A pipeline inspection robot and a robot control method

Abstract

The application discloses a pipeline inspection robot and a robot control method. The robot comprises a main body and a plurality of crawling mechanisms arranged around the main body. The crawling mechanism comprises a rotating arm, a driving assembly and a crawler belt crawling assembly. The rotating arm is rotationally connected with the main body, and the driving assembly is used for driving the rotating arm to rotate. The crawler belt crawling assembly comprises a transmission shaft, a first driving member, a crawler belt arm, an elastic member, a driving crawler belt wheel, a driven crawler belt wheel and a synchronous crawler belt. The transmission shaft is rotationally arranged on the rotating arm, the first driving member is used for driving the transmission shaft to rotate, the crawler belt arm is rotationally arranged on the transmission shaft, the elastic member is connected with the crawler belt arm, the driving crawler belt wheel is connected with the transmission shaft, the driven crawler belt wheel is rotationally connected with the crawler belt arm, and the synchronous crawler belt is arranged around the driving crawler belt wheel and the driven crawler belt wheel. When the driving assembly drives the crawler belt crawling assembly to adapt to pipelines with different diameters through the rotating arm, the rotating arm overcomes the elastic member to adaptively rotate, and the synchronous crawler belt is pressed against the inner wall of the pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of pipeline inspection, and in particular to a pipeline inspection robot and a robot control method. Background Technology

[0002] Pipeline inspection robots are key tools for the inspection and maintenance of pipeline interiors, playing a vital role in modern society, particularly in pipeline inspection and maintenance. They are commonly used in various industries, including oil and gas, water treatment, and chemicals, and by carrying various sensors, cameras, and other equipment, they are able to conduct comprehensive inspections inside pipelines to detect and identify various problems.

[0003] In related technologies, pipeline inspection robots are typically equipped with crawling mechanisms that can adjust their diameter around their perimeter. In application, these crawling mechanisms can adjust their position to adapt to pipelines of different diameters and possess a certain obstacle-jumping capability. However, when faced with more complex pipeline environments, such as complex obstacles or pipeline paths, the aforementioned pipeline inspection robots are clearly insufficient in their applicability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a pipeline inspection robot and a robot control method to improve the applicability of the pipeline inspection robot.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a pipeline inspection robot, comprising:

[0006] Main body of the fuselage;

[0007] Multiple crawling mechanisms are arranged sequentially along the circumferential direction of the main body of the fuselage, wherein each crawling mechanism includes:

[0008] A rotating arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the main body of the fuselage, and its rotation axis is perpendicular to the length direction of the main body of the fuselage;

[0009] A drive assembly, disposed on the main body of the machine body, is used to drive the rotating arm to rotate;

[0010] A track crawling assembly includes a drive shaft, a first drive member, a track arm, an elastic member, a drive track wheel, a driven track wheel, and a synchronous track. The drive shaft is rotatably mounted on the track arm. The first drive member is mounted on the track arm and drives the drive shaft to rotate. The track arm is rotatably mounted on the drive shaft. The elastic member is connected to the track arm and maintains the position of the track arm. The drive track wheel is connected to the drive shaft. The driven track wheel is rotatably connected to the track arm. The synchronous track is wound around the drive track wheel and the driven track wheel. The rotation axis of the track arm is parallel to the drive shaft.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the track crawling assemblies includes two track arms, the elastic element being a torsion spring, one elastic arm of the torsion spring being connected to the inner side of one of the track arms, and the other elastic arm of the torsion spring being connected to the inner side of the other track arm, the torsion spring being used to make the two track arms aligned in a straight line.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, one end of one track arm has an arcuate groove, and one end of the other track arm has an arcuate protrusion, the arcuate protrusion being rotatably disposed in the arcuate groove;

[0013] At least two torsion springs are provided. The two elastic arms of one torsion spring abut against the same side wall of the two track arms, and the two elastic arms of the other torsion spring abut against the same side wall of the two track arms. The elastic arms of the two torsion springs abut against opposite sides of the inner side of the track arms.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a guide roller is rotatably provided on the surface of the track, and the axis of rotation of the guide roller is inclined relative to the direction of movement of the track.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the fuselage body includes:

[0016] Two end seats, the end seats being used for detachably loading the actuator, and the rotating arm being rotatably connected to the end seats;

[0017] A slide rail fixing bracket, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the end seat, and the slide rail fixing bracket is provided with a guide rail groove along its length;

[0018] The driving assembly includes a second driving member, a transmission link, and a transmission seat. The transmission seat is slidably disposed in the guide rail groove. The second driving member is disposed in the guide rail groove and is used to drive the transmission seat to slide along the guide rail groove. One end of the transmission link is rotatably connected to the transmission seat, and the other end is rotatably connected to the rotating arm.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the circumferential direction of the main body, the rotating arms of the crawling mechanism are alternately rotatably connected to two of the end seats; or, the rotating arms of the crawling mechanism are rotatably connected to the same end seat.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pipeline inspection robot includes two sets of crawling mechanisms. One set of crawling mechanisms includes multiple crawling mechanisms distributed around the main body of the robot, and the rotating arm of each crawling mechanism is rotatably connected to one end seat. The other set of crawling mechanisms includes multiple crawling mechanisms distributed around the main body of the robot, and the rotating arm of each crawling mechanism is rotatably connected to another end seat. The two sets of crawling mechanisms are staggered along the length of the main body of the robot.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the end cap:

[0022] The flange is connected to the end of the slide rail fixing bracket;

[0023] The loading disk, the rotating arm being rotatably connected to the loading disk, and the loading disk being used for a detachable loading actuator.

[0024] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a robot control method applied to the aforementioned pipeline inspection robot, comprising:

[0025] Obtain location and feature information of obstructions and / or cracks in the pipeline;

[0026] The acceleration and angle changes of the pipeline inspection robot are obtained;

[0027] An avoidance strategy is planned based on the location information, the feature information, the acceleration, and the angle change. The avoidance strategy is used to control the pipeline inspection robot to avoid obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present invention, obtaining the location information and feature information of obstructions and / or cracks in the pipeline includes:

[0029] The monitoring information of the pipeline by the pipeline inspection robot is acquired, including information captured by radar cameras and RGB cameras; or, the monitoring information includes information captured by depth cameras and RGB cameras; or, the monitoring information includes information captured by two RGB cameras.

[0030] Obtain a pre-trained target robot learning model, which is obtained by training an initial robot learning model using a dataset from the pipeline environment;

[0031] The monitoring information is input into the target robot learning model to obtain the output results of the target robot learning model. The output results are used to characterize the location information and feature information of obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline.

[0032] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the embodiments of this application have the following advantages: the drive assembly drives the rotating arm to rotate outward along the radial direction of the main body, and correspondingly, the track crawling assembly moves away from the main body along with the rotating arm to adapt to pipes of different diameters. Specifically, in the process of adapting to pipes of different diameters, the drive assembly drives the synchronous track, through the rotating arm, to first press the portion of the track close to the driven track wheel against the inner wall of the pipe. The drive assembly continues to drive the rotating arm to move towards the inner wall of the pipe. The track arm overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element and rotates around the drive shaft. Thus, the track arm gradually approaches the inner wall of the pipe with the driven track wheel as the fulcrum, thereby gradually and completely pressing the synchronous track against the inner side of the pipe. Under the action of the drive assembly, the track crawling assembly flexibly adapts to various environments of the pipe. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the pipeline inspection robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the drive assembly and track crawling assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the track crawling assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 This is an exploded structural diagram of the track crawling assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the track arm and elastic element according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of the fuselage according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 This is another structural schematic diagram of the pipeline inspection robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the robot control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 9 This is a partial flowchart of the robot control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] The meanings of the reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows:

[0043] 100. Main body; 110. End seat; 111. Flange; 112. Loading tray; 120. Slide rail fixing bracket; 121. Guide rail groove; 200. Crawling mechanism; 300. Rotating arm; 400. Drive assembly; 410. Second drive component; 411. Lead screw; 412. Servo motor; 420. Transmission link; 430. Transmission seat; 431. Guide rail retainer; 432. Spring; 433. 434. Connecting rod; 500. Buckle; 510. Track crawling assembly; 520. Drive shaft; 530. First drive component; 531. Track arm; 532. Arc groove; 533. Arc protrusion; 534. First inner surface; 535. Second inner surface; 540. Elastic element; 550. Driven track wheel; 560. Driven track wheel; 570. Synchronous track; 580. Guide roller; 600. Actuator. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0045] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, up, down, etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0046] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0047] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0048] In the description of this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0049] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Please see Figures 1 to 2 This invention provides a pipeline inspection robot, comprising a main body 100, multiple crawling mechanisms 200, a rotating arm 300, a drive assembly 400, and a tracked crawling assembly 500. The main body 100 is generally cylindrical, and in application, its length roughly corresponds to the length of the pipeline. Six crawling mechanisms 200 can be provided, arranged sequentially around the main body 100. However, this design is not limited to six crawling mechanisms 200; other numbers can be used, depending on actual needs. It should be noted that during the pipeline inspection robot's crawling along the pipeline, each crawling mechanism 200 is independently controlled; that is, the working state of each crawling mechanism 200 does not necessarily need to be the same as the working state of the other crawling mechanisms 200. This will be explained in detail later.

[0051] Among them, reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 Each crawling mechanism 200 includes a rotating arm 300, a drive assembly 400, and a track crawling assembly 500. One end of the rotating arm 300 is rotatably connected to the main body 100, and its rotation axis is perpendicular to the length direction of the main body 100. The drive assembly 400 is disposed on the main body 100 and is used to drive the rotating arm 300 to rotate. The track crawling assembly 500 includes a drive shaft 510, a first drive member 520, a track arm 530, an elastic member 540, a drive track wheel 550, a driven track wheel 560, and a synchronous track 570. The drive shaft 510 is rotatably disposed on the rotating arm 300, the first drive member 520 is disposed on the rotating arm 300 and is used to drive the drive shaft 510 to rotate, the track arm 530 is rotatably disposed on the drive shaft 510, and the elastic member 540 is connected to the track arm 530. Figure 5The rotating arm 300 is used to maintain the position of the track arm 530. The driving track wheel 550 is connected to the drive shaft 510, the driven track wheel 560 is rotatably connected to the track arm 530, and the synchronous track 570 is wound around the driving track wheel 550 and the driven track wheel 560. The rotating shaft of the rotating arm 300 is arranged parallel to the drive shaft 510.

[0052] Specifically, the drive assembly 400 drives the rotating arm 300 to rotate outward along the radial direction of the main body 100. Correspondingly, the track crawling assembly 500 moves away from the main body 100 along with the rotating arm 300 to adapt to pipes of different diameters. In the process of adapting to pipes of different diameters, the drive assembly 400 drives the synchronous track 570 near the driven track wheel 560 to first abut against the inner wall of the pipe. The drive assembly 400 continues to drive the rotating arm 300 to move towards the inner wall of the pipe. The track arm 530 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element 540 and rotates around the drive shaft 510. As a result, the track arm 530 gradually approaches the inner wall of the pipe with the driven track wheel 560 as the fulcrum, so that the synchronous track 570 gradually and completely presses against the inner side of the pipe. Therefore, the track crawling assembly 500 flexibly adapts to various environments of the pipe under the action of the drive assembly 400.

[0053] When the pipeline inspection robot moves, the first drive unit 520 drives the active track wheel 550 to rotate. With the assistance of the driven track wheel 560, the active track wheel 550 drives the synchronous track 570 to move around the active track wheel 550 and the driven track wheel 560, allowing the pipeline inspection robot to crawl along the extension direction of the pipeline. If the pipeline inspection robot encounters an obstacle or crack during its movement, the drive component 400 drives the corresponding track crawling component 500 to retract towards the main body 100 via the rotating arm 300, while the other track crawling components 500 remain pressed against the inner wall of the pipeline. Therefore, driven by the first drive unit 520 of the other track crawling components 500, the corresponding track crawling component 500 of the pipeline inspection robot crosses the corresponding obstacle or crack. Then, the drive component 400 drives the crawling mechanism 200 again via the rotating arm 300, and the crawling mechanism 200 adaptively presses against the inner wall of the pipeline again.

[0054] Understandably, during the process of the drive assembly 400 driving the track crawling assembly 500 to adapt to pipes with different inner diameters via the rotating arm 300, the rotating arm 300 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element 540 and rotates adaptively, thereby causing the synchronous track 570 to gradually and completely press against the inside of the pipe.

[0055] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6The end of the main body 100 of the pipeline inspection robot is typically equipped with an actuator 600. The actuator 600 can be a detection mechanism, used to inspect the condition of the inner wall of the pipeline as the robot moves forward along it, facilitating subsequent maintenance. Alternatively, the actuator 600 can also be a maintenance mechanism, used to repair the inner wall of the pipeline as the robot moves forward. Of course, the main body of the robot can also simultaneously house both a detection mechanism and a maintenance mechanism; that is, as the pipeline inspection robot moves forward along the pipeline, it uses the detection mechanism to inspect the condition of the inner wall and the maintenance mechanism to repair it.

[0056] In some embodiments, refer to Figures 2 to 5 Each track crawling assembly 500 includes two track arms 530, and the elastic element 540 is a torsion spring. The torsion spring is sleeved on the drive shaft 510. One elastic arm of the torsion spring is connected to the inner side of one track arm 530, and the other elastic arm of the torsion spring is connected to the inner side of the other track arm 530. The torsion spring is used to make the two track arms 530 aligned in a straight line.

[0057] In the process of adapting to pipes of different diameters, the drive assembly 400 drives the rotating arm 300 to rotate toward the pipe, and the synchronous track 570 on the driven track wheel 560 of one track arm 530 first abuts against the inner wall of the pipe. The drive assembly 400 continues to drive the rotating arm 300 to move towards the inner wall of the pipe via the rotating arm 300. The track arm 530 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element 540 and rotates around the drive shaft 510. The track arm 530 gradually approaches the inner wall of the pipe with the driven track wheel 560 as the fulcrum, so that the synchronous track 570 on the track arm 530 gradually and completely presses against the inner side of the pipe. At the same time, during the rotation of the track arm 530, the track arm 530 drives the other track arm 530 to move towards the inner wall of the pipe through the torsion spring. Therefore, the synchronous track 570 on the other track arm 530 also gradually presses against the inner wall of the pipe until the synchronous track 570 on both track arms 530 are fully pressed against the inner wall of the pipe.

[0058] As can be seen from the above, with the two tracked arms 530, the synchronous tracks 570 on both tracked arms 530 are pressed against the inner wall of the pipe, thus having a large frictional force with the inner wall of the pipe. The tracked crawling assembly 500 can stably crawl along the inner wall of the pipe under the action of the first drive member 520. At the same time, with the two tracked arms 530, it is easy to install the torsion spring 432. And with this kind of connection, when the synchronous track 570 on one tracked arm 530 is in contact with the inner wall of the pipe, the synchronous track 570 on the other tracked arm 530 can also be in contact with the inner wall of the pipe.

[0059] In addition, both track arms 530 are elastically rotatably connected to the drive shaft 510 via torsion springs. The two track arms 530 can adaptively adjust their posture. Therefore, under the drive of the drive assembly 400, they can adaptively match the inner wall of the pipe to stably press against the inner wall of the pipe.

[0060] Furthermore, one end of one track arm 530 has an arcuate groove 531, and one end of the other track arm 530 has an arcuate protrusion 532. The arcuate protrusion 532 is rotatably disposed in the arcuate groove 531. Thus, the two track arms 530 are positioned relative to each other, so that the elastic element 540 can be stably connected between the two track arms 530. Therefore, when one track arm 530 rotates, it stably drives the other track arm 530 toward the inner wall of the pipe through the torsion spring, so that the synchronous track 570 is fully pressed against the inner wall of the pipe.

[0061] Furthermore, at least two torsion springs are provided. The two elastic arms of one torsion spring abut against the first inner side surface 533 of the two track arms 530 respectively, that is, the two elastic arms of the torsion spring abut against the same side of the two track arms 530; the two elastic arms of the other torsion spring abut against the second inner side surface 534 of the two track arms 530 respectively, that is, the two elastic arms of the torsion spring abut against the same side of the two track arms 530; at the same time, the first inner side surface 533 and the second inner side surface 534 are arranged opposite to each other, that is, the elastic arms of the two torsion springs abut against the opposite side of the inner side of the track arms 530 respectively. Understandably, the two tracked arms 530 are connected by the two torsion springs mentioned above. When the two tracked arms 530 rotate in opposite directions, one torsion spring generates an elastic torsional force, thereby causing the driven tracked arm 530 to rotate towards the side wall of the pipe. When the two tracked arms 530 rotate in opposite directions, the other torsion spring generates an elastic torsional force, thereby causing the driven tracked arm 530 to rotate towards the side wall of the pipe. Furthermore, the connection method between the two torsion springs and the two tracked arms 530 is described above, making assembly of the torsion springs and tracked arms 530 relatively simple.

[0062] In some embodiments, refer to Figures 2 to 5 Guide rollers 580 are rotatably mounted on the surface of the synchronous track 570, and the axis of rotation of the guide rollers 580 is inclined relative to the direction of movement of the track. The guide rollers 580 on each synchronous track 570 have the same inclination direction, or the guide rollers 580 on adjacent synchronous tracks 570 face opposite directions. For example, in a pipeline inspection robot with six synchronous tracks 570, the guide rollers 580 of three synchronous tracks 570 face to the right front, and the guide rollers 580 of the other three synchronous tracks 570 face to the left front. This application will describe the robot accordingly.

[0063] Specifically, the pipeline inspection robot has six synchronous tracks 570, each of which can be independently controlled to achieve free and flexible movement in confined spaces. Different combinations of movement patterns of the tracks allow the robot to perform various movement actions.

[0064] When the pipeline inspection robot needs to move forward or backward, the guide rollers 580 of the three synchronous tracks 570 point to the right front, and the guide rollers 580 of the other three synchronous tracks 570 point to the left front. Each synchronous track 570 rotates in the forward or backward direction. In the forward movement, the synchronous track 570 with its guide rollers 580 pointing to the left front generates left-front force, and the synchronous track 570 with its guide rollers 580 pointing to the right front generates right-front force. Combined, this causes the pipeline inspection robot to move forward. Conversely, the control system controls the pipeline inspection robot to move backward.

[0065] When the pipeline inspection robot needs to rotate in place along its own radial direction, such as turning to the left, the guide roller 580 rotates clockwise towards the left front of the synchronous track 570, generating a force to the left front; while the guide roller 580 rotates counterclockwise towards the right front of the synchronous track 570, generating a force to the left rear. Combining these two forces, the pipeline inspection robot is left with only a force for left rotation, completing the robot's left turn in place; conversely, the control system controls the pipeline inspection robot to turn to the right.

[0066] When the pipeline inspection robot needs to turn while moving forward, such as turning left while moving forward, it can achieve a spiral-shaped movement. The synchronous track 570 with the guide roller 580 facing left-forward should rotate clockwise, generating a force to the left-forward. At the same time, the synchronous track 570 with the guide roller 580 facing right-forward can adjust its rotation speed to generate varying forces to the right-forward, thus effectively controlling the degree or speed of the pipeline inspection robot's left turn. Conversely, the control system effectively controls the degree or speed of the pipeline inspection robot's right turn.

[0067] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6The main body 100 includes two end seats 110 and a slide rail fixing frame 120. One end of the slide rail fixing frame 120 is connected to one end seat 110, and the other end is connected to the other end seat 110. One end of the rotating arm 300 is rotatably connected to the end seat 110. The slide rail fixing frames 120 and the crawling mechanism 200 are arranged in equal numbers. Each slide rail fixing frame 120 has a guide rail groove 121 along its length, and the drive assembly 400 is disposed within the guide rail groove 121 of the slide rail fixing frame 120. The end seat 110 is used for detachably mounting the actuator 600, allowing the operator to replace the actuator 600. The actuator 600 can be a detection mechanism or a maintenance mechanism; therefore, the operator can switch between detection and maintenance mechanisms.

[0068] In application, both end caps 110 can be equipped with detection mechanisms. With this configuration, as the pipeline inspection robot crawls forward along the pipeline, the detection mechanism at the front end can monitor the internal environment of the pipeline, allowing it to move smoothly forward. Conversely, as the pipeline inspection robot crawls backward along the pipeline, the detection mechanism at the rear end can monitor the internal environment of the pipeline, allowing it to move smoothly backward. Alternatively, the detection mechanism at the rear end can be replaced with a maintenance mechanism. Therefore, as the pipeline inspection robot crawls forward along the pipeline, the detection mechanism at the front end is used to detect the pipeline route and defects (obstacles or cracks), while the maintenance mechanism at the rear end is used to maintain the pipeline for defects.

[0069] Furthermore, the drive assembly 400 includes a second drive member 410, a transmission link 420, and a transmission base 430. The second drive member 410 includes a servo motor 412 and a lead screw 411. The servo motor 412 can be mounted on the end seat 110. The lead screw 411 is disposed within the guide rail groove 121 along its length and is rotatably mounted. The transmission base 430 is slidably mounted on the guide rail groove 121, and the lead screw 411 is threadedly connected to the transmission base 430. Thus, when the servo motor 412 drives the lead screw 411 to rotate, the lead screw 411 drives the transmission base 430 to slide along the guide rail groove 121. One end of the transmission link 420 is rotatably connected to the transmission base 430, and the other end is rotatably connected to the rotating arm 300.

[0070] Specifically, the second drive assembly 400 drives the transmission seat 430 to slide along the guide rail groove 121. The transmission connecting rod 420 rotates relative to the transmission seat 430 and the rotating arm 300. Thus, the transmission seat 430 drives the rotating arm 300 to rotate radially outward through the transmission connecting rod 420 to adapt to pipes of different diameters. It can be understood that the main body 100 is formed by connecting the end seat 110 and the slide rail fixing frame 120, thus the overall structure of the main body 100 is simple. Each slide rail fixing frame 120 is provided with a guide rail groove 121, which facilitates the installation of the drive assembly 400 and also conceals the drive assembly 400, resulting in a more aesthetically pleasing overall appearance for the pipeline inspection robot.

[0071] Furthermore, the transmission base 430 includes a guide rail retainer 431, a spring 432, a connecting rod 433, and a buckle 434. The guide rail retainer 431 is slidably disposed in the guide rail groove 121 of the slide rail fixing bracket 120. The lead screw 411 is threadedly connected to the guide rail retainer 431. One end of the connecting rod 433 is axially slidably disposed in the guide rail retainer 431. The buckle 434 is fixedly connected to the other end of the connecting rod 433. The spring 432 is sleeved on the outside of the connecting rod 433. One end of the spring 432 abuts against the guide rail retainer 431, and the other end abuts against the buckle 434. The transmission connecting rod 420 is rotatably connected to the end of the connecting rod 433 away from the guide rail retainer 431.

[0072] Therefore, the second driving component 410 drives the guide rail fixator 431 to slide along the guide rail groove 121. The guide rail fixator 431 acts on the connecting rod 433 through the spring 432, and the connecting rod 433 acts on the rotating arm 300 through the transmission link 420, thereby driving the track crawling assembly 500 to adapt to pipes with different inner diameters. It can be understood that when the robot's active control judgment fails or the environmental changes are subtle, the spring 432 deforms during the crawling process of the track crawling assembly 500, and the connecting rod 433 slides relative to the guide rail fixator 431. Correspondingly, the track crawling assembly 500 adaptively adjusts its position, so that it can crawl smoothly along the inner wall of the pipe.

[0073] In one possible embodiment, reference is made to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the circumferential direction of the main body 100, the rotating arms 300 of the crawling mechanism 200 are rotatably connected to the two end seats 110 in an alternating manner. For example, there are six crawling mechanisms 200, of which the rotating arms 300 of three crawling mechanisms 200 are rotatably connected to the end seats 110 at the front end position, and the rotating arms 300 of the other three crawling mechanisms 200 are rotatably connected to the end seats 110 at the rear end position. In the circumferential direction, the crawling mechanisms 200 connected to different end seats 110 are arranged in an alternating manner.

[0074] Understandably, the crawling mechanism 200 can be compactly mounted on the body 100 in the circumferential direction, allowing for a sufficient number of crawling mechanisms 200 to be mounted on the body 100 to ensure stable crawling along the inner wall of the pipe. During radial adjustment, the driving directions of adjacent drive components 400 are opposite, and the rotation directions of corresponding adjacent crawling mechanisms 200 are opposite. During abutment, the centers of gravity of adjacent crawling mechanisms 200 abutting against the pipe wall are staggered, thus enabling adjacent crawling mechanisms 200 to cooperate more stably against the inner wall of the pipe.

[0075] In other embodiments, the rotating arm 300 of the crawling mechanism 200 is rotatably connected to the same end seat 110.

[0076] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 7 The pipeline inspection robot includes two sets of crawling mechanisms 200. One set of crawling mechanisms 200 is located at the front of the main body 100 and connected to the end cap 110 at the front end. The other set of crawling mechanisms 200 is located at the rear of the main body 100 and connected to the end cap 110 at the rear end. The two sets of crawling mechanisms 200 are staggered along the length of the main body 100. Specifically, one set of crawling mechanisms 200 includes multiple crawling mechanisms 200 distributed around the front of the main body 100, and the rotating arm 300 of each crawling mechanism 200 is rotatably connected to the end cap 110 at the front end. The other set of crawling mechanisms 200 includes multiple crawling mechanisms 200 distributed around the rear of the main body 100, and the rotating arm 300 of each crawling mechanism 200 is rotatably connected to the end cap 110 at the rear end.

[0077] The fuselage body 100 can be configured as two connected bodies. Two end seats 110 are respectively mounted and connected to the two ends of the two fuselage bodies 100. A set of crawling mechanisms 200 is arranged around one fuselage body 100, and another set of crawling mechanisms 200 is arranged around the other fuselage body 100. Of course, if the length of the fuselage body 100 is long enough, it is not necessary to configure it as two fuselage bodies 100 spliced ​​together.

[0078] Understandably, the main body 100 has two sets of crawling mechanisms 200 at the front and rear. With this configuration, the two sets of crawling mechanisms 200 can work together to crawl stably along the inner wall of the pipe. In this way, the pipe inspection robot can carry a maintenance mechanism of sufficient weight to maintain the pipe.

[0079] Furthermore, when the pipeline inspection robot is crossing obstacles, if one set of crawling mechanisms 200 fails to function, the other set of crawling mechanisms 200 can still ensure that the pipeline inspection robot can stably crawl forward along the pipeline.

[0080] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6 The end seat 110 includes a flange 111 and a loading tray 112. The end of the slide rail fixing bracket 120 is connected to the flange 111, and the rotating arm 300 is rotatably connected to the loading tray 112. The loading tray 112 is used for the detachable loading actuator 600. The flange 111 can be made of stainless steel to ensure its strength, and the loading tray 112 can be made of aluminum to ensure that its weight is not too high.

[0081] Specifically, during the assembly process of the pipeline inspection robot, the staff can assemble the slide rail fixing frame 120, flange 111 and drive component 400 into one module; and assemble the track crawling component 500 and loading plate 112 into another module. The two modules are assembled together to complete the assembly of the pipeline inspection robot. It can be seen that the end seat 110 is divided into flange 111 and loading plate 112, which makes the assembly of the pipeline inspection robot more convenient.

[0082] This invention also discloses a robot control method, referring to... Figure 1 and Figure 8 The pipeline inspection robot described above includes:

[0083] S100 acquires location and feature information of obstructions and / or cracks in the pipeline.

[0084] Location information refers to the location of obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline, while feature information refers to the size, shape, and other information of obstacles and / or cracks.

[0085] Specifically, a detection mechanism is provided at the front end of the main body 100. As the pipeline inspection robot crawls along the pipeline, the detection mechanism monitors the internal environment of the pipeline in real time, thereby obtaining the location information and feature information of obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline.

[0086] S200 acquires the acceleration and angle changes of the pipeline inspection robot.

[0087] Step S200 is not limited to being completed after step S100. Step S100 and step S200 can be completed simultaneously, or step S100 can be completed after step S200.

[0088] Specifically, a detection mechanism is provided at the front end of the main body 100. The detection mechanism can be an inertial measurement unit. During the process of the pipeline inspection robot crawling along the pipeline, the inertial measurement unit monitors the acceleration and angle changes of the pipeline inspection robot in the pipeline in real time.

[0089] S300 plans an avoidance strategy based on the position information, the feature information, the acceleration, and the angle change. The avoidance strategy is used to control the pipeline inspection robot to avoid obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline.

[0090] Specifically, after acquiring the aforementioned position information, feature information, acceleration, and angle change, the position information, feature information, acceleration, and angle change are sent to the control system. Upon receiving the position information, feature information, acceleration, and angle change, the control system plans an avoidance strategy. Thus, as the pipeline inspection robot crawls along the pipeline, the avoidance strategy controls the pipeline inspection robot to avoid obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline.

[0091] In a specific embodiment, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 9 Step S101, which involves obtaining the location and feature information of obstructions and / or cracks in the pipeline, includes:

[0092] S101 acquires the monitoring information of the pipeline by the pipeline inspection robot, the monitoring information including information captured by radar camera and RGB camera; or, the monitoring information including information captured by depth camera and RGB camera; or, the monitoring information including information captured by two RGB cameras.

[0093] Specifically, a detection mechanism is provided at the front end of the main body 100. This mechanism includes a radar camera and an RGB camera. As the pipeline inspection robot crawls along the pipeline, the radar camera captures point cloud data of the inner side of the pipeline in real time, thereby determining the location information of obstacles and / or cracks; the RGB camera captures RGB image information in real time, thereby determining the feature information of obstacles and / or cracks. Alternatively, the detection mechanism includes a depth camera and an RGB camera. As the pipeline inspection robot crawls along the pipeline, the depth camera captures point cloud data of the inner side of the pipeline in real time, thereby determining the location information of obstacles and / or cracks; the RGB camera captures RGB image information in real time, thereby determining the feature information of obstacles and / or cracks. Alternatively, the detection mechanism includes two RGB cameras. As the pipeline inspection robot crawls along the pipeline, the two RGB cameras capture RGB image information in real time, and the location and feature information of obstacles and / or cracks are determined based on the RGB image information captured by the two RGB cameras.

[0094] S102 Obtain a pre-trained target robot learning model, which is obtained by training an initial robot learning model using a dataset from the pipeline environment.

[0095] The robot learning model can employ the YoloV8 algorithm or other robot learning models. Specifically, in acquiring the target robot learning model, workers analyze the pipeline environment to collect a large amount of pipeline data, which is then compiled into a dataset. This dataset, after processing, is input into the initial robot learning model to train the target robot learning model, which can quickly and accurately identify obstacles and cracks in the pipeline.

[0096] S103 inputs the monitoring information into the target robot learning model to obtain the output results of the target robot learning model. The output results are used to characterize the location information and feature information of obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline.

[0097] Specifically, during its crawling along the pipeline, the pipeline inspection robot inputs captured information into its target robot learning model. This information may include data captured by radar and RGB cameras; or, the monitoring information may include data captured by depth and RGB cameras; or, the monitoring information may include data captured by two RGB cameras. Upon receiving this information, the target robot learning model quickly and accurately identifies obstacles and cracks in the pipeline, accurately outputting the location and feature information of these obstacles and / or cracks. Therefore, the control system can accurately plan avoidance strategies based on the location and feature information of the obstacles and / or cracks, thereby controlling the pipeline inspection robot to avoid these obstacles and / or cracks.

[0098] The technical means disclosed in this invention are not limited to those disclosed in the above embodiments, but also include technical solutions composed of any combination of the above technical features. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications are also considered within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A pipeline inspection robot, characterized in that, include: Main body of the fuselage; Multiple crawling mechanisms are arranged sequentially along the circumferential direction of the main body of the fuselage, wherein each crawling mechanism includes: A rotating arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the main body of the fuselage, and its rotation axis is perpendicular to the length direction of the main body of the fuselage; A drive assembly, disposed on the main body of the machine body, is used to drive the rotating arm to rotate; A track crawling assembly includes a drive shaft, a first drive member, a track arm, an elastic member, a drive track wheel, a driven track wheel, and a synchronous track. The drive shaft is rotatably mounted on the track arm. The first drive member is mounted on the track arm and drives the drive shaft to rotate. The track arm is rotatably mounted on the drive shaft. The elastic member is connected to the track arm and maintains the position of the track arm. The drive track wheel is connected to the drive shaft. The driven track wheel is rotatably connected to the track arm. The synchronous track is wound around the drive track wheel and the driven track wheel. The rotation axis of the track arm is parallel to the drive shaft. Each of the track crawling components includes two track arms. The elastic element is a torsion spring sleeved on the drive shaft. One elastic arm of the torsion spring is connected to one of the track arms, and the other elastic arm of the torsion spring is connected to the other track arm. The torsion spring is used to make the two track arms aligned in a straight line. The main body of the fuselage includes: Two end seats, the end seats being used for detachably loading the actuator, and the rotating arm being rotatably connected to the end seats; A slide rail fixing bracket, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the end seat, and the slide rail fixing bracket is provided with a guide rail groove along its length; The driving assembly includes a second driving member, a transmission link, and a transmission seat. The transmission seat is slidably disposed in the guide rail groove. The second driving member is disposed in the guide rail groove and is used to drive the transmission seat to slide along the guide rail groove. One end of the transmission link is rotatably connected to the transmission seat, and the other end is rotatably connected to the rotating arm.

2. The pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the track arms has an arc groove at one end, and the other track arm has an arc protrusion at one end, the arc protrusion being rotatably disposed in the arc groove; At least two torsion springs are provided. The two elastic arms of one torsion spring abut against the same side wall of the two track arms, and the two elastic arms of the other torsion spring abut against the same side wall of the two track arms. The elastic arms of the two torsion springs abut against opposite sides of the inner side of the track arms.

3. A pipeline inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The track surface is rotatably provided with guide rollers, and the axis of rotation of the guide rollers is inclined relative to the movement direction of the track.

4. A pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the circumferential direction of the main body of the machine, the rotating arms of the crawling mechanism are rotatably connected to the two end seats in an alternating manner; or, the rotating arms of the crawling mechanism are rotatably connected to the same end seat.

5. A pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipeline inspection robot includes two sets of crawling mechanisms. One set of crawling mechanisms includes multiple crawling mechanisms distributed around the main body of the robot, with the rotating arm of each crawling mechanism rotatably connected to an end seat. The other set of crawling mechanisms includes multiple crawling mechanisms distributed around the main body of the robot, with the rotating arm of each crawling mechanism rotatably connected to another end seat. The two sets of crawling mechanisms are staggered along the length of the main body of the robot.

6. A pipeline inspection robot according to any one of claims 4 to 5, characterized in that, The end cap: The flange is connected to the end of the slide rail fixing bracket; The loading disk, the rotating arm being rotatably connected to the loading disk, and the loading disk being used for a detachable loading actuator.

7. A robot control method, characterized in that, The pipeline inspection robot described in any one of claims 1 to 6 includes: Obtain location and feature information of obstructions and / or cracks in the pipeline; The acceleration and angle changes of the pipeline inspection robot are obtained; An avoidance strategy is planned based on the location information, the feature information, the acceleration, and the angle change. The avoidance strategy is used to control the pipeline inspection robot to avoid obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline.

8. A robot control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The acquisition of location and feature information of obstructions and / or cracks in the pipeline includes: The monitoring information of the pipeline by the pipeline inspection robot is acquired, including information captured by radar cameras and RGB cameras; or, the monitoring information includes information captured by depth cameras and RGB cameras; or, the monitoring information includes information captured by two RGB cameras. Obtain a pre-trained target robot learning model, which is obtained by training an initial robot learning model using a dataset from the pipeline environment; The monitoring information is input into the target robot learning model to obtain the output results of the target robot learning model. The output results are used to characterize the location information and feature information of obstacles and / or cracks in the pipeline.

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