Systems and methods for robotic inspection with simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12313599-B2
Application number	US-202418602689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2024
Priority date	Apr 22, 2021
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

An example system may have a payload for an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The payload may have a first sensor holder structured to support a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a first orientation, a second sensor holder structured to hold a second ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a second orientation, and a sensor holder linking component interposed between the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder. The sensor holder linking component may be structured to interact with the first and second sensor holders such that the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are placed in a parallel configuration along a long edge of both the first and second UT phased array, and the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder are pivotably connected to the sensor holder linking component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a payload for an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface, the payload comprising:
a first sensor holder structured to support a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a first orientation;
a second sensor holder structured to hold a second ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a second orientation; and
a sensor holder linking component interposed between the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder, the sensor holder linking component structured to interact with the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder such that:
the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are placed in a parallel configuration along a long edge of both the first and second UT phased array; and
the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder are pivotably connected to the sensor holder linking component.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the inspection robot, wherein the payload is connected to the inspection robot.

3. The system of claim 1 , the payload further comprising:
an arm, a first end of the arm pivotably connected to the sensor holder linking component; and
a lift component structured to rotate the arm.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the lift component is structured to rotate the arm to a raised position.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein a location of the pivotable connection on the sensor holder linking component is interposed between a first side and a second side of the sensor holder linking component.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor holder is pivotably connected to a first side of the sensor holder linking component, and the second sensor holder is pivotably connected to a second side of the sensor holder linking component.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder are independently pivotable.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the direction of travel.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the parallel configuration of the first and second UT phased arrays, and wherein the parallel configuration is parallel to the inspection surface.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the rastering device is structured to maintain a fixed orthogonal orientation of the first and second UT phased arrays relative to the direction of inspection during an inspection mode.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
the inspection robot, wherein the payload is connected to the inspection robot, and
wherein the inspection mode comprises moving the payload in the direction of inspection, then moving the inspection robot in the direction of travel, and then moving the payload in the direction of inspection.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first UT phased array is orthogonally oriented relative to the inspection surface, wherein the second UT phased array is obliquely oriented relative to the inspection surface.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first UT phased array is mounted on the first sensor holder at the first orientation, and the second UT phased array is mounted on the second sensor holder at the second orientation.

15. A system, comprising:
a payload for an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface, the payload comprising:
a first sensor holder including a first bottom surface and structured to support a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a first angle relative to the first bottom surface;
a second sensor holder including a second bottom surface and structured to support a second ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a second angle relative to the second bottom surface, wherein the second angle is distinct from the first angle;
an acoustic barrier structured to be positioned between the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array to reduce acoustic cross-talk between the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array; and
a couplant channel structured to provide a couplant to the inspection surface and form an acoustic connection between at least one of the first UT phased array or the second UT phased array.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
the inspection robot, wherein the payload is connected to the inspection robot.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder are unitary and part of a same block substrate, and the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface are part of a same bottom surface.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the block substrate is structured such that the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are placed in a parallel configuration along a long edge of both the first and second UT phased array.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the couplant channel is included in the block substrate.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first angle is orthogonal to the first bottom surface; and
the second angle is oblique to the second bottom surface.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first angle is within plus or minus five degrees, inclusive, of an angle of the first bottom surface; and
the second angle is between thirty to sixty degrees, inclusive, of the angle of the second bottom surface.

22. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a sensor holder linking component interposed between the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder, the sensor holder linking component structured to interact with the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder such that the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are placed in a parallel configuration along a long edge of both the first and second UT phased array.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the first sensor holder is pivotably connected to a first side of the sensor holder linking component, and the second sensor holder is pivotably connected to a second side of the sensor holder linking component.

24. The system of claim 15 , wherein each of the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder is structured to rotate around a corresponding pivot point.

25. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from a parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the rastering device is structured to maintain a fixed orthogonal orientation of the first and second UT phased arrays relative to the direction of inspection during an inspection mode.

27. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first angle is fixed relative to the first bottom surface of the first sensor holder, and the second angle is fixed relative to the second bottom surface of the second sensor holder.

28. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first UT phased ar

Assignees

• Gecko Robotics Inc

Inventors

• David Chase
• Low Kevin Y

Classifications

• G01N2291/0289

  Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture · CPC title

• G01N29/04

  Analysing solids (using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14) · CPC title

• G01N29/043

  in the interior, e.g. by shear waves · CPC title

• G01N29/07

  by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves · CPC title

• G01N29/262

  by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays (phased arrays per se G10K11/34) · CPC title