LOCALIZATION, MAPPING AND HAPTIC FEEDBACK FOR INSPECTION OF A CONFINED SPACE IN MACHINERY
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a crawler operable for traversing through a confined space in a machine;
one or more sensors coupled with the crawler, the one or more sensors operable for sensing information associated with the machine;
a transmitter for transmitting information from the one or more sensors to at least one of a visual display and a retrievable memory storage; and
a control system having haptic feedback capability to signal an occurrence of one of a plurality of predefined events.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modular device is used to inspect a confined space in a machine. The entire inspection coverage area and corresponding status are mapped so that the inspection location and associated data are graphically visualized. An accelerometer mounted on the device serves as a tilt sensor and also provides data about a collision of the device with the space being inspected or defects therein. The accelerometer data in combination with an odometry system determines the axial position of the device. A gyroscope mounted on the device is used to determine the device heading. The locational information is used to generate an inspection map that provides inspection history, logged data and a reference that are useful in scheduling the next inspection. The output of the gyroscopes can be used to provide haptic feedback to the device operator to maintain proper device orientation.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a crawler operable for traversing through a confined space in a machine; one or more sensors coupled with the crawler, the one or more sensors operable for sensing information associated with the machine; a transmitter for transmitting information from the one or more sensors to at least one of a visual display and a retrievable memory storage; and a control system having haptic feedback capability to signal an occurrence of one of a plurality of predefined events. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An inspection and repair system for a machine comprising:
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a crawler configured to move within an air gap formed in the machine; one or more sensors associated with the crawler, the sensors operable for sensing defects within a sensing range of the crawler; a transmitter for transmitting information about the defect to at least one of a display and a retrievable memory; a control system for controlling movement and communication with the crawler; and a mapping system with schedule information operable for creating an output map defined by discreet regions;
wherein each of the discreet regions of the output map includes a status indicator based on sensed inspection data obtained by the crawler. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method comprising:
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moving a crawler within an air gap of an electrical machine; sensing a surface of the electrical machine during the moving; mapping the surface of the machine, wherein the mapping includes defining the surface as a plurality of discrete regions with a status indicator and schedule information associated therewith; and displaying a map with the status indicators on a visual display. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification