Systems and methods for remote visual inspection of a closed space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020033874-A1
Application number	US-201816046553-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2018
Priority date	Jul 26, 2018
Publication date	Jan 30, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for remote visual inspection of a closed space includes a base station including a distance finder and a light emitter. The base station determines a distance to a projection surface using the distance finder and projects a pattern onto the projection surface of the closed space at a projection location on the projection surface. A robot includes a moveable base supporting an imaging device, a processor, and a storage device storing one or more non-transitory, processor-readable instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the robot to detect the pattern with the imaging device, determine a location of the robot with respect to the base station based on the pattern, and capture image data of the closed space. An external electronic device is communicatively coupled to the robot. The external electronic device receives image data and displays one or more images based on the image data.

First claim

1 . A system for remote visual inspection of a closed space, the system comprising:
a base station comprising a distance finder and a light emitter, wherein the base station determines a distance to a projection surface using the distance finder and projects a pattern onto the projection surface of the closed space at a projection location on the projection surface; a robot comprising a moveable base supporting an imaging device, a processor, and a storage device storing one or more non-transitory, processor-readable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the robot to:
detect the pattern with the imaging device,
determine a location of the robot with respect to the base station based on the pattern, and
capture image data of the closed space; and
an external electronic device communicatively coupled to the robot, wherein the external electronic device receives image data and displays one or more images based on the image data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the external electronic device determines a location of one or more objects in the closed space from the image data.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the external electronic device generates a map of the closed space and displays the map of the closed space.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory, processor-readable instructions further cause the robot to compare the pattern to a baseline image of the pattern to determine the location of the robot.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory, processor-readable instructions further cause the robot to:
move to a second location within the closed space, determine the second location of the robot within the closed space based on the pattern, and capture second image data of the closed space at the second location.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the robot captures the image data as it moves from the location to the second location.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device comprises a thermal imaging device.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-transitory, processor-readable instructions further cause the robot to transmit a detection signal to the base station based on detecting the pattern with the imaging device.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the base station moves the projection location of the pattern based on the detection signal.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the robot moves to a second location when the pattern is not detected.

11 . A robot comprising:
an imaging device; and a control unit comprising a processor and a memory module comprising non-transitory, processor-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the robot to:
determine a first location of the robot based on a pattern projected on a projection surface;
capture first image data at the first location;
move to a second location;
determine the second location of the robot based on the pattern projected on the projection surface;
capture second image data at the second location; and
transmit the first image data and the second image data to an external electronic device for display.

12 . The robot of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory, processor-readable instructions that, when executed, further cause the robot to capture third image data as the robot moves from the first location to the second location.

13 . The robot of claim 12 , wherein the imaging device comprises a thermal imaging device.

14 . The robot of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory, processor-readable instructions that, when executed, further cause the robot to compare the pattern to a baseline image of the pattern to determine the location of the robot.

15 . The robot of claim 14 , wherein the baseline image is stored in the memory module.

16 . The robot of claim 14 , wherein the baseline image is stored on an external storage device.

17 . The robot of claim 14 , wherein the one or more non-transitory, processor-readable instructions further cause the robot to transmit a detection signal based on detecting the pattern with the imaging device.

18 . A method of generating image data of a closed space, the method comprising:
projecting a pattern on a projection surface of the closed space; capturing first image data of the closed space with a robot at a first location, wherein the first image data includes the pattern; determining the first location of the robot within the closed space based on the first image data including the pattern; moving the robot to a second location within the closed space; capturing second image data of the closed space with the robot at the second location, wherein the second image data includes the pattern; determining the second location of the robot within the closed space based on the second image data including the pattern; generating an image of the closed space based on the first image data and the second image data; and displaying the image of the closed space on an external electronic device.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein one or more of capturing the first image data and capturing the second image data comprises capturing thermal image data.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein determining the first location of the robot within the closed space based on the first image data including the pattern comprises comparing the first image data including the pattern to stored image data including the pattern.

Assignees

• Toyota Res Inst Inc

Inventors

• Mushegian Konstantine
• Amacker Matthew

Classifications

• G01C3/06

  Use of electric means to obtain final indication · CPC title

• G05D1/0225

  involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay (parking aids B62D15/027) · CPC title

• G05D1/0234 Primary

  using optical markers or beacons (optical beacons per se G01S1/70) · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G05D2201/0207

  Physics · mapped topic