Detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection

Abstract

The invention provides a detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection. The detection robot device comprises an underwater robot and a digital image processing module, the underwater robot comprises an underwater robot frame, an image acquisition camera, an equipment cabin, a propeller, an illuminating lamp, a buoyancy block, a main control board, a power supply module, a sensor and a remote control handle; the main control board is electrically connected with the image acquisition camera, the propeller, the illuminating lamp, the power supply module and the sensor, and the image acquisition camera is connected with the digital image processing module in a wired mode and is used for realizing acquisition and transmission of underwater pier surface images; and the digital image processing module is combined with LabVIEW and MATLAB to carry out cooperative processing on the acquired underwater pier surface image so as to realize defect detection. Modular design and an efficient propeller system are combined, accurate defect detection on the surface of the underwater pier is achieved, the structure is simple, operation is convenient, and reliability is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of underwater infrastructure detection, and in particular to a detection robot device for detecting surface defects of underwater bridge piers. Background Art

[0002] Underwater structure inspection is an important challenge in industrial and infrastructure maintenance, especially in the long-term maintenance of underwater structures such as bridge piers, where surface defects such as cracks and corrosion threaten structural safety. Traditional underwater inspection relies on frogman observation or simple camera equipment, which is costly, risky, and inefficient and unsafe.

[0003] The existing underwater detection robots are mainly of three types: bionic, torpedo and frame. In bridge surface defect detection, although bionic robots are highly maneuverable, they are complex in design and costly, and inconvenient to maintain, making them unsuitable for large-scale applications and frequent replacement of components. Torpedo robots are suitable for long-distance cruising, but due to their streamlined shell and fixed propulsion system, they are difficult to operate accurately and perform multi-angle detection in a small space, so they have significant deficiencies in surface defect detection for structures such as bridge piers. In addition, the overall design of torpedo robots is relatively complex, the cost is high, and the maintenance is difficult, which limits their application in actual engineering.

[0004] In contrast, the frame-type underwater robot adopts a modular design, which is highly flexible and economical, and is suitable for surface defect detection of fixed structures such as bridges. Its modular design facilitates rapid assembly, maintenance, and adjustment of components according to detection needs, and can provide better stability and detection accuracy when operating at multiple angles and close distances.

[0005] The present invention provides a detection robot device for underwater bridge surface defect detection, which adopts a frame structure, combines modular components and multi-thruster vector layout, and improves the adaptability in complex underwater environments. Compared with the existing technology, this device has higher cost performance, simple structural design, good maintenance convenience and excellent detection stability, and is particularly suitable for fine detection and maintenance tasks of underwater structures such as bridge piers. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to propose a detection robot device for underwater bridge pier surface defect detection, which combines modular design and an efficient thruster system to achieve accurate defect detection on the surface of underwater bridge piers. It has a simple structure, easy operation and high reliability.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the present invention is: a detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection, comprising an underwater robot and a digital image processing module; The underwater robot includes an underwater robot frame, an image acquisition camera, an equipment cabin, a thruster, a lighting lamp, a buoyancy block, a main control board, a power module, a sensor and a remote control handle; the main control board is electrically connected to the image acquisition camera, the thruster, the lighting lamp, the power module and the sensor respectively, and the image acquisition camera is connected to the digital image processing module in a wired manner to realize the acquisition and transmission of underwater pier surface images; The digital image processing module combines LabVIEW and MATLAB to collaboratively process the collected underwater pier surface images to achieve defect detection; Through modular design and multi-sensor fusion technology, it provides high-precision defect detection capabilities, efficient operating performance and good economy.

[0008] Preferably, the underwater robot frame is symmetrically structured relative to the middle section of the equipment cabin, and comprises a bottom plate, side plates and a support frame; the bottom plate is arranged below the equipment cabin, the side plates are arranged on the left and right sides of the equipment cabin, and the bottom plate and the side plates are connected to the equipment cabin through the support frame; The underwater robot frame can be printed with PLA 3D printing materials, which has anti-corrosion properties, can adapt to different underwater working environments, and provide stable support and flexible equipment mounting.

[0009] Preferably, the equipment cabin is a cylindrical cabin made of transparent acrylic material, and the image acquisition camera is installed in the equipment cabin; the equipment cabin is used to protect the image acquisition camera to ensure that it can work normally in a complex underwater environment.

[0010] Preferably, the thrusters include two vertical thrusters and four horizontal thrusters installed on the underwater robot frame; the two vertical thrusters are respectively located on the top of the underwater robot frame on both sides of the equipment cabin, and the four horizontal thrusters are divided into two groups and are respectively located on the sides of the underwater robot frame on both sides of the equipment cabin.

[0011] Preferably, the thruster is a propeller thruster; and the image acquisition camera is a network IP camera.

[0012] Preferably, the thruster is driven by a brushless DC motor and is equipped with a bidirectional electric control controller ESC. The bidirectional electric control controller ESC adjusts the direction and speed of the brushless DC motor according to the control signal received from the main control board to achieve six-degree-of-freedom movement of the detection robot device, so that the robot can accurately reach the detection area and ensure the detection effect.

[0013] Preferably, the main control board uses STM32F405VGT6 as the main controller.

[0014] Preferably, the sensor includes a BMI088 attitude sensor, an IST8310 geomagnetic sensor and an MS5837 pressure sensor electrically connected to the STM32F405VGT6, and the STM32F405VGT6 works in coordination with the BMI088 attitude sensor, the IST8310 geomagnetic sensor and the MS5837 pressure sensor to control the thruster according to the attitude, depth and direction information of the underwater robot collected in real time; The main control board (STM32F405VGT6) is responsible for managing the thrusters and sensors. The attitude and underwater pressure information collected by the sensors are received by the main control chip in real time, and then processed by the control algorithm, and instructions are issued to adjust the operating status of the thrusters, thereby ensuring the stability of the detection robot device.

[0015] Preferably, the main control board wirelessly communicates with the remote control handle via the receiver, so as to remotely control the motion state of the underwater robot using the remote control handle.

[0016] Preferably, the handle has multi-function buttons for controlling the robot's forward and backward movement, steering and posture adjustment, ensuring precise operation of the equipment in an underwater environment.

[0017] When performing underwater pier surface defect detection, the present invention remotely controls the underwater robot to reach the target detection area through a remote control handle, uses an image acquisition camera to capture pier surface images, and transmits image data to a host computer through wired transmission. MATLAB is used to process and analyze the pier surface images, and LabVIEW is used to build a host computer to clearly display the processing results.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The present invention realizes the acquisition of pier surface images in complex underwater environments by using an image acquisition camera (network IP camera) and a high-performance thruster system, effectively reducing the detection cost and operational risk of acquiring surface images of underwater infrastructure. In addition, through dual-platform collaborative processing, the pier surface image can be effectively processed and defect analysis can be performed, and finally the pier surface defect features can be marked and extracted. The device can provide clear processed underwater pier surface images, based on which the staff can accurately identify cracks, corrosion or other potential structural problems, which is convenient for timely maintenance after problems occur, and can prevent accidents caused by problems with the bridge structure. The device has high engineering application value in underwater bridge maintenance and safety detection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a front view of the underwater robot of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a left view of the underwater robot of the present invention; Figure 3 A top view of the underwater robot of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the main control board of the detection robot device of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a working schematic diagram of the detection robot device of the present invention; Figure 6 The original image of the underwater bridge pier surface acquired by the detection robot device of the present invention; Figure 7 This is an extraction diagram of underwater bridge pier surface defects after being processed by the detection robot device of the present invention.

[0020] In the figure: 1- Equipment cabin; 2- Side plate; 3- Buoyancy block; 4- Horizontal thruster; 5- Support frame; 6- Bottom plate; 7- Vertical thruster. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following is combined with Figure 1-5 , the technical solution of the present invention is specifically described.

[0022] The present invention proposes a detection robot device for underwater bridge pier surface defect detection, comprising an underwater robot and a digital image processing module; the device is divided into two parts, image acquisition and image processing, according to the effect, and realizes efficient detection of underwater bridge pier surface defects through the coordinated work of hardware and software; The underwater robot comprises an underwater robot frame, an image acquisition camera, an equipment cabin 1, a thruster, a lighting lamp, a buoyancy block 3, a main control board, a power module, a sensor and a remote control handle; the image acquisition camera can be a network IP camera, the main control board is electrically connected to the image acquisition camera, the thruster, the lighting lamp, the power module and the sensor respectively, and the image acquisition camera is connected to the digital image processing module by wired means to realize the acquisition and transmission of underwater pier surface images; the underwater robot adopts a modular design and is easy to assemble and maintain; compared with traditional equipment, the modular design significantly improves the flexibility and maintainability of the device and can adapt to different operation requirements; the image is transmitted to the ground terminal by wired means, ensuring high-quality transmission of the image; The digital image processing module combines LabVIEW and MATLAB to collaboratively process the collected underwater pier surface images to achieve defect detection.

[0023] In this embodiment, the underwater robot frame is symmetrical with respect to the middle section of the equipment cabin 1, and includes a bottom plate 6, a side plate 2 and a support frame 5; the bottom plate 6 is arranged below the equipment cabin 1, the side plates 2 are arranged on the left and right sides of the equipment cabin 1, and the bottom plate 6 and the side plates 2 are connected to the equipment cabin 1 through the support frame 5. The underwater robot frame can be printed with PLA three-dimensional printing materials, which has excellent anti-corrosion performance and convenient assembly and maintenance characteristics; compared with traditional fixed-structure underwater robots, this modular design is easier to adapt to different operating requirements and underwater environmental changes.

[0024] In this embodiment, the equipment cabin 1 is a cylindrical cabin made of transparent acrylic material, and the image acquisition camera is installed in the equipment cabin 1. The equipment cabin 1 has excellent impact resistance and water pressure resistance to ensure that the camera can work normally in a complex underwater environment.

[0025] In this embodiment, the thrusters include two vertical thrusters 7 and four horizontal thrusters 4 installed on the underwater robot frame; the two vertical thrusters 7 are respectively located at the top of the underwater robot frame on both sides of the equipment cabin 1, and the four horizontal thrusters 4 are divided into two groups and are respectively located on the sides of the underwater robot frame on both sides of the equipment cabin 1. The multi-thrusters arranged in a vector ring work together to achieve six-degree-of-freedom motion, especially in a complex underwater environment, and can flexibly adjust the posture and position to ensure that the robot has excellent stability and accuracy when detecting surface defects of bridge piers.

[0026] In this embodiment, the thruster is a propeller thruster; the image acquisition camera is a network IP camera.

[0027] In this embodiment, the thruster is driven by a brushless DC motor and equipped with a bidirectional electric control controller ESC, which adjusts the direction and speed of the brushless DC motor according to the control signal received from the main control board to achieve the six-degree-of-freedom motion of the detection robot device. The combination of the brushless DC motor and the electric control controller (ESC) can realize the precise speed control of the thruster, and with the buoyancy block 3 manufactured by 3D printing, it can automatically adjust according to the changes in the underwater environment, ensuring that the robot always maintains balance and stability in the water, reducing current interference and extending the service life of the equipment.

[0028] In this embodiment, the main control board uses STM32F405VGT6 as the main controller.

[0029] In this embodiment, the sensor includes a BMI088 attitude sensor, an IST8310 geomagnetic sensor and an MS5837 pressure sensor electrically connected to the STM32F405VGT6, and the STM32F405VGT6 works in coordination with the BMI088 attitude sensor, the IST8310 geomagnetic sensor and the MS5837 pressure sensor to control the thruster according to the attitude, depth and direction information of the underwater robot collected in real time. The main control board uses an adaptive control algorithm to optimize and adjust the thruster to ensure that the robot has good stability and flexibility in an underwater environment.

[0030] In this embodiment, the main control board communicates wirelessly with the remote control handle via the receiver, so as to remotely control the motion state of the underwater robot using the remote control handle.

[0031] In this embodiment, the handle has multi-function buttons for controlling the robot's forward and backward movement, steering and posture adjustment.

[0032] The method of using the present invention is as follows: The position of the underwater robot is manually adjusted through the remote control handle so that it can accurately reach the vicinity of the underwater bridge pier to be detected. After the underwater robot reaches the target detection area, in the underwater environment with insufficient light, the network camera begins to collect images of the underwater bridge pier surface with the help of lighting. The collected image data is transmitted to the host computer via wired mode to ensure the stability and high quality of the transmission, thus realizing the image acquisition of the underwater bridge pier surface. The pressure sensor, attitude sensor and geomagnetic sensor in the sensor module collect underwater environment data in real time. The main control board receives the data from these sensors, processes them through the adaptive control algorithm, and issues instructions to adjust the operating status of the thruster to ensure the stability of the underwater robot's attitude and the accuracy of image acquisition.

[0033] like Figure 6-7 As shown in the figure, in the image processing part, LabVIEW and MATLAB are combined for collaborative processing. MATLAB is used to pre-process the acquired images, including contrast enhancement and filtering, and then post-process them to identify defects such as cracks and corrosion on the surface of underwater bridge piers. The processing results are displayed on the host computer by calling the MATLAB program through LabVIEW. Users can clearly see the results of different image processing and can export the result photos to facilitate subsequent analysis by operators.

[0034] The present invention combines multi-sensor data fusion technology and uses the main control board to comprehensively analyze the data from the pressure sensor, attitude sensor and geomagnetic sensor in real time to optimize the control strategy of the thruster, thereby achieving high-precision attitude control of the underwater robot in complex environments.

[0035] The present invention is suitable for surface defect detection of underwater structures such as bridge piers, and has the characteristics of simple structure, stable performance and strong adaptability. Compared with existing underwater detection equipment on the market, the detection robot device has significant innovations in modular design, posture control and environmental adaptability, and has higher flexibility, stability and detection accuracy, making it an ideal choice for underwater bridge detection and maintenance.

[0036] The above are preferred embodiments of the present invention. Any changes made according to the technical solution of the present invention, as long as the resulting functions do not exceed the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A detection robot device for underwater bridge pier surface defect detection, characterized in that: Including underwater robot and digital image processing module; The underwater robot includes an underwater robot frame, an image acquisition camera, an equipment cabin, a thruster, a lighting lamp, a buoyancy block, a main control board, a power module, a sensor and a remote control handle; the main control board is electrically connected to the image acquisition camera, the thruster, the lighting lamp, the power module and the sensor respectively, and the image acquisition camera is connected to the digital image processing module in a wired manner to realize the acquisition and transmission of underwater pier surface images; The digital image processing module combines LabVIEW and MATLAB to collaboratively process the collected underwater pier surface images to achieve defect detection.

2. A detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The underwater robot frame has a symmetrical structure relative to the middle section of the equipment cabin, and includes a bottom plate, side plates and a support frame; the bottom plate is arranged below the equipment cabin, and the side plates are arranged on the left and right sides of the equipment cabin, and the bottom plate and the side plates are connected to the equipment cabin through the support frame.

3. The detection robot device for underwater bridge pier surface defect detection according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The equipment cabin is a cylindrical cabin body made of transparent acrylic material, and the image acquisition camera is installed in the equipment cabin.

4. The detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The thrusters include two vertical thrusters and four horizontal thrusters installed on the underwater robot frame; the two vertical thrusters are respectively located on the top of the underwater robot frame on both sides of the equipment cabin, and the four horizontal thrusters are divided into two groups and are respectively located on the sides of the underwater robot frame on both sides of the equipment cabin.

5. The detection robot device for underwater bridge pier surface defect detection according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The thruster adopts a propeller thruster; the image acquisition camera adopts a network IP camera.

6. The detection robot device for underwater bridge pier surface defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thruster is driven by a brushless DC motor and is equipped with a bidirectional electric control controller ESC. The bidirectional electric control controller ESC adjusts the direction and speed of the brushless DC motor according to the control signal received from the main control board to achieve six-degree-of-freedom movement of the detection robot device.

7. The detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The main control board uses STM32F405VGT6 as the main controller.

8. The detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The sensors include a BMI088 attitude sensor, an IST8310 geomagnetic sensor and an MS5837 pressure sensor electrically connected to the STM32F405VGT6. The STM32F405VGT6 works in coordination with the BMI088 attitude sensor, the IST8310 geomagnetic sensor and the MS5837 pressure sensor to control the thruster according to the attitude, depth and direction information of the underwater robot collected in real time.

9. The detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main control board communicates wirelessly with the remote control handle via the receiver, so as to remotely control the motion state of the underwater robot using the remote control handle.

10. The detection robot device for underwater pier surface defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handle is provided with multi-function buttons for controlling the forward and backward movement, steering and posture adjustment of the robot.

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