A robot for detecting a cable of a cable-stayed bridge

Abstract

The application provides a robot for detecting a cable of a cable-stayed bridge, comprising a robot body, a guide wheel mechanism arranged on an inner wall of the robot body, two steering control mechanisms arranged symmetrically on an outer wall of the robot body, and a ducted fan connected to the steering control mechanisms and used for controlling a thrust direction of the ducted fan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cable-stayed bridge inspection, and more specifically to a robot for inspecting cable-stayed bridges. Background Technology

[0002] The inspection of cables in cable-stayed bridges is extremely important for the following reasons:

[0003] Ensuring safety: Cables are one of the key structural components of a cable-stayed bridge, and their health directly affects the bridge's safety. If cables break, are damaged, or experience excessive wear, it may lead to structural instability in the bridge, or even cause a collapse, resulting in serious casualties and property damage.

[0004] Preventive maintenance: Regular cable inspections can detect potential problems such as aging and wear in advance, allowing for timely repair or replacement to prevent further deterioration and reduce the overall cost and risk of maintenance.

[0005] Extending bridge lifespan: Regular inspection and maintenance of cables can help extend the lifespan of bridges, avoid large-scale repairs or replacements caused by cable problems, and ensure the long-term stable use of bridges.

[0006] Therefore, cable inspection of cable-stayed bridges is an indispensable and crucial step to ensure the safety, stability, and longevity of the bridge.

[0007] As of 2023, the number of cable-stayed bridges worldwide was enormous, and the need for maintenance was increasing. Cable inspections of cable-stayed bridges are either conducted visually from aerial work platforms or performed by inspectors with specialized high-altitude skills. However, these methods have limitations: the inspection height is limited, and they are relatively dangerous for the inspectors.

[0008] Therefore, how to conveniently inspect the cables of a cable-stayed bridge is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to propose a robot for inspecting cable-stayed bridge cables, which can solve the problem of inconvenient cable inspection in cable-stayed bridges.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a robot for detecting cable-stayed bridges, comprising: a robot body having a longitudinally penetrating cavity, and the robot body being openable and closable into two halves in the longitudinal direction;

[0011] A guide wheel mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the robot body, and the robot is attached to the cable based on the guide wheel structure;

[0012] Two steering control mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the robot body;

[0013] A ducted fan is connected to the steering control mechanism, which is used to control the thrust direction of the ducted fan.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the guide wheel mechanism includes at least three sets of guide wheel modules evenly arranged along the circumference of the cavity, and each set of guide wheel modules includes at least one guide wheel.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the guide wheel module is equipped with a tensioning unit and a control unit; the control unit monitors the pressure between the guide wheel and the cable in real time, and activates the tensioning unit when the pressure is less than a set value, so that the guide wheel can press the cable tightly at all times.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, the guide wheel module includes a main support frame and a movable connecting rod connected to the rotating shaft of the main support frame, with the guide wheel connected to one end of the movable connecting rod; the tensioning unit is an electromagnetic spring, disposed within the main support frame, capable of springing up the other end of the movable connecting rod.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the guide wheel mechanism is equipped with an image acquisition module and a laser generator. The laser generator emits a laser beam toward the cable, and the image acquisition module is used to capture the reflected laser beam.

[0018] In an optional embodiment, the robot further includes a processing module, which calculates the depth of the protrusions or depressions on the surface of the illuminated cable by using the trigonometric function relationship formed by the relative positions of the light source of the laser generator and the image acquisition module, in order to determine the surface roughness of the cable.

[0019] In an optional configuration, the guide wheel mechanism is also equipped with LED lights to provide the necessary illumination for the image acquisition module.

[0020] In an alternative embodiment, a cleaning brush is provided on the inner wall of at least one end of the robot body for cleaning the surface of the cable.

[0021] In an optional embodiment, the robot further includes a dust removal module, which includes an air pump and a vent disposed on the guide wheel mechanism. The high-pressure gas from the air pump blows the surface of the cable through the vent.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0023] This invention uses a robot to inspect cables, which solves the problem of inconvenient cable inspection in cable-stayed bridges.

[0024] Furthermore, by controlling the thrust direction of the ducted fan through the steering control mechanism, the robot can operate more stably and smoothly during the monitoring phase (avoiding spiral motion on the cable).

[0025] Furthermore, the tensioning unit ensures that the guide wheel keeps the cable pressed tightly at all times; the brush structure removes dust from the cable surface, thus eliminating the impact of dust on visual inspection; the dust removal module effectively removes dust, impurities, and contaminants from the cable surface, and in rainy or snowy weather, it removes rain, snow, and water from the cable surface, thereby reducing the impact on visual inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals generally denote like parts.

[0027] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a robot performing cable inspection in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figures 3 to 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of different sides of the robot in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot body when the two halves are closed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot body when the two halves are opened in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the robot body after the two halves are opened in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figures 9 to 11 This is a schematic diagram of a steering control mechanism changing the thrust direction of a ducted fan in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of an electromagnetic spring in one embodiment of the present invention (the electromagnetic spring does not provide elastic force).

[0034] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of an electromagnetic spring in one embodiment of the present invention (the electromagnetic spring provides elastic force).

[0035] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the guide wheel module in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a robot with a cleaning brush according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0038] 1-Robot; 2-Cable; 3-Robot body; 4-Steering control mechanism; 5-Ducted fan; 6-Guide wheel module; 7-Guide wheel; 8-Modible link; 9-Electromagnetic spring; 10-Laser generator; 11-Image acquisition module; 12-Ventilation port; 13-Main support frame; 14-Cleaning brush. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description and drawings. However, it should be noted that the concept of the technical solution of the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. The accompanying drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0040] It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as "on," "adjacent to," "connected to," or "coupled to" other elements or layers, it may be directly on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to other elements or layers, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as "directly on," "directly adjacent to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" other elements or layers, there are no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or portion from another element, component, area, layer, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this invention, the first element, component, area, layer, or portion discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, area, layer, or portion.

[0041] Spatial relation terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “under,” “above,” “above,” etc., are used herein for convenience of description to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figure and other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relation terms are intended to also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, then the element or feature described as “below” or “under” the other element or feature will be oriented “above” the other element or feature. Therefore, the exemplary terms “below” and “under” can include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise) and the spatial descriptive terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0042] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, identify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. When used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] Reference Figures 1 to 15 This embodiment provides a robot 1 for detecting cable-stayed bridges, comprising:

[0045] The robot body 3 has a longitudinally penetrating cavity, and the robot body 3 can be opened and closed into two halves in the longitudinal direction;

[0046] A guide wheel mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the robot body 3, and the robot 1 is attached to the cable 2 based on the guide wheel structure;

[0047] Two steering control mechanisms 4 are symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the robot body 3;

[0048] A ducted fan is connected to the steering control mechanism 4, which is used to control the thrust direction of the ducted fan.

[0049] Specifically, in this embodiment, robot 1 is used for inspecting the cables 2 of a cable-stayed bridge. Robot 1 moves along the inclined cable to inspect the health status of the cable 2, such as whether there are problems such as aging, damage, or excessive wear. Under the thrust of the ducted fan 5, robot 1 can climb up the cable to the top. After quickly reaching the top, robot 1 slowly descends under the action of gravity to complete the image and data acquisition work. Robot 1 descends mainly by gravity, and the ducted fan 5 only plays a role in controlling its attitude (fine-tuning).

[0050] The robot body 3 consists of two hinged parts. When testing is required, the robot body 3 is opened and split into two halves, which are then secured to the bridge cable. After that, the two parts are closed together as a whole.

[0051] The ducted fan 5 is connected to the robot body 3 via a steering control mechanism 4. The steering control mechanism 4 controls the rotation angle of the ducted fan 5, thereby changing the direction of its thrust. When the two ducted fans 5 rotate in opposite directions, a torsional force along the cable axis is generated on the robot body. This method not only controls the robot's relative rotation to the cable but also ensures more stable and smooth operation during the monitoring phase (avoiding spiral motion on the cable).

[0052] In this embodiment, the guide wheel mechanism includes four sets of guide wheel modules 6 evenly arranged along the circumference of the cavity, each set of guide wheel modules 6 including two guide wheels 7. The guide wheel modules 6 are fixed to the inner wall of the robot body 3 by bolts, and the four sets of guide wheel modules 6 provide adhesion for the robot 1 with the cable 2 as the axis.

[0053] In this embodiment, the guide wheel module 6 is provided with a tensioning unit and a control unit; the control unit monitors the pressure between the guide wheel and the cable in real time, and activates the tensioning unit when the pressure is less than a set value, so that the guide wheel can press the cable tightly at all times.

[0054] The guide wheel module includes a main support 13 and a movable connecting rod 8 connected to the rotating shaft of the main support 13. The guide wheel 7 is connected to one end (point A) of the movable connecting rod 8. The tensioning unit is an electromagnetic spring 9, located within the main support 13, capable of springing up the other end (point C) of the movable connecting rod 8. Specifically, in a preferred embodiment, both ends of the main support 13 are provided with movable connecting rods 8, and each guide wheel module 6 includes two guide wheels 7. The movable connecting rod 8 can rotate along the rotating shaft at point B. The guide wheel shaft is located at point A. At point C, there is an electromagnetic spring 9 that can push the movable connecting rod upwards. By pushing point C, the electromagnetic spring 9 causes the movable connecting rod 8 to rotate around point B, thereby pressing down on the guide wheel 7 to provide downward force.

[0055] In this embodiment, the guide wheel mechanism is equipped with an image acquisition module 11 and a laser generator 10. The laser generator 10 emits a laser beam towards the cable, and the image acquisition module 11 is used to capture the reflected laser beam. The laser generator 10, combined with the image acquisition module 11, enables surface scanning.

[0056] In this embodiment, the robot 1 further includes a processing module. This processing module calculates the depth of any protrusions or depressions on the illuminated cable surface using the trigonometric relationship formed by the relative positions of the laser generator's light source and the image acquisition module, thereby determining the surface roughness of the cable. In this embodiment, online processing is performed by the processing module. In another embodiment, offline processing is also possible: all data is collected and processed on a local computer.

[0057] The workflow for capturing the three-dimensional (3D) shape of an object's surface using laser technology is as follows:

[0058] 1. Laser Emission: First, the laser generator emits a laser beam. The laser beam then illuminates the surface of the object.

[0059] 2. Laser Reflection: When a laser beam hits a target object, it is reflected back. If the irradiated object is flat, the reflected light remains in a straight line. If the surface of the irradiated object has bumps or depressions, the reflected laser beam will bend or become intermittent.

[0060] 3. Data capture and processing: By capturing the bending or displacement of the reflected laser line through the camera, and by using the trigonometric function relationship formed by the relative positions of the laser source and the camera, the depth of the protrusions or depressions on the surface of the irradiated object can be calculated.

[0061] In this embodiment, the image acquisition module is a camera. In order to provide the necessary lighting for the camera to take pictures, this embodiment also includes an LED light, which is set on the guide wheel module.

[0062] In this embodiment, a cleaning brush 14 is provided on the inner wall of at least one end of the robot body. The cleaning brush 14 is used to clean the surface of the cable. For example, a ring of brush structure is installed at the cable entry point of the robot body to brush away the floating dust on the cable surface, thereby eliminating the influence of floating dust on the cable surface on visual inspection.

[0063] In this embodiment, the robot further includes a dust removal module, which comprises an air pump and vents 12 disposed on the guide wheel module. High-pressure gas from the air pump blows through the vents to clean the surface of the cable. Preferably, each guide wheel module has four vents 12. The high-pressure air blown from the vents 12 effectively removes floating dust, impurities, and contaminants from the cable surface; in rainy or snowy weather, it removes rain, snow, and accumulated water from the cable surface, thereby reducing the impact on visual inspection.

[0064] This embodiment uses a robot to inspect the cables, which can solve the problem of inconvenient cable inspection in cable-stayed bridges.

[0065] Furthermore, by controlling the thrust direction of the ducted fan through the steering control mechanism, the robot can operate more stably and smoothly during the monitoring phase (avoiding spiral motion on the cable).

[0066] Furthermore, the tensioning unit ensures that the guide wheel keeps the cable pressed tightly at all times; the brush structure removes dust from the cable surface, thus eliminating the impact of dust on visual inspection; the dust removal module effectively removes dust, impurities, and contaminants from the cable surface, and in rainy or snowy weather, it removes rain, snow, and water from the cable surface, thereby reducing the impact on visual inspection.

[0067] The above description is merely a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A robot for inspecting cable-stayed bridges, characterized in that, include: The robot body has a longitudinally penetrating cavity, and the robot body can be opened and closed into two halves in the longitudinal direction; A guide wheel mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the robot body, and the robot is attached to the cable based on the guide wheel mechanism; Two steering control mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the robot body; A ducted fan is connected to the steering control mechanism, which is used to control the thrust direction of the ducted fan. The guide wheel mechanism includes at least three sets of guide wheel modules evenly arranged along the circumference of the cavity, and each set of guide wheel modules includes at least one guide wheel; The guide wheel module is equipped with a tensioning unit and a control unit; the control unit monitors the pressure between the guide wheel and the cable in real time, and activates the tensioning unit when the pressure is less than a set value, so that the guide wheel can press the cable tightly at all times; The guide wheel module includes a main support and a movable connecting rod connected to the rotating shaft of the main support. The guide wheel is connected to one end of the movable connecting rod. The tensioning unit is an electromagnetic spring, which is set inside the main support and can spring up the other end of the movable connecting rod. The electromagnetic spring pushes the other end of the movable connecting rod, causing the movable connecting rod to rotate around the rotating shaft, thereby pressing down on the guide wheel to provide downward pressure.

2. The robot for detecting cable-stayed bridges as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The guide wheel mechanism is equipped with an image acquisition module and a laser generator. The laser generator emits a laser beam toward the cable, and the image acquisition module is used to capture the reflected laser beam.

3. The robot for detecting cable-stayed bridges as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The robot also includes a processing module, which calculates the depth of the protrusions or depressions on the surface of the illuminated cable by using the trigonometric function relationship formed by the relative positions of the light source of the laser generator and the image acquisition module, so as to determine the surface roughness of the cable.

4. The robot for detecting cable-stayed bridges as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The guide wheel mechanism is also equipped with LED lights to provide the necessary illumination for the image acquisition module.

5. The robot for detecting cable-stayed bridges as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A cleaning brush is provided on the inner wall of at least one end of the robot body for cleaning the surface of the cable.

6. The robot for detecting cable-stayed bridges as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The robot also includes a dust removal module, which includes an air pump and a vent on the guide wheel mechanism. High-pressure gas from the air pump blows through the vent onto the surface of the cable.

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