Autonomous surface crawling robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12084133-B2
Application number	US-202117352461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2021
Priority date	Jun 22, 2020
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

State of art techniques utilize active systems for stronger suction in surface crawlers while the passive approaches have limitation in providing consistent grip while moving across curved surfaces or dents. Embodiments herein provide an autonomous surface crawling robot for crawling over surfaces using electro-mechanical assembly for creating strong suction force and enabling the robot to smoothly crawl over flat surfaces, horizontal/vertical/inclined surfaces, curved surfaces, and surfaces with dents. Battery powered motors are used for only mobilization, while mechanical assembly generates suction to provide consistent grip across different type of surfaces. A dual flexible cam profile assembly including a cam profile and a guide rail generates required suction and addresses the technical challenge of maintaining suction across varying surfaces without using external power for suction generation. The dual flexible cam profile provides a robust, less prone to error or slippage type passive crawler mechanism, with consistent grip across uneven the surface.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for crawling over a surface, the apparatus comprising:
a chassis with a symmetrical design comprising a plurality of tracked wheel platforms on one pair of opposite sides of the chassis, a plurality of battery powered motors mounted on the chassis;
each tracked wheel platform from the plurality of tracked wheel platforms comprises a plurality of wheels functioning as a drive-slave wheel assembly, operated by the plurality of battery powered motors, to provide grip to, and movement of the apparatus along the surface;
a drive wheel among the plurality of wheels connected to a plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies through a continuous loop mechanism, wherein the drive wheel transfers motion from the plurality of battery powered motors to the continuous loop mechanism to drive the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies in a closed path; and
a closed loop flexible cam profile and a closed loop flexible guide rail serving as a dual flexible cam profile assembly, wherein the dual flexible cam profile assembly is configured to a) define movement path of the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies, and b) periodically create, and release vacuum to control operation of mechanical actuation of the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies, wherein
a) the closed loop flexible guide rail defines the movement path of each of a plurality of cylinders of the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies driven by the continuous loop mechanism,
b) the closed loop flexible cam profile defines an inward-outward position of each of a plurality of pistons of the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies,
c) each of the closed loop flexible guide rail and the closed loop flexible cam profile comprises a pair of spring assemblies, along with a pair of flexible spring extension assemblies, each on vertically opposite side of each of the pair of spring assemblies, which enables to synchronously contract or stretch each of the closed loop flexible guide rail and the closed loop flexible cam profile providing flexibility to retain surface contact when a curved surface is encountered,
d) a spring load in each of the plurality of pistons is configured to retain the vacuum when dents are encountered on the surface, and
e) a plurality of roller bearings in the closed loop flexible guide rail and the closed cam profile to transfer load for the mechanical actuation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein shape of the cam profile is configured to:
a) actuate a piston of each of the piston-cylinder assemblies when a suction cup of the piston approaches the surface from side of the drive wheel while a cup surface of the suction cup being in parallel with the surface, and
b) release the piston when the piston crosses a slave wheel among the plurality of wheels while moving away from the surface and forcing the suction cup to withdraw from the surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus holds on to the surface through the vacuum created by the mechanical actuation and performs crawling over the surface using one or more repeated operations of the mechanical actuation in direction of the force applied by the drive wheel, and wherein the crawling comprises at least one of a) continuous forward motion and b) a continuous backward motion, and c) to-and-fro motion, in accordance with direction of rotation of the drive wheel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wheels, of each tracked wheel platform, functioning as the drive-slave wheel assembly, are configured to operate as the drive wheel or the slave wheel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of battery powered motors operate the plurality of wheels of the drive-slave wheel assembly in accordance with a control signal, generated by one of an onboard controller or a remote controller, based on analysis of a plurality of field parameters sensed by a plurality of sensors mounted on the chassis.

Assignees

• Tata Consultancy Services Ltd

Inventors

• Chintalapalli Patta Venkat Raju
• Gollu Sri Sai Shyam Siddharth
• Kalhapure Swapnil Sunil
• Laiju Ravi Jithin

Classifications

• F15B15/20

  Other details {, e.g. assembly with regulating devices} · CPC title

• F15B15/1447

  Pistons; Piston to piston rod assemblies · CPC title

• F15B15/1428

  Cylinders (F15B15/1438 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D55/202

  Wheel engaging parts; Wheel guides on links · CPC title

• B62D55/12

  Arrangement, location, or adaptation of driving sprockets · CPC title