All-terrain submarine cable inspection robot

Abstract

An all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot comprises a frame, a traveling movement system, a bottom movement system and a control system. The swimming movement system comprises at least one supporting frame and a propeller connected with the supporting frame, one end of the supporting frame is connected to the frame, and the other end of the supporting frame is connected with the propeller; the bottom moving system comprises a motor driving system, a transmission system and a crawler wheel set, and the motor driving system drives the crawler wheel set to move through the transmission system under the action of electric energy; the control system comprises a control panel and a control panel fixing part, the control panel is connected with the control panel fixing part, the height of the whole robot body is increased, so that the inspection robot can be located above a submarine cable all the time for inspection, and the submarine cable is located in the space of the bottom all the time; compared with a traditional inspection robot, the tracking inspection coverage rate is greatly improved, and therefore the loss rate in the cable inspection process is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of marine inspection technology, and in particular to an all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot. Background Art

[0002] The development of offshore wind power, a vital marine resource, has driven an increase in demand for submarine cable inspections. As a crucial link in marine engineering, submarine cables require regular, safe, and effective inspection and maintenance. Traditional inspection methods, such as diver inspections and mothership towed inspections, are costly, pose significant safety risks, and are complex. However, underwater robot inspections have become the mainstream due to their low cost, safety, and ease of operation.

[0003] In the marine environment, overcoming the complex and ever-changing seabed terrain for underwater operations is a necessary condition for underwater robots. However, existing submarine cable inspection underwater robots still have the problem of insufficient adaptability to the seabed terrain. When encountering an insurmountable obstacle, the underwater robot needs to be recovered first, then re-deployed and repositioned. Even if a certain section of terrain is too complex, such as a continuous fault, manual inspection is still required. This is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, greatly affecting the efficiency of the inspection operation, but also does not completely solve the safety hazards of manual inspection. Therefore, improving the inspection coverage rate of the inspection robot and its adaptability to the seabed terrain is of great significance for submarine cable inspection operations. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: an all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot, comprising: a frame, characterized in that: it also includes a parade motion system, a bottom motion system and a control system; the parade motion system includes at least one support frame and a propeller connected to the support frame, one end of the support frame is connected to the frame, and the other end is connected to the propeller; the bottom motion system includes a motor drive system, a transmission system and a track wheel group, and the motor drive system drives the track wheel group to move through the transmission system under the action of electric energy; the control system includes a control panel and a control panel fixing part, the control panel is connected to the control panel fixing part, the control panel includes a main control panel and at least two sub-control panels, the main control panel sends control commands and posture data to the sub-control panel through the bus, and the sub-control panel controls the propeller and the motor respectively according to the control commands and posture data.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the parade motion system includes five propellers and five support frames.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the support frame includes a support frame base and a two-degree-of-freedom servo, the two-degree-of-freedom servo includes a main steering wheel and a secondary steering wheel, the main steering wheel is fixed to the support frame base, the secondary steering wheel is connected to the propeller, and the propeller has two rotational degrees of freedom.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control system further comprises a control panel connector and a sensor fixing member, and the stud is connected to the control panel connector and is connected to the control panel fixing member and the sensor fixing member.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the transmission system includes a right-angle converter and a coupling, the right-angle converter includes an input bevel gear and an output bevel gear, the motor output shaft is connected to one end of the coupling, and the other end is connected to the input bevel gear, and the track wheel set is connected to the output bevel gear.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the track wheel assembly includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel, a track and a shock-absorbing spring. The driving wheel drives the driven wheel to move, and the track is covered on the outside of the driving wheel and the driven wheel and moves under the action of power.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it also includes a detection system, which includes a detection sensor. The detection sensor includes a binocular camera module and a posture sensor fixed on a sensor fixing member, a depth sensor and three fluxgate sensors, and the three fluxgate sensors are fixed on the fuselage in a triangular array.

[0012] In summary, by raising the height of the entire robot body, the present invention allows the inspection robot to remain above the submarine cable during inspections, while the cable remains in the space below. This significantly improves tracking and inspection coverage compared to traditional inspection robots, thereby reducing the loss rate during cable inspections. The use of a one-master + two-subcontrol drive control method ensures the coordinated synchronization of the robot's bottom-moving and parasitic movements while also balancing the transmission and interpretation of sensor data, improving the robot's control accuracy and obstacle clearance.

[0013] Furthermore, the four-track + shock-absorbing spring structure has better buffering performance than traditional dual-track robots or swing-arm robots, making the robot run more smoothly; and the use of thrusters to assist in obstacle crossing means that the robot's obstacle crossing height is no longer limited by the arm length and track height, achieving all-terrain obstacle crossing and having better adaptability to seabed terrain.

[0014] In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, preferred embodiments are given below with reference to the accompanying drawings for detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the horizontal dual-thruster + vertical triple-thruster layout of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Orthographic view of Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of DD; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of point B; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the control cabin of the present invention; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the battery compartment of the present invention; Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the motor compartment according to the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of the propeller support frame of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a working diagram of the submarine cable inspection robot according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0017] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, an all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot, an all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot, includes: a frame 100, a parade motion system 200, a bottom motion system 300 and a control system 400; the parade motion system 200 includes at least one support frame 8 and a propeller 4 connected to the support frame, one end of the support frame 8 is connected to the frame 100, and the other end is connected to the propeller 4; the bottom motion system 300 includes a motor drive system 301, a transmission system 302 and a crawler wheel set 303 The motor drive system 301 drives the track wheel set 302 to move through the transmission system 302 under the action of electric energy; the control system 400 includes a control board 23 and a control board fixing part 24, the control board 23 is connected to the control board fixing part 24, the control board 23 includes a main control board 231 and at least two sub-control boards 232, the main control board 231 sends control commands and posture data to the sub-control boards through the bus, and the sub-control boards 232 respectively control the propeller and the motor according to the control commands and posture data.

[0018] In this example, the parade motion system 200 includes five propellers 4 and five support frames 8, and adopts a five-axis under-actuated method.

[0019] In this example, the support frame 8 includes a support frame base 58 and a two-degree-of-freedom servo. The two-degree-of-freedom servo includes a main steering wheel 59 and an auxiliary steering wheel 60. The main steering wheel 59 is fixed to the support frame base 58, and the auxiliary steering wheel 60 is connected to the propeller 8. The propeller 8 has two rotational degrees of freedom.

[0020] In this example, the control system 400 further includes a control panel connector 32 and a sensor fixture 35 . The stud is connected to the control panel connector 32 and is also connected to the control panel fixture 24 and the sensor fixture 35 .

[0021] In this example, the transmission system 302 includes a right-angle converter 14 and a coupling 16. The right-angle converter 14 includes an input bevel gear 56 and an output bevel gear 57. The motor output shaft is connected to one end of the coupling 16 and the other end is connected to the input bevel gear 56. The track wheel set 303 is connected to the output bevel gear 57.

[0022] In this example, the track wheel assembly 303 includes a driving wheel 13, a driven wheel 18, a track 11 and a shock-absorbing spring 12. The driving wheel 13 drives the driven wheel (18) to move, and the track 11 is wrapped around the outside of the driving wheel 13 and the driven wheel 18 and moves under the action of power.

[0023] In this example, a detection system 500 is also included, and the detection system 500 includes a detection sensor 501. The detection sensor includes a binocular camera module 34 and a posture sensor 37 fixed on a sensor fixing part, a depth sensor 27 and three fluxgate sensors 1. The three fluxgate sensors 1 are fixed on the fuselage in a triangular array.

[0024] like Figure 2 As shown, the robot frame 100 consists of four horizontal beams 2, two side beams 9, and four vertical beams 10. The four horizontal beams are arranged equidistantly and secured with angle fittings to facilitate the installation and removal of various underwater equipment. The entire frame is constructed of aluminum alloy, with screws made of titanium alloy or brass. The motor compartment 15, battery compartment 7, and control compartment 6 are constructed of acrylic. Except for the motor 54, all other materials are non-magnetic, adhering to the principle of low magnetization to minimize the impact of their inherent magnetism on the magnetic sensor. Four clamp bases 5 are fixed to the two center horizontal beams, and the battery compartment and control compartment are secured to the clamp bases via four clamps 3.

[0025] The parade motion system adopts a five-axis under-actuated method, consisting of five propellers 4 and five sets of propeller support frames 8, wherein the propeller support frames are respectively fixed to the tail crossbeam and the two end side beams of the frame, and are composed of a support frame base (58) and a two-degree-of-freedom steering gear. The main steering wheel of the steering gear is fixed to the support frame base 59, and the auxiliary steering wheel 60 is connected to the propeller, so that the propeller has two rotational degrees of freedom, which can fine-tune the thrust direction according to the posture, thereby improving the stability of the robot movement. The propeller layout is as follows: Figure 1 In the layout shown, three thrusters point vertically downward along the z-axis, controlling the robot's pitch and roll angles, as well as its buoyancy and descent, thereby maintaining a stable posture. Two thrusters along the x-axis control the robot's heading angle and forward and backward motion, achieving directional control. Since the robot has six degrees of freedom—forward and backward, elevation, lateral movement, heading, roll, and pitch—lateral movement is unnecessary during inspections, so an underactuated design ensures both stability and flexibility.

[0026] The bottom movement system is composed of a motor drive system, a transmission system, and an adaptive track wheel set. Figure 6 As shown. The motor drive system includes a motor compartment 15, a motor compartment fixture 19, and a motor drive module 22; the transmission system includes a coupling 16 and a right-angle commutator 14; the track wheel assembly includes a wheel side plate 17, a driving wheel 13, a driven wheel 18, a track 11, and a spring 12. The motor compartment is sealed with two motor compartment sealing rings 49, which are clamped between two motor compartment fixtures and bolted. The motor compartment fixtures are fixed to the vertical beam using angle fittings and bolts. The motor is fixed to the front cover of the motor compartment with screws. The motor output shaft is dynamically sealed with an oil seal ring, which is dynamically sealed with an oil seal ring 52. The motor compartment is filled with oil to balance the internal and external pressures and enhance the sealing of the motor compartment. The motor drive module is connected to the Hall effect reduction motor 54 in the motor compartment via M16 threaded screws 29, providing power and PWM signals. The motor output shaft is connected to one end of the coupling and the other end is connected to the input bevel gear 56 of the right-angle commutator, while the output bevel gear 57 is connected to the driving wheel of the track wheel set, ensuring that the output of the motor can be transmitted to the driving wheel without affecting the transmission efficiency.

[0027] The control system comprises three control boards 23, secured to the control board fixture 24 via internally threaded copper studs 33. M5+ screws (with two sections of internal and external threads) are threadedly secured to the control board connector 32, connected to the control board fixture and sensor fixture 35, and secured with nuts. The control board connector is connected to the rear hatch 25 of the control cabin via threaded screws and nuts. The control boards consist of a main control board and two sub-control boards. The main control board can simultaneously send control commands and attitude data to both sub-control boards via a bus. The sub-control boards then implement PWM control of the thrusters and motors based on these control commands and attitude data, achieving coordinated control of both.

[0028] The power supply system is stored in the battery compartment 7. Its main components are the battery 47, which includes the management module. The battery is clamped between the front battery cover 45 and the rear battery cover 42, and secured with two battery fixings 41. The front battery cover, rear battery cover, and battery fixings are all secured with nuts and studs. The studs are threadedly fixed to the battery connector 43, which is fixed to the battery compartment rear cover 50.

[0029] The detection sensors include an underwater binocular camera module 34, a fluxgate sensor 1, a posture sensor 37, and a depth sensor 27, wherein the binocular camera module and the fluxgate sensor are used for detecting the target submarine cable, and the posture sensor and the depth sensor are used to determine the posture and diving depth of the robot. The binocular camera module and the posture sensor are fixed on the sensor fixing part, the depth sensor is fixed on the rear hatch of the control cabin, and the three fluxgate sensors are fixed on the fuselage in a triangular array. Such placement can keep them as far away from the power supply and motor as possible, and reduce the interference of the magnetic source itself while using the data comparison of the three sensors to obtain the relative position of the target submarine cable and the inspection robot.

[0030] Although the present invention has been disclosed above by means of preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art may make slight changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of protection required by the claims.

Claims

1. An all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot, comprising: The frame (100) is characterized by further comprising a parade motion system (200), a bottom motion system (300) and a control system (400); The parade motion system (200) comprises at least one support frame (8) and a propeller (4) connected to the support frame, wherein one end of the support frame (8) is connected to the frame (100) and the other end is connected to the propeller (4); The bottom movement system (300) includes a motor drive system (301), a transmission system (302) and a track wheel assembly (303). The motor drive system (301) drives the track wheel assembly (302) to move through the transmission system (302) under the action of electric energy. The control system (400) includes a control panel (23) and a control panel fixing member (24), wherein the control panel (23) is connected to the control panel fixing member (24), and the control panel (23) includes a main control panel (231) and at least two sub-control panels (232). The main control panel (231) sends control commands and attitude data to the sub-control panels via a bus, and the sub-control panels (232) respectively control the thrusters and motors according to the control commands and attitude data.

2. The all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The parade motion system (200) comprises five propellers (4) and five support frames (8).

3. The all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support frame (8) comprises a support frame base (58) and a two-degree-of-freedom steering gear, the two-degree-of-freedom steering gear comprises a main steering wheel (59) and a secondary steering wheel (60), the main steering wheel (59) is fixed to the support frame base (58), the secondary steering wheel (60) is connected to the propeller (8), and the propeller (8) has two rotational degrees of freedom.

4. The all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system (400) further comprises a control panel connecting member (32) and a sensor fixing member (35), wherein the stud is connected to the control panel connecting member (32) and is also connected to the control panel fixing member (24) and the sensor fixing member (35).

5. The all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission system (302) includes a right-angle converter (14) and a coupling (16), the right-angle converter (14) includes an input bevel gear (56) and an output bevel gear (57), the motor output shaft is connected to one end of the coupling (16), and the other end is connected to the input bevel gear (56), and the crawler wheel set (303) is connected to the output bevel gear (57).

6. The all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crawler wheel assembly (303) includes a driving wheel (13), a driven wheel (18), a crawler belt (11) and a shock-absorbing spring (12). The driving wheel (13) drives the driven wheel (18) to move, and the crawler belt (11) is wrapped around the outside of the driving wheel (13) and the driven wheel (18) and moves under the action of power.

7. The all-terrain submarine cable inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also includes a detection system (500), wherein the detection system (500) includes a detection sensor (501), wherein the detection sensor includes a binocular camera module (34) and a posture sensor (37) fixed on a sensor fixing member, a depth sensor (27) and three fluxgate sensors (1), wherein the three fluxgate sensors (1) are fixed on the fuselage in a triangular array.

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