SYSTEM FOR DETECTING A SUSPECTED AREA

• US 20100036544A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (Government of Israel)
• Original Assignee: Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (Government of Israel)
• Inventors: MASHIACH, Yaacov
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/00 Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings

Abstract

It is well known that tunnels in many cases have been proven as an efficient means to overcome counter trespassing means and enable hostile entities to infiltrate a boarder or other restricted area. There is provided a method and system for efficiently detecting and locating underground tunnels.

According to certain aspects, of the invention there is provided a system and method for detecting a suspected area, comprising an underground pipe array disposed substantially in horizontal orientation under the ground and including at least two pipes, the at least two pipes being disposed at different depths, at a predefined distance one with respect to the other, each of the at least two pipes creating an underground pathway infrastructure for accommodating at least one mobile vehicle; each one of the mobile vehicles being equipped with at least sensing and navigation devices for patrolling along a respective pipe, in a coordinated manner, for detecting a suspected area; the predefined distance is designed to be within an effective operational distance of the sensing and navigation devices; command and control, configured to control at least the mobile vehicles, gathering and processing the vehicles'"'"' data and creating an updated situation awareness picture of the underground medium.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a suspected area, comprising:

an underground pipe array disposed substantially in horizontal orientation under the ground and including at least two pipes, said at least two pipes being disposed at different depths, at a predefined distance one with respect to the other, each of said at least two pipes creating an underground pathway infrastructure for accommodating at least one mobile vehicle;

each one of said mobile vehicles being equipped with at least sensing and navigation devices for patrolling along a respective pipe, in a coordinated manner, for detecting a suspected area;

said predefined distance is designed to be within an effective operational distance of said sensing and navigation devices;

command and control, configured to control at least the mobile vehicles, gathering and processing the vehicles'"'"' data and creating an updated situation awareness picture of the underground medium.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said mobile vehicles accommodates at least one mole vehicle capable, in response to detection of suspected area, of being launched from the mobile vehicle towards said suspected area for validating the suspected area.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said detecting a suspected area includes validating suspected tunnel and wherein said validating includes validating that said suspected tunnel is a true tunnel.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each pipe has an end section extending through the surface of the ground and wherein the predefined distance between two neighboring pipes falls in the range of 6-10 meters.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least two of said pipes are interconnected, serving as an extended pathway for at least one of said mobile vehicles.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicles are configured to communicate with the command and control through a communication network that utilizes at least one relay fitted at the end section of said pipe.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicles are configured to receive power through power units associated with the end section of said pipes.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein each pipe is made of polyethylene.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said sensing devices include at least one of the following sensors:

Acoustic/Seismic (A/S)

Radar

Magnetic flow.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile vehicle is configured to move forward and backward along the pipe and further capable of moving in a circumferential direction thereby allowing the vehicle to arrive to any desired location within the pipe at high accuracy.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said navigation device includes a scanner for scanning the pathway for detecting obstacles which may interfere with a smooth motion of the vehicle as well as for navigating the vehicle.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein said mole vehicle includes a motor and gear coupled to drilling head and being configured in response to a launching command to propel the vehicle and activate the drill head toward the suspected area.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said mole vehicle further includes imaging means capable, in response to an activation command, to acquire images at the vicinity of the vehicle and to transmit them to the mobile vehicle.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the mole vehicle is further equipped with a warhead capable of being activated in response to validating the suspected area.

28. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle is operable in a semiautonomous mode, getting its mission from the command and control, and performing the mission autonomously until it comes to a certain decision point where it asks for operator approval or intervention.

15. In a system for detecting a suspected area, a command and control configured to control at least mobile vehicles and capable of gathering and processing the vehicles'"'"' data and creating an updated situation awareness picture of an underground medium;

the command and control are configured to perform at least the following;

a. obtain a mission plan;

b. send mission commands to the mobile vehicles;

c. collect data from the vehicles;

d. process the so collected data;

e. in cases where the processed data indicates a suspected area, commence a validation sequence that includes sending to a mobile vehicle a launch command for launching a mole vehicle that is accommodated in the mobile vehicle, for guiding the mole vehicle to drill towards the suspected area in order to determine whether the suspected area is validated or not.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said validating includes commencing a visual confirmation that includes sending a command for commencing image acquisition sequence and receiving the acquired images for displaying them.

29. The system according to claim 15, wherein said processing includes collecting data from different sensors from each vehicle with their respective time tags and fusing them together to create a uniform underground picture named situation awareness.

17. In a system for detecting a suspected area, a mobile vehicle being equipped with at least sensing and navigation devices for patrolling along a pipe disposed under the ground, for detecting a suspected area.

18. The mobile vehicle of claim 17 being configured to communicate with a command and control through a communication network that includes a relay fitted at the end section of said pipe.

19. The mobile vehicle according to claim 17, being configured to receive power through power units associated with the end section of said pipe.

20. The mobile vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said sensing devices include at least one of the following sensors:

Acoustic/Seismic (A/S)

Radar

Magnetic flow.

21. The mobile vehicle according to claim 17, being configured to move forward and backward along the pipe and further capable of moving in a circumferential direction thereby allowing the vehicle to arrive at any desired location in the pipe at high accuracy.

22. The mobile vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said navigation device includes a scanner for scanning a pathway in a pipe for detecting obstacles which may interfere with a smooth motion of the vehicle as well as for navigating the vehicle.

23. The mobile vehicle according to claim 17, being configured to accommodate at least one mole vehicle and in response to detection of a suspected area, to launch said at least one mole vehicle towards said suspected area for validating the suspected area.

27. The mole vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the mole vehicle is further equipped with a warhead capable of being activated in response to validating the suspected area.

24. In a system for detecting a suspected area, a mole vehicle accommodated within a mobile vehicle capable of patrolling an underground pathway, the mole vehicle is capable, in response to detection of a suspected area, of being launched from the mobile vehicle towards said suspected area for validating the suspected area.

25. The mole vehicle of claim 24 further including a motor and gear coupled to a drilling head and being configured in response to a launching command, to propel the vehicle and activate the drill head toward the suspected area.

26. The mole vehicle according to claim 24, further including imaging means capable, in response to an activation command, to acquire images in the vicinity of the vehicle and to transmit them to the mobile vehicle.

30. A method for detecting an underground suspected area, comprising:

(i) providing an underground pipe array disposed substantially in horizontal orientation under the ground and including at least two pipes, said at least two pipes being disposed at different depths, at a predefined distance one with respect to the other, each of said at least two pipes creating an underground pathway infrastructure for accommodating at least one mobile vehicle;

(ii) each of said vehicles patrolling along a respective pipe, in a coordinated manner, for detecting a suspected area by said mobile vehicles;

each one of said mobile vehicles being equipped with at least sensing and navigation devices;

said predefined distance is designed to be within an effective operation distance of said sensing and navigation devices; and

(iii) controlling at least the mobile vehicles, gathering and processing the vehicles'"'"' data and creating an updated situation awareness picture of the underground medium.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

(iv) launching at least one mole vehicle from the mobile vehicle towards said suspected area, in response to detection of a suspected area; and

(v) utilizing the mole vehicle for validating the suspected area.

32. The method according to claim 30 wherein said detecting a suspected area includes validating a suspected tunnel and wherein said validating includes validating that said suspected tunnel is a true tunnel.

33. The method according to claim 30 wherein each pipe having an end section extending through the surface of the ground and wherein the predefined distance between two neighboring pipes falls in the range of 6-10 meters.

34. The method according to claim 30, wherein step (iii) is performed by a command and control, said command and control being connected to said mobile vehicles through a communication network that utilizes at least one relay fitted at the end section of said pipe.

35. The method according to claim 30, wherein the mobile vehicles are configured to receive power through power units associated with the end section of said pipes.

36. The method according to claim 30, wherein said mobile vehicle is configured to move forward and backward along the pipe and further capable of moving in a circumferential direction thereby allowing the vehicle to arrive to any desired location within the pipe at high accuracy.

37. The method according to claim 30, wherein said navigation device includes a scanner for scanning the pathway for detecting obstacles which may interfere with a smooth motion of the vehicle as well as for navigating the vehicle.

38. The method according to claim 31, wherein said mole vehicle includes a motor and gear coupled to a drilling head and being configured in response to launching a command to propel the vehicle and activate the drill head toward the suspected area.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein said mole vehicle further includes imaging means capable, in response to an activation command, to acquire images at the vicinity of the vehicle and to transmit them to the mobile vehicle.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the mole vehicle is further equipped with a warhead capable of being activated in response to validating the suspected area.