Amphibious robot for in-service inspection of drainage pipelines and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12529443-B2
Application number	US-202318469668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2023
Priority date	Sep 20, 2022
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

An amphibious robot for in-service inspection of drainage pipelines and a control method thereof are provided. The robot includes a robot body, a detection module for detecting environmental state and pose information of robot itself, a propulsion module including a car-like propulsion module and a ship-like propulsion module for controlling robot movement, a structure conversion module for realizing the conversion between the two modes, a ground terminal controller for remote information monitoring and issuing instructions, a mobile terminal controller for receiving instructions and controlling robot movement and structure conversion, and a power module. The control method includes displaying data through the ground terminal controller, processing environmental information collected by the detection module, determining the robot's working mode and switching working mode through the structure conversion module, adopting the ship-like working mode in deep water, and adopting the car-like working mode in the waterless or shallow water environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An amphibious robot for in-service inspection of drainage pipelines, comprising a robot body, a detection module, a propulsion module, a structure conversion module, a ground terminal controller, a mobile terminal controller and a power module, wherein
as a carrier of modules, the robot body comprises a control box and floating bodies; the detection module is used for collecting environmental information and pose information of a robot to determine states of position and orientation of the robot as well as environmental states within a pipeline; the propulsion module is used for controlling movement of the robot, and the propulsion module comprises a car-like propulsion module and a ship-like propulsion module; the structure conversion module is used for controlling the robot to switch between structures of a car-like working mode and a ship-like working mode; the ground terminal controller is used for information integration and instruction transmission, the ground terminal controller receives information collected by the detection module through the mobile terminal controller, and the ground terminal controller sends a structure conversion instruction to the structure conversion module and sends a propulsion instruction to the propulsion module through the mobile terminal controller respectively; the mobile terminal controller is used for receiving and transmitting the information collected by the detection module, processing the information, and making autonomous control decisions; the mobile terminal controller is also used for receiving instructions issued by the ground terminal controller, and controlling movement and structural switching of the robot through the propulsion module and the structure conversion module; and the power module is used for supplying power to the detection module, the propulsion module, the structure conversion module, the ground terminal controller and the mobile terminal controller; wherein a main support and a hull frame are arranged below the control box, and the floating bodies are connected with the structure conversion module through the main support; the structure conversion module comprises stepping motors, telescopic frames and telescopic cross bars, wherein the telescopic frames are arranged on the main support, and the stepping motors control the telescopic frames to fold or extend through the telescopic cross bars; when the telescopic frames are folded, the structure conversion module drives the robot body to be converted into the ship-like working mode; and when the telescopic frames are extended, the structure conversion module drives the robot body to be converted into the car-like working mode.

2 . The amphibious robot for in-service inspection of the drainage pipelines according to claim 1 , wherein the ground terminal controller comprises a display screen, an operating handle, a remote controller and a first wireless communication module, wherein
the display screen is used for visualizing the information detected by the detection module in a working process; the operating handle is used for sending the structure conversion instruction and the propulsion instruction for controlling the robot; the remote controller is used for remotely monitoring the environmental information and the pose information of the robot at the ground terminal and making robot action decisions; and the first wireless communication module is used for transceiving remote data of the ground terminal controller; the mobile terminal controller comprises a data interface, a main controller and a second wireless communication module, wherein the data interface is used for communication between the mobile terminal controller and the detection module, the structure conversion module and the propulsion module; the main controller is used for controlling the structure conversion module, the car-like propulsion module and the ship-like propulsion module to perform corresponding operations according to the instructions sent by the remote controller or decisions made by the main controller; the second wireless communication module is used for a remote data transceiving of the mobile terminal controller; and the first wireless communication module is in signal connection with the second wireless communication module.

3 . The amphibious robot for in-service inspection of the drainage pipelines according to claim 1 , wherein the detection module comprises camera modules installed on the control box, a sonar installed below the control box, a lidar installed on the control box and an inertial measurement unit installed in the control box, wherein
the camera modules comprise cameras, illumination light sources and platforms, wherein the cameras and the illumination light sources are both installed on the platforms; the sonar is used for detecting a water depth and underwater environment in the pipeline; the lidar is used for sensing environment above a water surface in the pipeline; and the inertial measurement unit is used for sensing position information and orientation information of the robot.

4 . The amphibious robot for in-service inspection of the drainage pipelines according to claim 3 , wherein the detection module further comprises a GPS positioning module, the GPS positioning module is installed on the control box, and the GPS positioning module is used for obtaining geographic coordinates of the robot at an inlet position and cooperating with the inertial measurement unit to obtain geographic coordinates of the robot in the pipeline, so as to achieve a precise positioning of the robot;
the camera modules are circumferentially arranged above the control box, the cameras and the illumination light sources are arranged side by side, and the ground terminal controller adjusts the camera modules through the mobile terminal controller, the cameras and the illumination light sources synchronously rotate in horizontal and vertical directions on the platforms through fine-tuning rods; and the sonar is arranged below the control box through a lifting mechanism, and the ground terminal controller adjusts the position of the sonar through the mobile terminal controller, and the sonar is retracted or lowered through the lifting mechanism.

5 . The amphibious robot for in-service inspection of the drainage pipelines according to claim 1 , wherein the control box is placed on a top side of the main support through the hull frame, the telescopic frames are placed on a bottom side of the main support, and the floating bodies are placed on the main support through the telescopic cross bars;
the ends of the main support are provided with horizontal telescopic grooves, one end of each telescopic cross bar is placed in the telescopic groove, and the other end of the each telescopic cross bar is connected with the floating body; the telescopic grooves are provided with guide grooves arranged along a lengthwise direction, and ends of the telescopic frames are connected with the telescopic cross bars through the guide grooves; the stepping motors control the telescopic cross bars to move horizontally in the telescopic grooves, top ends of the telescopic frames move horizontally along the guide grooves along with telescopic movement of the telescopic cross bars; and the telescopic frames are cross-hinged scissors-type telescopic mechanisms; when the top ends of the telescopic frames are driven by the telescopic cross bars to move outwards relatively, the telescopic frames are cross-folded, so that the control box moves down and is converted into the ship-like working mode; and when the top ends of the telescopic frames are driven by the telescopic cross bars to move inwards relatively, the telescopic frames are cross-extended, so the control box moves up and is converted into

Assignees

• Univ Shanghai Maritime

Inventors

• Wang Jianhua
• Che Wenbo
• Zheng Xiang
• Zhang Mengdi
• Pan Zijun
• Wang Haozhu

Classifications

• F16L2101/30

  Inspecting, measuring or testing · CPC title

• B60F3/0061

  Amphibious vehicles specially adapted for particular purposes or of a particular type · CPC title

• B60F3/003

  Parts or details of the vehicle structure; vehicle arrangements not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F16L55/40 Primary

  of the body · CPC title

• F16L55/30

  of the propulsion means, e.g. towed by cables · CPC title