Structural assessment, maintenance, and repair apparatuses and methods

• US 9,193,068 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chin, Hon Wah, Duncan, William D., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Pan, Tony S., Tuckerman, David B., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US14/091,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 700/246, 700/247, 700/248, 700/258, 901/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/902 by moving the sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40194 Force reflective, impedance shaping tele operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45084 Service robot
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/6895 the payload being a manipulator arm
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2105/47 for maintenance or repairing, e.g. fuelling or battery replacement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2107/90 Building sites; Civil engineering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2109/15 Climbing vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 Tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

Systems and methods for cleaning a structure via a robot are described. The system includes a first robot and a second robot. The first robot includes a body, a tool arm, a sensor coupled, a drive system configured to allow vertical and inverted positioning of the first robot, a transceiver, and a controller. The second robot similarly includes a body, a drive system configured to allow positioning of the second robot, a transceiver, and a controller. The system includes a base station in communication with the first robot via the first robot transceiver and/or in communication with the second robot via the second robot transceiver. The first robot is configured to autonomously perform a maintenance task on the structure. The second robot is configured to autonomously provide a support service to the first robot during the maintenance task. The first robot is configured to communicate with the second robot.

Claims

1. A method of performing a maintenance task on a structure via a robot, the method comprising:

moving to an area of the structure through a drive system of the robot;

detecting a characteristic of a portion of the structure through a sensor of the robot;

in response to detecting the characteristic, identifying a maintenance task including treating a defect at an area of the structure and painting the area of the structure;

performing a first portion of the maintenance task through a first tool mounted to a tool arm of the robot, wherein the first portion includes treating the defect;

performing a tool change from the first tool to a second tool;

performing a second portion of the maintenance task through the second tool mounted to the tool arm of the robot, wherein the second portion includes painting the area of the structure; and

documenting the performance of the maintenance task.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an operating instruction via a transceiver of the robot, wherein the operating instruction includes an indication of the maintenance task.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising analyzing the operating instruction at a processor of the robot, wherein the analyzing includes identifying an area of the structure where the maintenance task is to be performed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the documenting comprises delivering a report to a base station after completing the maintenance task.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the report includes at least one of a time associated with the performance of the maintenance task and a location of the portion of the structure.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the report further includes characterization information on the pre-maintenance state of a portion of the structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the documenting comprises characterizing the portion of the structure after performance of the maintenance task through a sensor of the robot.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting the first tool to the tool arm of the robot.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mounting step is performed after removing an unnecessary tool from the tool arm of the robot.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the defect corresponds to an area of corrosion in the structure, and the maintenance task corresponds to treating the area of corrosion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is one of an ultrasound sensor, an eddy current sensor, a vibration sensor, and an x-ray sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a stress sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising affixing the stress sensor to a surface of the structure.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering a sample of the structure.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the defect is a crack.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising locating the crack in the structure through a sensor on the robot.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising drilling a portion of the crack to relieve a stress in the structure.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing a peening operation on the area of the structure surrounding the crack to relieve a stress in the structure.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising filling the crack with a welding operation.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising heat treating the area of the structure surrounding the crack.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the area of the structure is a first area, and wherein the method further comprises determining that a second area of the structure at risk of being affected by paint overspray will become occupied by an object during the painting step.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising pausing the painting step in response to determining that the second area of the structure will become occupied by the object until the object leaves the second area.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic corresponds to a defect located at the area of the structure.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the painting the area of the structure occurs after treating the defect.