Gas cloud avoidance system

Abstract

OCR 07AP The gas avoidance system consists of a monitoring unit that works in conjunction with detection devices and cameras to detect traces and sources of gas using variable data and image processing. Once such traces or sources of gas are detected, the monitoring data is recorded and transmitted to a communication unit for forwarding to the user. Furthermore, the system sends three-dimensional location data of the gas and the movement characteristics of the gas cloud to a motion control unit. This unit then controls the robot's movement to avoid contact with the gas cloud and maintain a specified distance by stopping the robot's movement. The motion control unit can then process this data to adjust the robot's path in real-time, maintaining a predetermined distance from the detected gas cloud, returning to base, moving through the gas to its original destination, or searching for the source, depending on predefined parameters or commands sent by the user via the network.

Claims

OCR 07AP 1. The gas avoidance system consists of a conventional robot which, at a minimum, includes a drive (310), a detector (101), and a camera (102) for detecting variables and recording image data into internal memory. This internal memory is also used to record the necessary functions for the conventional robot operation. Specifically, this memory is provided with additional storage for the safe distance from hazardous gases, the type of hazardous gas, and the following functions: A gas monitoring unit (100) that, in conjunction with the detector (101) and camera (102), reads the variables and image data recorded by the two devices in the memory to detect traces and sources of gases using conventional methods. The results are provided as a preliminary detection of whether traces of the hazardous gases have been found, along with at least three-dimensional position data of the gas and gas cloud movement data, which are recorded in memory and transmitted to a communication unit (200).and the motion control unit (300); the communication unit (200) which is provided to receive processing data from the gas detection unit (100) and transmit it to the user by displaying the results through the user interface in the conventional manner; and the motion control unit (300) which operates in conjunction with the drive unit (310) in the conventional manner together with the data received from the gas detection unit (100) to control the movement of the robot so as not to come into contact with the gas cloud, maintaining a distance between the robot and the gas cloud as previously defined in memory, by stopping the movement of the robot when receiving information that traces of hazardous gas have been detected from the gas detection unit (100).

2. Gas cloud avoidance system according to claim 1, in which the detection unit (101) consists of at least one gas sensor, anemometer, wind direction sensor, barometer, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning device and altimeter.

3. Gas cloud avoidance system according to claim 1, in which the gas detection unit (100)The system is equipped with at least four trace detection units (110) that perform processing based on detected parameters in conjunction with conventional gas image processing. The results are provided as gas detection alerts, three-dimensional location data of the gas, and the type of gas detected, which are stored in memory. If gas is detected, the trace detection unit (110) alerts the source detection unit (120), the communication unit (200), and the motion control unit (300) to issue a command for the robot to stop movement; and the source detection unit (120) which, upon receiving an alert from the trace detection unit (110), investigates the source of the gas by considering the rate of change in both volume and velocity of the gas at each point, wind direction, and gas concentration at each point. The results are provided as source location data and gas cloud movement data, which are stored in memory and transmitted to the motion control unit (300) and the communication unit (200).Gas avoidance system under Claim 1, whereby the Communication Unit (200) is further operated by receiving command information from the user to forward to the Motion Control Unit (300) for controlling the robot according to the user's requirements, which can be selected from at least one command: stop at a safe point, return to base, pass through the gas to the original destination, avoid the gas to the original destination, avoid the gas to a new destination, reroute, or perform a search for the gas source.

5. Gas avoidance system under Claim 1, whereby the internal memory is further equipped with pre-written command information, which can be selected from at least one command: stop at a safe point, return to base, pass through the gas to the original destination, avoid the gas to the original destination, avoid the gas to a new destination, reroute, or perform a search for the gas source.

6. Gas avoidance system under Claim 4 or 5, whereby the Motion Control Unit (300) is operated.

7. Gas avoidance system under claim 4 or 5, in which the Motion Control Unit (300) further executes additional commands to the drive unit (310) to move to a pre-defined original target of the robot, working in conjunction with the Gas Monitoring Unit (100) to adjust the robot's trajectory in real time to maintain a specified distance from any detected gas, upon receiving a command from the user or upon detecting any such pre-written commands, after the Gas Monitoring Unit (100) has verified that it has detected any traces of any pre-defined gas.

8. Gas avoidance system under claim 4 or 5, in which the Motion Control Unit (300) further executes additional commands to the drive unit (310) to move to a pre-defined original target of the robot, working in conjunction with the Gas Monitoring Unit (100) to adjust the trajectory in real time to maintain a specified distance from any detected gas, upon receiving a command from the user or upon detecting any such pre-written commands, after the Gas Monitoring Unit (100) has verified that it has detected any traces of any pre-defined gas.Additionally, additional commands are sent to the drive unit (310) to receive gas cloud movement data from the gas detector (100) and use it to process and create robot movement paths that are parallel to and opposite to the gas cloud's movement path, using the three-dimensional space position data of the gas from the gas detector (100) to control the drive unit (310) to prevent the robot from colliding with the detected gas cloud, and continue this process until the gas detector (100) detects the source of the gas and controls the robot to a safe position to await further commands from the user via the communication unit (200) upon receiving a command from the user or detecting a pre-defined command log. After the gas detector (100) has verified that it has found traces of the predefined type of gas, 9. Gas cloud avoidance system, according to claim 1, where the display through the user interface is appropriate to be in the form of a three-dimensional space display to show the position and direction of the gas cloud or location.The source of the gas, along with the type and quantity of the gas, must be provided at a minimum.

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