Modular infrastructure asset inspection robot

• US 9,784,599 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RedZone Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: RedZone Robotics, Inc.
• Inventors: Close, Eric C., Vallapuzha, Subramanian, Lipkin, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clemmons, Steve
• Application Number:
  US13/654,393
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0061 Amphibious vehicles specially adapted for particular purposes or of a particular type armoured amphibious vehicles F41H7/00; equipment for working under water B63C11/00; flating bridges designed as or mounted on vehicles E01D15/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 5/00 Other convertible vehicles, i.e. vehicles capable of travelling in or on different media vehicles having alternatively-usable runners and wheels B62B13/18; cycles convertible into other types of land vehicles B62K13/00; aircraft B64; flying-boats or seaplanes B64C
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 2101/30 Inspecting, measuring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/30 of the propulsion means, e.g. towed by cables
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/00 Component parts of measuring arrangements not specially adapted for a specific variable G01D13/00, G01D15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25101 Detect connected module, load corresponding parameters, variables into module
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33125 System configuration, reconfiguration, customization, automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40095 Modify tasks due to modular tooling, other fixture configuration, environment

Abstract

One aspect provides a modular infrastructure asset inspection robot, including: a plurality of modules for use in fluid conveyance infrastructure assets; each of the plurality of modules including at least one standardized electromechanical connection permitting a connection to be established with another of the plurality of modules; the plurality of modules being interchangeable and allowing reconfiguration of said modular infrastructure asset inspection robot to perform one or more of: two or more deployment methods for a first infrastructure asset type; and one deployment method for the first infrastructure asset type and a second infrastructure asset type. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A modular infrastructure asset inspection robot, comprising:

a sensor module for use in inspecting interiors of fluid conveyance infrastructure assets;

said sensor module including at least one standardized electromechanical connection permitting a connection to be established with another module;

a tractor unit comprising;

adjacent tracks that cover a substantial portion of the width of a chassis portion of the tractor unit; and

a standardized electromechanical connection permitting connection to be established with the sensor module, wherein said standardized electromechanical connection of the tractor unit is located between the adjacent tracks;

said tractor unit being interchangeable with another module, riser or adaptor that attaches to the sensor module using the at least one standardized electromechanical connection of the sensor module, allowing reconfiguration of said modular infrastructure asset inspection robot;

said modular infrastructure asset inspection robot acting to;

automatically discover, using a processor of said sensor module, each module attached to the sensor module; and

determine, using the processor, one or more inspection mission options for different infrastructure asset types based on discovery of one or more modules connected to the sensor module.

2. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 1, wherein the fluid conveyance infrastructure assets comprise a horizontal pipe segment and a manhole.

3. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 1, wherein the mobile infrastructure inspection robot to performs two or more deployment methods including autonomous deployment and tele-operation deployment.

4. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 3, wherein the two or more deployment methods include a self-propelled tracked deployment method.

5. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 3, wherein the two or more deployment methods include a self-propelled tracked platform deployment method.

6. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 1, further comprising software modules adapted to communicate utilizing the at least one standardized electromechanical connection.

7. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 1, wherein the modular infrastructure asset inspection robot determines message addressing to each module attached to the sensor module by obtaining addressing information from a network master provided in one of the modules of the modular infrastructure asset inspection robot.

8. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 7, wherein the network master is provided in the sensor module.

9. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 8, wherein the network master acts as a parent node to one or more child nodes in a network topology comprising one or more child nodes in other modules of the modular infrastructure asset inspection robot.

10. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 9, wherein the parent node provides an address to each child node directly connected to the parent node.

11. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 10, wherein a child node assigns addresses to all of its child nodes.

12. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 11, wherein the patent node is thereafter apprised of all nodes of the network topology for a configuration of the modular infrastructure asset inspection robot.

13. A modular infrastructure asset inspection robot, comprising:

a plurality of modules connectable via a standardized electromechanical connection;

a sensor module comprising a discovery module with at least one processor configured to detect that the sensor module has been connected to at least a second module;

wherein the sensor module and the at least a second module are connectable for use in fluid conveyance infrastructure assets and provide inspection capability for more than one fluid conveyance infrastructure asset type in a single deployment;

said at least a second module comprising;

a tractor unit comprising;

adjacent tracks that cover a substantial portion of the width of a chassis portion of the tractor unit, and a standardized electromechanical connection for connecting to another standardized electromechanical connection of the sensor module, wherein said standardized electromechanical connection of the tractor unit is located between the adjacent tracks;

said modular infrastructure asset inspection robot using the discovery module to discover a configuration of one or more modules connected to the sensor module to select one or more mission options for inspection of a fluid conveyance infrastructure asset type.

14. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 13, wherein the more than one fluid conveyance infrastructure asset type includes pipes and manholes.

15. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 13, wherein said modular infrastructure asset inspection robot, in response to determining a module configuration, operates the sensor module to collect sensor data of more than one type in parallel.

16. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 15, further comprising a lighting module connected to the sensor module.

17. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 16, wherein the lighting module and the sensor module are connected via a standardized electromechanical connection disposed on the lighting module.

18. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 15, wherein said modular infrastructure asset inspection robot operates the sensor module to collect sensor data of more than one type in parallel by interleaving light image and laser data collection.

19. The modular infrastructure asset inspection robot of claim 18, wherein the interleaving comprises temporal multiplexing of a laser and the lighting module as the modular infrastructure asset inspection robot traverses the interior of a fluid conveyance infrastructure asset.