Autonomous Inspection and Maintenance

• US 20100235037A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Saad, Emad William, Vian, John Lyle, Clark, Gregory J., Kalinowski, Robert Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus that may comprise a number of mobile robotic machines, a wireless communications system and a computer system. The number of mobile robotic machines may be capable of moving to a number of locations in a maintenance area and may be capable of performing a number of maintenance operations on a structure in the maintenance area. The wireless communications system may be capable of providing communication with the number of mobile robotic machines within the maintenance area. The computer system may be capable of exchanging information with the number of mobile robotic machines using the wireless communications system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a number of mobile robotic machines capable of moving to a number of locations in a maintenance area and capable of performing a number of maintenance operations on a structure in the maintenance area;

a wireless communications system capable of providing communication with the number of mobile robotic machines within the maintenance area; and

a computer system capable of exchanging information with the number of mobile robotic machines using the wireless communications system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a number of power sources capable of supplying power to the number of mobile robotic machines.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the number of mobile robotic machines comprises at least one of an internal mobile robotic machine in a number of internal mobile robotic machines and an external mobile robotic machine in a number of external mobile robotic machines.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the number of external mobile robotic machines further comprise at least one of a level one machine in a number of level one machines and a level two machine in a number of level two machines.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the number of level one machines are capable of performing macro inspection of the structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the number of level two machines are capable of performing micro inspection of the structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of a message, a program, and a command.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the message comprises at least one of sensor data, operation status, and operation queries.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system is further capable of generating commands and programs for execution by the number of mobile robotic machines, communicating the commands and the programs to the number of mobile robotic machines, and receiving messages from the number of mobile robotic machines.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the number of mobile robotic machines is further capable of generating a number of messages and transmitting the number of messages to the computer system.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the number of mobile robotic machines further comprises:

a sensor system, wherein the sensor system comprises a number of sensors.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the number of sensors comprises a number of types of sensors selected from at least one of a camera, a receiver capable of receiving positioning system information, a non-destructive evaluation scanner, a microelectromechanical system device, a magnetic field sensor, an ultraviolet light source, an ultraviolet light receptor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a radio frequency identification reader, and fiber optics.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the number of sensors are located on at least one of the number of mobile robotic machines.

14. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the number of external mobile robotic machines are capable of moving around an exterior of the structure and capable of performing a number of first operations on the exterior of the structure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the number of internal mobile robotic machines are capable of moving within an interior of a structure and capable of performing a number of second operations in the interior of the structure, wherein the number of second operations are performed in conjunction with the number of first operations to inspect the structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the number of internal mobile robotic machines are capable of being permanently located in the interior of the structure and capable of performing a number of third operations in the interior of the structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the number of maintenance operations comprises at least one of inspecting the structure, scanning the structure, capturing an image, detecting inconsistency, identifying inconsistency, characterizing inconsistency, cleaning the structure, repairing the structure, and moving the structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the structure is selected from one of an aircraft, a wing, a fuselage, an engine, a tank, a submarine, a spacecraft, a surface ship, a building, a manufacturing floor, and a vehicle.

19. A maintenance and inspection system comprising:

a number of external mobile robotic machines capable of moving around an exterior of a structure and capable of performing a number of first operations on the exterior of the structure; and

a number of internal mobile robotic machines capable of moving within an exterior of the structure and capable of performing a number of second operations in the interior of the structure.

20. The maintenance and inspection system of claim 19, wherein the number of external mobile robotic machines comprises a number of level one machines capable of performing macro inspection of the structure and a number of level two machines capable of performing micro inspection of the structure.

21. A maintenance and inspection system for an aircraft comprising:

a number of mobile robotic machines capable of moving to a number of locations in a maintenance area and capable of performing a number of maintenance operations to inspect the aircraft in the maintenance area, wherein the operations comprises at least one of inspecting the structure, scanning the structure, capturing an image, detecting inconsistency, identifying inconsistency, characterizing inconsistency, cleaning the structure, repairing the structure, and moving the structure, wherein the number of mobile robotic machines comprises at least one of an internal mobile robotic machine in a number of internal mobile robotic machines and an external mobile robotic machine in a number of external mobile robotic machines, wherein the number of external mobile robotic machines further comprise at least one of a level one machine in a number of level one machines and a level two machine in a number of level two machines, wherein the number of level one machines are capable of performing macro inspection of the aircraft, wherein the number of level two machines are capable of performing micro inspection of the aircraft, wherein the number of external mobile robotic machines are capable of moving around an exterior of the aircraft and capable of performing a number of first operations on the exterior of the aircraft, wherein the number of internal mobile robotic machines are capable of moving within an interior of a aircraft and capable of performing a number of second operations in the interior of the aircraft, wherein the number of second operations are performed in conjunction with the number of first operations to inspect the aircraft;

a wireless communications system capable of providing communication with the number of mobile robotic machines within the maintenance area;

a computer system capable of exchanging information with the number of mobile robotic machines, wherein the information comprises at least one of a message, a program, and a command, wherein the message comprises at least one of sensor data, operation status, and operation queries received from the number of mobile robotic machines;

a number of power sources capable of supplying power to the number of mobile robotic machines; and

a sensor system, wherein the sensor system comprises a number of sensors, wherein the number of sensors are located on at least one of the number of mobile robotic machines, wherein the number of sensors comprises a number of types of sensors selected from at least one of a camera, a receiver capable of receiving positioning system information, a non-destructive evaluation scanner, a microelectromechanical system device, a magnetic field sensor, an ultraviolet light source, an ultraviolet light receptor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a radio frequency identification reader, and fiber optics.

22. A method for inspecting a structure, the method comprising:

receiving commands from a machine controller to inspect a structure using an inspection process;

inspecting the structure using the inspection process; and

sending information about the inspection to the machine controller.

23. A method for inspecting a structure, the method comprising:

identifying the structure;

establishing communications with a number of mobile robotic machines capable of moving to a number of locations in a maintenance area and capable of performing a number of operations to inspect the structure in the maintenance area using a wireless communications system;

selecting an inspection process;

selecting a number of mobile robotic machines to execute the inspection process; and

sending commands to the number of mobile robotic machines to inspect the structure using the inspection process.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

sending commands to the number of mobile robotic machines to move to the number of locations.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining whether the inspection process has been completed by the number of mobile robotic machines; and

responsive to the determination that the inspection process has been completed, sending commands to the number of mobile robotic machines to return to a home location.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

responsive to the determination that the inspection process has not been completed, determining whether a first mobile robotic machine has completed a first task.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

responsive to the determination that the first mobile robotic machine has completed the first task, determining whether a second task needs to be performed; and

responsive to the determination that the second task needs to be performed, assigning the second task to the first mobile robotic machine.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

responsive to the determination that the second task does not need to be performed, determining whether the inspection process has been completed.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein sending commands to the number of mobile robotic machines to inspect the structure using the inspection process further comprises:

identifying a number of sections of the structure for inspection, wherein the number of sections collectively comprise the entire structure;

sending commands to the number of mobile robotic machines, wherein the commands comprise the number of sections to be inspected and assign a section in the number of sections to at least one mobile robotic machine in the number of mobile robotic machines; and

receiving first messages from the number of mobile robotic machines, wherein the first messages comprise data from the inspection of the structure.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the number of mobile robotic machines comprise at least one of a level one machine in a number of level one machines and a level two machine in a number of level two machines.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein sending the commands to the number of mobile robotic machines further comprises:

sending commands to perform macro inspection of the structure.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the first messages from the number of mobile robotic machines, determining whether micro inspection is needed, wherein the first messages comprise data from the macro inspection of the structure.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

responsive to the determination that micro inspection is needed, sending commands to the number of mobile robotic machines to perform micro inspection of the structure; and

receiving second messages from the number of mobile robotic machines, wherein the second messages comprise data from the micro inspection of the structure.