Track inspection robot

Abstract

The invention provides a track inspection robot, and belongs to the technical field of electric power iron tower inspection, the track inspection robot comprises an inspection body, the bottom of the inspection body is provided with a guide frame, the guide frame is provided with a walking wheel set, and the walking wheel set is used in cooperation with a track; the driving module is provided with a servo motor, and an output shaft of the servo motor is connected with the walking wheel set in a matched mode. The image module is used for acquiring image information at the front end of the moving direction of the inspection body; an antenna is arranged at the top of the inspection body, the controller is connected with the antenna through a wireless signal receiver, the controller is further connected with the servo motor through a motor control circuit, the controller receives a motor control signal sent by an upper computer and controls operation of the servo motor, and the controller is connected with an image module to obtain image information. And the image information is uploaded to an upper computer. Real-time detection of the track passing condition is achieved, the situation that maintenance workers cannot pass through due to unsmooth tracks is avoided, and therefore safety is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of power tower inspection, and in particular relates to a track inspection robot. Background Art

[0002] Power towers are a very important part of the power system. Transmission line towers are tower-shaped buildings used for power transmission. Their structural characteristics are that all types of towers are space truss structures, and the rods are mainly composed of single equilateral angle steel or combined angle steel. Transmission line towers are generally used to support the tower structure of overhead wires, lightning rods and other accessories, so that the wires and wires, wires and towers, wires and lightning rods, wires and ground or cross-over objects maintain a specified safe distance.

[0003] Generally, power towers have a certain height. After a period of use, power towers need to be inspected to check for abnormalities. In the existing maintenance process, inspectors need to wear safety equipment to inspect power towers, which brings unsafe factors to inspectors, and the inspection efficiency is low due to manual climbing of power towers. There are also automatic equipment for inspection. For example, an existing document discloses a power tower inspection mechanism, which includes a camera, a lifting mechanism and a motor for driving the camera to rotate. The motor is installed at the top of the lifting mechanism, and the camera is installed on the motor. The lifting mechanism includes an upper support plate, a scissor-type lifting device, a lifting drive device and a lower bottom plate. The lifting drive device is fixed on the lower bottom plate, one side of the scissor-type lifting device that moves synchronously at the bottom end is hinged to the lower bottom plate, and the other side opposite to it is movably installed on the lifting drive device, one side of the scissor-type lifting device that moves synchronously at the top end is hinged to the upper support plate, and the other side opposite to it is slidably installed on the upper support plate, and the motor is installed on the upper support plate. In this document, the camera can be moved away from or close to the power tower through a lifting mechanism, and the camera can rotate 360 ​​degrees through a motor, so that the camera has at least two degrees of freedom of lifting and 360-degree rotation, which increases the flexibility of the camera during the inspection process and expands the inspection field of view.

[0004] It can be seen that the document uses a lifting device to raise the camera to a certain height to inspect the power tower. If the power tower is high, the lifting device in the document cannot reach the height of the power tower, which will affect the inspection effect. It can be seen that the inspection work in the document is only suitable for the inspection of low-height power towers, and is not suitable for the inspection of high-height power towers. It is also impossible to perform mobile inspections on the top or beams of the power tower. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides a track inspection robot, which does not require inspection personnel to go to the power tower for inspection, and can enable the inspection personnel to implement the inspection of the power tower based on remote control, thereby improving the safety of the inspection personnel.

[0006] The track inspection robot comprises: an inspection body, a guide frame is arranged at the bottom of the inspection body, a walking wheel set is installed on the guide frame, and the walking wheel set is used in conjunction with the track; The inspection body is provided with a wireless signal receiver, a motor control circuit, a controller, an image module, a drive module and a power supply module for supplying power to the electrical components inside the inspection body; The driving module is provided with a servo motor, the output shaft of the servo motor is connected with the running wheel set to drive the running wheel set to slide on the track; The image module is arranged at the front end of the inspection body in the moving direction, and the image module is used to collect image information at the front end of the inspection body in the moving direction; An antenna is arranged on the top of the inspection body, and the controller is connected to the antenna through a wireless signal receiver. The controller is also connected to the servo motor through a motor control circuit. The controller receives the motor control signal sent by the host computer, controls the operation of the servo motor, and obtains image information by connecting to the image module and uploads the image information to the host computer.

[0007] It should be further explained that the guide frame is provided with a support plate, and vertical plates are symmetrically connected to both sides of the support plate; The walking wheel group is provided with a driving wheel and a guide wheel; the driving wheel and the guide wheel are respectively installed on the vertical plate; The center line of the guide frame is in line with the center of the track; the driving wheel and the guide wheel are respectively abutted against the track; The driving wheel is made of polyurethane material.

[0008] It should be further explained that the servo motor adopts a torque-enhanced hybrid stepper motor; The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the driving wheel through a conveyor belt, driving the driving wheel to run on the track.

[0009] It should be further explained that the antenna includes a first gain antenna and a second gain antenna which are redundant with each other; the first gain antenna and the second gain antenna respectively use full-angle gain antennas using FHSS spread spectrum technology.

[0010] It should be further explained that a non-contact sensor for sensing obstacles on the track is provided at the end of the inspection body in the moving direction; The controller is connected with the non-contact sensor to obtain obstacle information at the front end of the moving direction of the inspection body detected by the non-contact sensor, and controls the operation of the servo motor based on the obstacle information.

[0011] It should be further explained that the image acquisition module adopts a Samsung ST6500 series high-definition camera with 720P automatic light compensation.

[0012] It should be further explained that the inspection body is covered externally with a shell, a strip hole is opened at the end of the shell, and the image module extends out of the shell through the strip hole; and a direction groove is arranged at the bottom of the shell.

[0013] It should be further explained that the power module includes a battery and a multi-level voltage conversion unit; the multi-level voltage conversion unit includes: a 24v to 12v conversion circuit, a 12v to 5v conversion circuit, a 5v to 3.3v conversion circuit and a 3.3v to 1.5v conversion circuit.

[0014] It should be further explained that the inspection body is also provided with an optical coupler isolation circuit, a current sensor and a position sensor; the motor control circuit adopts an L298N motor control circuit; The controller is connected to the motor control circuit via an optocoupler isolation circuit; The controller is connected to the servo motor through a current sensor to obtain current information of the servo motor; The controller is connected to the servo motor via a position sensor to obtain the rotor position information of the servo motor.

[0015] It should be further explained that the controller adopts an stm32 microcontroller or a 51 microcontroller.

[0016] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the present invention has the following advantages: In the track inspection robot provided by the present invention, the track inspection robot can be installed on the track of the power line tower to walk, and then the power tower can be inspected. The inspection personnel can detect the track clearance status in real time, and control the robot according to the detected track clearance status to meet the inspection needs. The inspection operation of the equipment can also be realized through the acquired image information, thereby improving the safety of the inspection operation. The problem in the prior art that the lifting device cannot reach the height of the power tower will affect the inspection effect, is not suitable for the inspection of high-height power towers, and cannot be mobile inspected on the top or beam of the power tower is solved.

[0017] The present invention can realize smooth control of the servo motor, has little impact on the servo motor operation system when starting and stopping, has low starting power consumption, realizes smooth and smooth operation of the servo motor, enables the track inspection robot to move smoothly on the power tower track, realizes the inspection process, and ensures smooth execution of the inspection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the track inspection robot; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a track inspection robot; Figure 3 This is a control diagram of the track inspection robot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully in the invention providing a track inspection robot. The present disclosure may have various embodiments, and adjustments and changes may be made therein. However, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the various embodiments of the present disclosure to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but rather the present disclosure should be understood to cover all adjustments, equivalents and / or alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Hereinafter, the terms "include" or "may include" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure indicate the presence of disclosed functions, operations, or elements, and do not limit the addition of one or more functions, operations, or elements. In addition, as used in various embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "include", "have", and their cognates are intended only to indicate specific features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or a combination of the foregoing, and should not be understood as first excluding the presence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or a combination of the foregoing or the possibility of adding one or more features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or a combination of the foregoing.

[0022] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the expression "or" or "at least one of A or / and B" includes any combination or all combinations of the words listed at the same time. For example, the expression "A or B" or "at least one of A or / and B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

[0023] The expressions (such as "first", "second", etc.) used in the various embodiments of the present disclosure may modify the various constituent elements in the various embodiments, but may not limit the corresponding constituent elements. For example, the above expressions do not limit the order and / or importance of the elements. The above expressions are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one element from other elements. For example, the first user device and the second user device indicate different user devices, although both are user devices. For example, without departing from the scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may also be referred to as the first element.

[0024] It should be noted that if it is described that one component element is “connected” to another component element, the first component element may be directly connected to the second component element, and a third component element may be “connected” between the first component element and the second component element. Conversely, when one component element is “directly connected” to another component element, it can be understood that there is no third component element between the first component element and the second component element.

[0025] The terms used in the various embodiments of the present disclosure are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the various embodiments of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular form is intended to also include the plural form, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as the meanings commonly understood by ordinary technicians in the field to which the various embodiments of the present disclosure belong. The terms (such as the terms defined in the generally used dictionary) will be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning in the relevant technical field and will not be interpreted as having an idealized meaning or an overly formal meaning, unless clearly defined in the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] See below Figures 1 to 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of a rail inspection robot in a specific embodiment, which specifically includes: an inspection body 1, a shell 12 is provided on the outside of the inspection body, a strip hole is opened at the end of the shell 12, and the image module extends out of the shell through the strip hole; a direction groove 13 is provided at the bottom of the shell.

[0027] A guide frame 2 is arranged at the bottom of the inspection body 1, and a walking wheel group is installed on the guide frame 2, and the walking wheel group is used in conjunction with the track 3; the inspection body 1 is provided with a wireless signal receiver 4, a motor control circuit 5, a controller 6, an image module 7, a drive module 8 and a power supply module 9 for supplying power to the internal electrical components of the inspection body 1.

[0028] The power module 9 includes a battery and a multi-level voltage conversion unit; the multi-level voltage conversion unit includes: a 24v to 12v conversion circuit, a 12v to 5v conversion circuit, a 5v to 3.3v conversion circuit, and a 3.3v to 1.5v conversion circuit. The multi-level voltage conversion unit is connected to the battery, and the multi-level voltage conversion unit can provide corresponding voltages according to the power supply needs of each electrical component, and provide the required different voltages for the track inspection robot.

[0029] The controller 6 of this embodiment adopts a stm32 single chip microcomputer or a 51 single chip microcomputer. The driving module 8 is provided with a servo motor, and the output shaft of the servo motor is connected with the running wheel set to drive the running wheel set to slide on the track.

[0030] Specifically, the guide frame 2 is provided with a support plate, and vertical plates are symmetrically connected on both sides of the support plate; the walking wheel group is provided with a driving wheel and a guide wheel 10; the driving wheel and the guide wheel 10 are respectively installed on the vertical plates; the center line of the guide frame 2 is collinear with the center of the track; the guide frame 2 can enable the track inspection robot to walk along the track. Two driving wheels and two guide wheels 10 can be provided, and the two driving wheels and the two guide wheels 10 are respectively provided on both sides of the track and abut against the bottom surface of the track. The driving wheel is made of polyurethane material, and the driving wheel drives the track inspection robot to walk along the track by friction. The servo motor adopts a torque-enhanced hybrid stepping motor; the output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the driving wheel through a conveyor belt, driving the driving wheel to run on the track 3.

[0031] The image module 7 is arranged at the front end of the moving direction of the inspection body 1, and the image module 7 is used to collect image information of the front end of the moving direction of the inspection body 1; an antenna 11 is arranged on the top of the inspection body 1, and the controller 6 is connected to the antenna through a wireless signal receiver 4. The controller 6 is also connected to the servo motor through a motor control circuit 5. The controller 6 receives the motor control signal sent by the host computer and controls the operation of the servo motor.

[0032] In this embodiment, the inspection body 1 is also provided with an optocoupler isolation circuit, a current sensor and a position sensor; the motor control circuit 5 adopts an L298N motor control circuit 5; the controller 6 is connected to the motor control circuit 5 through the optocoupler isolation circuit; the controller 6 is connected to the servo motor through the current sensor to obtain the current information of the servo motor; the controller 6 is connected to the servo motor through the position sensor to obtain the rotor position information of the servo motor.

[0033] The controller 6 controls the servo motor based on PWM speed regulation. The controller 6 switches on and off the L298N motor control circuit 5 according to a preset frequency or square wave waveform, and changes the time of switching on and off within a cycle as needed to achieve a duty cycle to change the proportion of the voltage on the servo motor armature, thereby changing the average voltage of the servo motor and controlling the speed of the servo motor. While the servo motor is running, the current information and rotor position information of the servo motor can be obtained. Thereby, the servo motor can be smoothly controlled, the impact on the servo motor operation system is small when starting and stopping, the starting power consumption is low, and the servo motor can be smoothly operated.

[0034] In order to ensure the stable operation of the track inspection robot, the controller 6 obtains image information by connecting with the image module 7, and uploads the image information to the host computer. The operator can use the host computer to view the image information to learn the running status of the track inspection robot and the front obstacle situation, and then can effectively control the walking and operation. Optionally, the image acquisition module uses a Samsung ST6500 series high-definition camera with 720P automatic light compensation.

[0035] It should be noted that the track inspection robot can be installed on the vertical maintenance track of the power line tower, and can also be installed on other types of tracks according to actual needs. The track inspection robot can move and walk on a variety of equipment with tracks for inspection.

[0036] Optionally, the antenna includes a first gain antenna and a second gain antenna that are redundant to each other; the first gain antenna and the second gain antenna both adopt full-angle gain antennas using FHSS spread spectrum technology. By adopting mutually redundant full-angle gain antennas, the communication capability of the signal is greatly enhanced.

[0037] The wireless signal receiver 4 is connected to the first gain antenna and the second gain antenna, and the wireless signal receiver 4 is connected to the controller 6 through the first gain antenna and the second gain antenna to receive the control signal sent by the controller 6. The control signal includes a motor forward rotation signal, a motor reverse rotation signal and a motor stop signal.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present application, when the controller 6 receives the motor forward rotation signal through the wireless signal receiver 4, the first gain antenna and the second gain antenna, the servo motor is controlled to rotate forward. After the servo motor is started to rotate forward, the power of the servo motor is transmitted to the synchronous wheel through the synchronous belt through the conveyor belt, so that the synchronous wheel drives the transmission shaft to rotate, and the rotation of the transmission shaft drives the driving wheel to move vertically upward along the track. The guide wheel 10 cooperates with the two side surfaces of the track to limit the movement of the walking module on the track, thereby realizing a high-precision limiting and guiding effect on the movement of the track robot.

[0039] As an example, a non-contact sensor 14 for sensing obstacles on the track is provided at the end of the moving direction of the inspection body 1; the controller 6 is connected to the non-contact sensor 14 to obtain obstacle information at the front end of the moving direction of the inspection body 1 detected by the non-contact sensor 14, and controls the operation of the servo motor based on the obstacle information.

[0040] Specifically, the controller 6 can obtain the real-time track image collected by the image module 7, and send the obtained real-time track image to the host computer for display through the wireless signal receiver 4, so as to realize the real-time detection of the track traffic condition, avoid the track congestion that causes the track inspection robot to be unable to pass, thereby improving the passability of the track inspection robot. When it is found that there are obstacles or the track is congested, the track robot can be controlled in time to stop running.

[0041] The controller 6 is also connected to the non-contact sensor 14 so that when the non-contact sensor 14 detects an obstacle, the controller 6 automatically sends a motor stop signal to the servo motor to control the operation of the servo motor and ensure the stable operation of the track inspection robot.

[0042] According to the embodiments of the present application, the remote control of the track inspection robot for precise displacement on the track is realized based on the walking wheel group, the wireless signal receiver 4, the motor control circuit 5, the controller 6 and the image module 7. In addition, when the inspection robot is precisely displaced on the track, the real-time track image can be collected through the set image module 7 to realize real-time detection of the track traffic condition, thereby avoiding the track inspection robot being unable to pass due to poor track condition, thereby improving the operation stability of the track inspection robot.

[0043] In addition, obstacles on the track are detected by non-contact sensors 14, and when obstacles are detected, the inspection robot is automatically controlled to operate.

[0044] When the track inspection robot involved in this embodiment is in use, a motor control signal is sent to the controller 6 through the host computer. When the controller 6 receives the start motor signal through the wireless signal receiver 4, the first gain antenna and the second gain antenna, the servo motor is controlled to start. After the servo motor is started, the power of the motor is transmitted to the synchronous wheel through the transmission component, so that the synchronous wheel drives the driving wheel shaft to rotate, and the rotation of the driving wheel shaft drives the driving wheel. Since the guide wheel 10 cooperates with the two side surfaces of the track, the driving wheel moves along the track. The movement of the driving wheel causes the walking module body to move along the track, and then the track inspection robot moves along the track, meeting the needs of the inspection operation.

[0045] During the movement of the track inspection robot along the track, the image module 7 collects the real-time image of the track, and sends the collected real-time image of the track to the host computer via the wireless signal receiver 4 for display, so that the inspection personnel can detect the track clearance in real time, and control the robot according to the detected track clearance state to meet the inspection needs, and can also realize the inspection of the equipment through the acquired image information. At the same time, during the movement of the track inspection robot along the track, if the non-contact sensor 14 detects that there is an obstacle in front, the obstacle detection signal is sent to the controller 6. Based on the received obstacle signal, the controller 6 sends the obstacle signal to the host computer to realize the inspection needs of the equipment, and can also control the servo motor to stop the servo motor to remind the inspection personnel that there is an obstacle in front of the track. At the same time, the inspection personnel can also further confirm the track image collected by the image acquisition module, which helps to further confirm the inspection situation, and by using a contact sensor, the missed track blockage caused by human factors is avoided.

[0046] When it is necessary to stop the track inspection robot, the inspection personnel send a motor control instruction to the controller 6 through the host computer to control the servo motor to stop running. The surrounding environment and equipment information of the track inspection robot can be obtained through the image module 7 to play the role of inspection and maintenance. The inspection operation can be carried out without the need for personnel to go to the equipment.

[0047] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the composition and steps of each example have been generally described in terms of function in the above description. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0048] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, or it can be an electrical, mechanical or other form of connection.

[0049] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A track inspection robot, characterized in that: include: Inspection body: a guide frame is arranged at the bottom of the inspection body, a walking wheel set is installed on the guide frame, and the walking wheel set is used in conjunction with the track; The inspection body is provided with a wireless signal receiver, a motor control circuit, a controller, an image module, a drive module and a power supply module for supplying power to the electrical components inside the inspection body; The driving module is provided with a servo motor, the output shaft of the servo motor is connected with the running wheel set to drive the running wheel set to slide on the track; The image module is arranged at the front end of the inspection body in the moving direction, and the image module is used to collect image information at the front end of the inspection body in the moving direction; An antenna is arranged on the top of the inspection body, and the controller is connected to the antenna through a wireless signal receiver. The controller is also connected to the servo motor through a motor control circuit. The controller receives the motor control signal sent by the host computer, controls the operation of the servo motor, and obtains image information by connecting to the image module and uploads the image information to the host computer.

2. The rail inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide frame is provided with a support plate, and vertical plates are symmetrically connected on both sides of the support plate; The walking wheel group is provided with a driving wheel and a guide wheel; the driving wheel and the guide wheel are respectively installed on the vertical plate; The center line of the guide frame is in line with the center of the track; the driving wheel and the guide wheel are respectively abutted against the track; The driving wheel is made of polyurethane material.

3. The rail inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The servo motor adopts a torque-enhanced hybrid stepper motor; The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the driving wheel through a conveyor belt, driving the driving wheel to run on the track.

4. The rail inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna comprises a first gain antenna and a second gain antenna which are redundant to each other; the first gain antenna and the second gain antenna respectively adopt full-angle gain antennas using FHSS spread spectrum technology.

5. The rail inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A non-contact sensor for sensing obstacles on the track is provided at the end of the inspection body in the moving direction; The controller is connected with the non-contact sensor to obtain obstacle information at the front end of the moving direction of the inspection body detected by the non-contact sensor, and controls the operation of the servo motor based on the obstacle information.

6. The rail inspection robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The image acquisition module uses a Samsung ST6500 series high-definition camera with 720P automatic light compensation.

7. The rail inspection robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The inspection body is covered externally with a shell, an end of the shell is provided with a strip hole, and the image module extends out of the shell through the strip hole; and a direction groove is provided at the bottom of the shell.

8. The rail inspection robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The power module includes a battery and a multi-level voltage conversion unit; the multi-level voltage conversion unit includes: a 24V to 12V conversion circuit, a 12V to 5V conversion circuit, a 5V to 3.3V conversion circuit and a 3.3V to 1.5V conversion circuit.

9. The rail inspection robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The inspection body is also equipped with an optocoupler isolation circuit, a current sensor and a position sensor; the motor control circuit adopts the L298N motor control circuit; The controller is connected to the motor control circuit via an optocoupler isolation circuit; The controller is connected to the servo motor through a current sensor to obtain current information of the servo motor; The controller is connected to the servo motor via a position sensor to obtain the rotor position information of the servo motor.

10. The rail inspection robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The controller uses stm32 microcontroller or 51 microcontroller.

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