laser profiler and a plurality of additional sensors;
interpreting inspection data comprising sensed information

Assignees

• Gecko Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Loosararian Mark
• Moore Joshua
• Gu Yizhu
• Low Kevin
• Bryner Edward
• Mackenzie Logan
• Miller Ian
• Chou Alvin
• Joslin Todd

Classifications

• B60G21/007

  means for adjusting the wheel inclination · CPC title

• G01N29/28

  providing acoustic coupling {, e.g. water (impedance matching G10K11/02)} · CPC title

• B25J9/162

  Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it · CPC title

• B25J9/1666

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• B62D57/024

  specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces (endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02) · CPC title