Intelligent trolley, pipeline inner wall processing robot and control operation method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of pipeline processing technology, specifically disclosing an intelligent trolley, a pipeline inner wall processing robot, and a control operation method. Through the optional configuration of full-drive and semi-drive modes, combined with a modular processing device, efficient and adaptive execution of complex operations on the inner wall of the pipeline is achieved. The full-drive mode uses mirrored Mecanum wheels in conjunction with a retractable linkage mechanism to support full-degree-of-freedom movement, capable of accurately completing complex trajectory tracking such as right-angle turns and axial translation, and is suitable for fine processes such as welding and cutting. The semi-drive mode achieves spiral propulsion or linear motion through ordinary wheel differential control and Rifle wheel assistance, simplifying the power system and reducing energy consumption, making it suitable for linear continuous operation scenarios such as shot blasting and spraying.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pipeline processing, and in particular to an intelligent trolley, a pipeline inner wall processing robot and a control operation method. Background Art

[0002] Pipelines play a vital role in industrial production, being widely used to transport liquids, gases, powders, and other substances. With the development of industries such as oil and gas transportation and chemical pipelines, the demand for high-precision processing of pipeline interiors (such as welding, testing, grinding, and shot blasting) is increasing.

[0003] To achieve walking along the inner wall of a pipe, some manufacturers have designed a walking device that uses a combination of rubber wheels and universal wheels. For example, the combined large-scale pipeline inspection walking device disclosed in Chinese patent publication No. CN103363246B has upper and lower universal wheels that act as guides for walking, ensuring that the entire device always moves along the diameter of the pipe.

[0004] The above-mentioned walking device has the following technical defects: 1. Insufficient movement flexibility: it can only ensure that it can move circumferentially along the inner wall of the pipe, and cannot achieve adaptive walking processing under different working conditions; 2. The thrust of the spring is used to control the fit between the rubber wheel and the inner wall of the pipe, the radial support force fluctuates greatly, and the walking stability is poor.

[0005] Therefore, the existing technology still needs to be improved and developed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an intelligent trolley, a pipe inner wall processing robot and a control operation method to solve the problems of low efficiency and low safety of the prior art using workers for lifting.

[0007] Smart car, including:

[0008] Two axially symmetrically arranged four-wheeled carts;

[0009] a connecting rod mechanism connecting the two four-wheeled carts;

[0010] The four-wheeled carts are composed of a frame and wheels;

[0011] In each four-wheeled vehicle: at least two adjacent wheels serve as omnidirectional wheels;

[0012] The connecting rod mechanism includes a telescopic driving module, and both ends of the telescopic driving module are respectively hinged to the two four-wheeled vehicles;

[0013] The telescopic drive module can be telescoped along the radial direction of the pipeline, and the distance between the two four-wheeled vehicles and the pressing force on the pipeline wall can be adjusted by its own telescoping.

[0014] Specifically, the frame is composed of two side beams and two cross beams. The side beams are made of rectangular steel tubes, and the cross beams are made of C-shaped steel or H-shaped steel.

[0015] Specifically, the four-wheeled vehicle further includes a drive motor and a reducer. The drive motor is mounted on a flange of the vehicle frame, and the drive motor and the wheels are respectively mounted on both sides of the reducer.

[0016] Specifically, when the four-wheeled vehicle is in full-drive mode:

[0017] Each wheel adopts Mecanum wheel as omnidirectional wheel;

[0018] The Mecanum wheels of the two four-wheeled carts are arranged in mirror-image arrangement.

[0019] Specifically, when the four-wheeled vehicle is in semi-drive mode:

[0020] The two four-wheeled vehicles are respectively provided with two ordinary wheels as driving wheels and two rifle wheels as omnidirectional wheels.

[0021] Specifically, there are two telescopic drive modules, and both ends of each telescopic drive module are hinged to the two vehicle frames respectively.

[0022] Specifically, the telescopic driving module includes:

[0023] The fixed support rod and the telescopic support rod are connected to the two frames through hinges respectively;

[0024] A cylinder, the cylinder body of which is fixedly connected to the fixed support rod, and the piston rod of which is fixedly connected to the telescopic support rod;

[0025] The pneumatic circuit includes an air pipe, an electromagnetic reversing valve, a pressure stabilizing valve and an air compressor. The cylinder is connected to the electromagnetic reversing valve through the air pipe, the reversing valve is connected to the pressure stabilizing valve through the air pipe, and the pressure stabilizing valve is connected to the air supply end of the air compressor through the air pipe.

[0026] Specifically, the telescopic drive module further includes a limit assembly, including:

[0027] a sleeve fixed to the cylinder body and sleeved with the piston rod and the telescopic support rod, wherein the sleeve is provided with a limiting groove extending along the telescopic direction of the cylinder;

[0028] The limit pin is fixed to the telescopic support rod and moves in the limit slot to limit the telescopic stroke.

[0029] Pipeline inner wall processing robot, including:

[0030] Smart car;

[0031] A control box with a built-in control system is installed on the fixed support rod;

[0032] an actuator in communication with the control system, comprising a robotic arm mounted on the vehicle frame and a processing device mounted on the robotic arm, the processing device comprising at least one of a welding device, a cutting device, a spraying device, a detection device, and a shot blasting device;

[0033] A sensor module in communication with the control system includes:

[0034] A gravity sensor is provided on the vehicle frame and is used to collect inclination data of the four-wheeled vehicle;

[0035] A first visual sensor is provided at the front end of the vehicle frame and is used to identify front working condition data;

[0036] A second visual sensor is provided at the rear end of the frame and is used to identify rear working condition data;

[0037] An encoder for monitoring the speed and displacement data of the drive motor;

[0038] A third visual sensor is provided on the actuator and is used to identify the weld image;

[0039] The control system is used to receive and process the data sent by the sensor module, and generate a first control instruction for controlling the movement of the intelligent vehicle and a second control instruction for controlling the processing of the actuator.

[0040] A control operation method of a pipeline inner wall processing robot includes the following steps:

[0041] S1. Collect multi-dimensional data through sensor modules, including:

[0042] Obtain the frame inclination data in real time through the gravity sensor;

[0043] Identify front working condition data through a first visual sensor;

[0044] Recognize rear working condition data through a second visual sensor;

[0045] Synchronously monitor the drive motor speed and displacement data through the encoder;

[0046] Recognize the weld image by a third visual sensor;

[0047] S2. Receive, through the control system, the multidimensional data sent by the sensor module and perform planning and processing on the multidimensional data, thereby generating a first control instruction for controlling the movement of the intelligent vehicle and a second control instruction for controlling the processing of the actuator;

[0048] S3. Executing operations on the smart car and the execution structure respectively according to the first control instruction and the second control instruction; including:

[0049] According to the first control instruction, the connecting rod mechanism of the smart car is controlled to adjust the distance between the two four-wheeled cars by telescoping to adapt to different pipe diameters and maintain contact pressure on the pipe wall;

[0050] Controlling the driving motor of the smart car to adjust the rotation speed and differential speed of the wheels according to the first control instruction, adjusting the position and posture of the two four-wheeled cars, and driving the smart car to move along the planned path;

[0051] controlling the manipulator arm of the actuator to perform multi-degree-of-freedom motion according to the second control instruction;

[0052] According to the second control instruction, the processing device of the execution structure is controlled to perform welding, cutting, spraying, testing or shot blasting operations on the weld position of the pipe wall.

[0053] Specifically, step S2 includes:

[0054] The vehicle posture control module of the control system processes the inclination data collected by the gravity sensor and generates wheel group coordinated compensation instructions;

[0055] The vehicle posture control module and the wheel drive control module of the control system respectively plan and process the front working condition data collected by the first visual sensor and the rear working condition data collected by the second visual sensor to generate speed and differential control instructions. The speed and differential control instructions and the wheel coordinated compensation instructions constitute the first control instructions;

[0056] The weld seam image collected by the third visual sensor is processed by the image processing weld seam tracking module and the adaptive positioning module of the control system to generate speed and image position coordinate feedback integration instructions;

[0057] The weld image is received by the posture controller of the control system to generate a joint motion instruction including path planning and force control compensation. The speed and image position coordinate feedback integration instruction and the joint motion instruction constitute the second control instruction.

[0058] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0059] 1. The intelligent vehicle, pipeline inner wall processing robot, and control method of the present invention include an intelligent vehicle and a processing device. The processing device can be an automatic welding device, an automatic detection device, an automatic grinding device, an automatic shot blasting device, etc., which cooperates with the intelligent vehicle's adaptive movement within the pipeline to achieve multiple functional operations such as welding, detection, and grinding.

[0060] 2. It can be combined with different wheels to achieve full-drive and semi-drive modes. The full-drive mode relies on the mirrored arrangement of Mecanum wheels and the radial expansion and contraction coordination of the linkage mechanism to achieve full freedom of movement in any direction, which is particularly suitable for complex trajectory tracking, such as right-angle turns and axial translation. The semi-drive mode uses the differential control of ordinary wheels and the passive assistance of the rifle wheel to achieve spiral motion or linear propulsion while simplifying the power system, taking into account the economy of high-load operations. Both modes balance the load-bearing strength and tube wall adaptability through the rigid-flexible composite structure of the frame, ensuring uniform force on the wheels on variable-diameter or curved tube walls.

[0061] 3. The pipe inner wall processing robot further integrates actuators and collaborative control units, transforming the intelligent vehicle's motion capabilities into actual processing efficiency. The Mecanum wheels in full-drive mode support the simultaneous tracking of complex trajectories for processes such as welding and cutting, while the semi-drive mode's combination of conventional wheels and rifle wheels is more suitable for linear continuous operations such as shot blasting and spraying. The collaborative control unit uses sensor modules to match processing parameters with motion status in real time. For example, in curved pipe sections, it can adjust the extension and contraction of the connecting rod mechanism, the wheel differential, and the vehicle body's posture. The integration of the pneumatic power unit and communication module enables remote monitoring and multi-machine collaboration. This modular design retains the high-precision advantages of the full-drive mode while reducing deployment costs for specific scenarios through the semi-drive mode. Combined with interchangeable actuators such as welding robots and shot blasting machines, the robot can flexibly respond to diverse industrial needs, from fine welding to large-scale rust removal, significantly improving the overall efficiency and scenario coverage of pipe inner wall processing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the smart car of Example 1;

[0063] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A;

[0064] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part B;

[0065] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part C;

[0066] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the intelligent vehicle in Example 1 that moves in a circular motion along the inner wall of the pipe. Figure 1 ;

[0067] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the intelligent vehicle in Example 1 that moves in a circular motion along the inner wall of the pipe. Figure 2 ;

[0068] Figure 7This is a structural diagram of the intelligent vehicle of Example 1 during its movement in a reducer tube;

[0069] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of the intelligent vehicle in Example 1 moving in the first curved pipe;

[0070] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the intelligent vehicle in Example 1 moving in the second curved pipe;

[0071] Figure 10 A perspective view of the smart car of Example 2;

[0072] Figure 11 A three-dimensional diagram of the pipeline inner wall processing robot of Example 3;

[0073] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pipeline inner wall processing robot in Example 3 within the pipeline;

[0074] Figure 13 A three-dimensional diagram of a pipeline inner wall processing robot according to Example 4;

[0075] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pipeline inner wall processing robot in Example 4 within the pipeline;

[0076] Figure 15 This is a flow chart reference for the processing robot control operation method of Example 5.

[0077] The accompanying drawings are marked as follows: four-wheeled cart 10, connecting rod mechanism 20, frame 11, side beam 111, cross beam 112, drive motor 12, reducer 13, flange 113, Mecanum wheel 14, ordinary wheel 15, rifle wheel 16, telescopic drive module 21, fixed support rod 211, telescopic support rod 212, cylinder 213, air pipe 214, electromagnetic reversing valve 215, pressure regulating valve 216, limit assembly 22, sleeve 221, limit groove 222, limit pin 223, control box 17, communication module 18, hinge 114, rotating seat 115, reducer 31, first bend 32, second bend 33, actuator 40, robotic arm 41, processing device 42. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0078] The present invention provides an intelligent vehicle, a pipe inner wall processing robot, and a control method. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and effects of the present invention more clear and explicit, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are intended only to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0079] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0080] Example 1

[0081] like Figures 1 to 9 , an intelligent car of this embodiment includes:

[0082] Two axially symmetrically arranged four-wheeled carts 10;

[0083] A connecting rod mechanism 20 connecting the two four-wheeled carts 10 and being retractable in the radial direction;

[0084] Each four-wheeled vehicle 10 consists of a frame 11, wheels, a drive motor 12, and a reducer 13. The drive motor 12 is mounted on a flange 113 of the frame 11. The drive motor 12 and wheels are mounted on both sides of the reducer 13. All eight wheels use Mecanum wheels 14 as omnidirectional wheels. The Mecanum wheels 14 of the two four-wheeled vehicles 10 are arranged in mirror image.

[0085] It should be noted that Figure 1 The dotted circle indicated by L in the figure represents the circumferential motion trajectory of the smart car, the dotted line represents the axis of the dotted circle, and the dotted line intersecting the axis represents the line between the two axially symmetrical Mecanum wheels 14.

[0086] The four-wheeled cart 10 of this embodiment adopts a full-drive mode, with all eight wheels utilizing Mecanum wheels 14 as omnidirectional wheels. The combination of two four-wheeled carts 10 and a radially retractable linkage 20, combined with the mirror-image arrangement of the Mecanum wheels 14 in full-drive mode, creates a unique omnidirectional travel capability. Its travel principle is based on the omnidirectional motion characteristics of the Mecanum wheels 14. Each wheel is independently controlled by a drive motor 12 and a reducer 13. The Mecanum wheels 14 of the two four-wheeled carts 10 are arranged as mirror images of each other, enabling the two carts 10 to generate a combined driving force in any direction when moving in coordination. When the cart enters a pipeline or complex terrain, the mirror-image arrangement of the Mecanum wheels 14 adjusts the rotational speed and differential speed of each wheel to achieve axial translation, lateral offset, rotation in place, or diagonal movement. Simultaneously, the telescopic function of the linkage 20 adaptively adjusts the spacing between the two four-wheeled carts 10, ensuring that the wheels maintain a stable pressure on the contact surface.

[0087] Since each Mecanum wheel 14 is independently driven, the system can accurately control the motion trajectory of the entire vehicle through vector synthesis, and can achieve complex path planning even in narrow spaces or on the inner wall of a pipe with obstacles. The mirror-symmetrical wheel layout further enhances the coordination of movement and avoids energy loss or motion interference caused by wheel train angle conflicts. In addition, the telescopic characteristics of the connecting rod mechanism 20 not only expand the lateral adjustment range of the car, but also solves the problem of the four wheels of the four-wheeled car 10 not being in the same plane during rotation in the pipe, significantly improving the obstacle crossing ability and driving stability. This combined design allows the intelligent car to have omnidirectional mobility, high-precision positioning and strong environmental adaptability while maintaining a compact structure.

[0088] The intelligent vehicle further optimizes its motion performance and reliability through the specific structural design of the frame 11. The frame 11 consists of side beams 111 and cross beams 112. The side beams 111 are made of rectangular steel pipes. Their closed cross-section characteristics give the frame high longitudinal rigidity, which can stably carry core power components such as the drive motor 12 and reducer 13, ensuring the torque transmission efficiency of the Mecanum wheel 14 during complex movements. The cross beam 112 is made of C-shaped steel or H-shaped steel. Its open or I-shaped cross-section ensures lateral support strength while allowing the cross beam 112 to produce controllable elastic torsional deformation when the wheel contacts an uneven surface. This rigid-flexible design allows the torsion of the cross beam 112 to adaptively adjust the relative posture of the side beams 111 on both sides when the intelligent vehicle passes through the concave and convex areas of the inner wall of the pipe, avoiding motion instability caused by one side wheel being suspended or subjected to excessive force. At the same time, by dynamically distributing the load, it ensures that the eight Mecanum wheels 14 always maintain uniform pressure on the contact surface, improving the effectiveness and energy utilization of omnidirectional drive.

[0089] Thanks to the structural characteristics of the frame 11, the high rigidity of the side beams 111 provides a stable mounting base for the drive motor 12 and reducer 13, ensuring precise control of the Mecanum wheels 14 and consistent power output. The flexible deformation capability of the cross beam 112 synergizes with the radial expansion and contraction of the linkage 20, absorbing the impact of uneven tube walls (via welds or curvature changes) through localized deformation while maintaining the stability of the motion trajectory through the elastic adjustment of the overall frame. This design not only enhances the intelligent vehicle's obstacle-crossing capabilities and motion accuracy in complex environments, but also reduces the risk of metal fatigue in the frame 11 by dispersing stress, thereby extending the device's service life.

[0090] Furthermore, the connecting rod mechanism 20 includes a telescopic drive module 21, and both ends of the telescopic drive module 21 are hinged to the two frames 11 respectively; the telescopic drive module 21 can be extended and retracted along the radial direction of the pipeline to adjust the distance between the two four-wheeled carts 10 and the pressing force on the pipe wall; the connecting rod mechanism 20 realizes the dynamic adaptability of the smart car in the pipeline scene through the symmetrical layout and articulated design of the telescopic drive module 21. The telescopic drive module 21 uses a cylinder as a power source, and its cylinder body and piston rod are respectively fixed on two sets of rigid support rods of the connecting rod mechanism 20, which are converted into symmetrical radial displacement of the frame 11 through linear telescopic motion, thereby adjusting the distance between the two four-wheeled carts 10 and the pressing force on the pipe wall. When the smart car enters a situation such as Figure 7 The reducer 31 shown or Figure 7 and Figure 8 When the first bend 32 and the second bend 33 are shown, the hinged structure allows the two side frames 11 to rotate synchronously around the connection point, so that the Mecanum wheel 14 automatically adjusts the contact angle as the curvature or diameter of the tube wall changes. At the same time, the telescopic drive module 21 compensates for the difference in tube diameter through real-time expansion and contraction, ensuring that the wheel always fits the inner wall with optimal pressure to avoid slipping or separation.

[0091] This application uses the telescopic drive module 21 to telescope along the radial direction of the pipe to adjust the distance between the two four-wheeled carts 10 in real time to adapt to changes in the pipe's inner diameter. When the intelligent cart travels through a variable-diameter pipe or curved road section, the active telescopic movement of the telescopic drive module 21, combined with the freedom of the articulated structure, allows each four-wheeled cart 10 to independently adjust its body pitch angle around the hinge center, achieving relative posture adjustment between the two carts, thereby completing the variable-diameter transition and curve trajectory adaptation. At the same time, the telescopic drive module 21 maintains constant compressive contact between the wheels of the four-wheeled cart 10 and the pipe wall by continuously applying radial telescopic force, ensuring the dynamic stability of the traveling mechanism and effective transmission of driving force under complex pipeline conditions.

[0092] Furthermore, this embodiment adopts two telescopic drive modules 21. The two sets of symmetrically distributed telescopic drive modules 21 maintain the balance of the vehicle body when adjusting the spacing between the four-wheeled carts 10 through synchronous telescopic control, reducing the risk of overloading caused by unilateral drive. The optimization of the leverage ratio of the support rod further reduces the load demand of the linear propulsion device and extends the service life of the drive components. When crossing the reducer 31 or the first bend 32 and the second bend 33, the differential rotation capability of the articulated structure enables the two side frames 11 to adjust their posture independently, which not only ensures the omnidirectional motion accuracy of the Mecanum wheel 14 on complex curved surfaces, but also improves the traction efficiency through dynamic clamping force distribution. This synergistic effect enables the intelligent cart to autonomously adapt to various pipeline working conditions without external intervention, significantly expanding its application range and operational reliability.

[0093] The telescopic drive module 21 includes a fixed support rod 211, a telescopic support rod 212, a cylinder 213, and a pneumatic circuit; the fixed support rod 211 and the telescopic support rod 212 are respectively connected to the two frames 11 through hinges 114; the cylinder body of the cylinder 213 is fixedly connected to the fixed support rod 211, and the piston rod of the cylinder 213 is fixedly connected to the telescopic support rod 212; the pneumatic circuit includes an air pipe 214, an electromagnetic reversing valve 215, a pressure regulating valve 216 and an air compressor, the cylinder 213 is connected to the electromagnetic reversing valve 215 through the air pipe 214, the electromagnetic reversing valve 215 is connected to the pressure regulating valve 216 through the air pipe 214, and the pressure regulating valve 216 is connected to the air supply end of the air compressor through the air pipe 214.

[0094] Based on the linear telescopic drive characteristics of cylinder 213, when the air compressor supplies air to the pneumatic circuit, the solenoid reversing valve 215 switches the direction of the airflow path, controlling the extension or retraction of the piston rod of cylinder 213, causing the telescopic support rod 212 to move relative to the fixed support rod 211, thereby driving the two four-wheeled vehicles 10 to synchronously move closer or farther along the pipeline radial direction, adjusting the spacing and the pressure on the pipe wall in real time. The pressure-stabilizing valve 216 ensures the smooth movement of cylinder 213 by balancing the air circuit pressure, avoiding movement jitter or overload caused by air pressure fluctuations. The connection method of hinge 114 allows the frame 11 to adaptively deflect in scenarios such as diameter changes or pipe bends, maintaining the fit of the Mecanum wheels 14 against the pipe wall.

[0095] The pneumatic circuit, with the help of the rapid reversing capability of the electromagnetic reversing valve 215, can instantly adjust the telescopic state of the cylinder 213, so that the intelligent car can quickly complete posture reconstruction when encountering a sudden change in pipe diameter or a bend in the pipe, reducing the risk of motion interruption. The stable control of the air source by the pressure regulating valve 216 further improves the accuracy of the clamping force adjustment, avoiding wheel slippage or pipe wall damage due to sudden pressure changes. In addition, the rigid connection structure between the cylinder 213 and the fixed support rod 211 and the telescopic support rod 212 not only ensures the efficient transmission of the driving force, but also offsets the local stress concentration caused by pipe deformation through the flexible adaptability of the hinge 114, thereby extending the service life of the mechanical components. This deep fusion of pneumatic and mechanical design enables the intelligent car to have both rapid response and precise control in complex pipeline environments.

[0096] The telescopic drive module 21 also includes a limit assembly 22, including a sleeve 221 and a limit pin 223; the sleeve 221 is fixed to the cylinder body and is sleeved on the piston rod and the telescopic support rod 212, and the sleeve 221 is provided with a limit groove 222 extending along the telescopic direction of the cylinder 213; the limit pin 223 is fixed to the telescopic support rod 212 and moves in the limit groove 222, which is used to limit the telescopic stroke.

[0097] The telescopic drive module 21 of this embodiment further improves the safety and mechanical durability of motion control through the limit assembly 22. The sleeve 221 is fixed to the cylinder body of the cylinder 213 and wraps the connecting section between the piston rod and the telescopic support rod 212. The limit groove 222 defined in the side wall of the sleeve extends along the telescopic direction of the cylinder 213. The limit pin 223 is perpendicularly fixed to the telescopic support rod 212 and embedded in the limit groove 222. When the cylinder 213 drives the telescopic support rod 212 to move, the sliding trajectory of the limit pin 223 in the limit groove 222 strictly constrains the displacement range of the telescopic support rod 212, preventing overtravel damage to the cylinder 213 due to overload or misoperation. The rigid guide also maintains the axis alignment of the telescopic support rod 212 and the fixed support rod 211, avoiding skew friction. At the same time, the length of the limit groove 222 defines the radial adjustment limit of the four-wheeled vehicle 10, ensuring that the pressing force between the Mecanum wheel 14 and the pipe wall is always within the safety threshold, thereby enhancing the reliability and structural life of the adaptive adjustment.

[0098] Example 2

[0099] Please refer to Figure 10 This embodiment discloses an intelligent car, including:

[0100] Two axially symmetrically arranged four-wheeled carts 10;

[0101] A connecting rod mechanism 20 connecting the two four-wheeled carts 10 and being retractable in the radial direction;

[0102] Each four-wheeled cart 10 is composed of a frame 11, wheels, a drive motor 12 and a reducer 13. The drive motor 12 is installed on the flange 113 of the frame 11, and the drive motor 12 and wheels are respectively installed on both sides of the reducer 13. The two four-wheeled carts 10 are respectively provided with two ordinary wheels 15 as drive wheels and two rifle wheels 16 as omnidirectional wheels. The four ordinary wheels 15 are equipped with a drive motor 12 and a reducer 13, and the four rifle wheels 16 do not need to be equipped with a drive motor 12 and a reducer 13; the intelligent cart of this embodiment adopts a semi-drive mode, and realizes spiral motion in the pipeline through the differential control of the ordinary wheels 15 arranged symmetrically along the axial direction of the pipeline, combined with the omnidirectional movement of the rifle wheels 16.

[0103] It should be noted that Figure 10 The dotted circle indicated by M in the figure represents the circumferential motion trajectory of the smart car, the dotted line represents the axis of the dotted circle, one of the dotted lines intersecting the axis represents the line between the two axially symmetrical Rifle wheels 16, and the other dotted line intersecting the axis represents the line between the two axially symmetrical ordinary wheels 15.

[0104] This embodiment is based on the differentiated division of labor between ordinary wheels 15 and rifle wheels 16: four ordinary wheels 15 are used as active drive wheels, and differential adjustment is achieved through independent control of the drive motor 12 and the reducer 13, driving the trolley to move axially or circumferentially along the pipeline; the rifle wheels 16 symmetrically arranged on the two four-wheeled trolleys 10 serve as driven omnidirectional wheels, assisting the lateral displacement of the vehicle body through the free rotation of the rollers. When the intelligent trolley needs to perform spiral motion along the inner wall of the pipeline, the control box 17 generates a speed difference between the ordinary wheels 15 on both sides through differential instructions, pushing the vehicle body to rotate around the axis of the pipeline. At the same time, the rifle wheels 16 passively adapt to lateral slippage on the contact surface, forming a spiral trajectory. The radial telescopic function of the connecting rod mechanism 20 can adjust the distance between the two four-wheeled trolleys 10, ensuring that the ordinary wheels 15 and the rifle wheels 16 can maintain effective contact under different pipe diameters.

[0105] The beneficial effects of this design are reflected in structural simplification and cost optimization. Compared with the full-drive mode (such as the eight Mecanum wheels 14 in Example 1), the semi-drive mode only requires the ordinary wheel 15 to be equipped with a drive motor 12 and a reducer 13, which greatly reduces the complexity and energy consumption of the power system. At the same time, the driven characteristics of the rifle wheel 16 enable it to assist in omnidirectional fine-tuning without the need for additional drive components. It is particularly suitable for pipeline scenarios dominated by straight or spiral trajectories (such as long-distance spraying or inspection). In addition, the high traction characteristics of the ordinary wheel 15 can adapt to high-load operations (such as shot blasting or cutting), and the axially symmetrical wheel layout can still achieve basic functions through differential control. Although it cannot complete complex movements such as right-angle turns, it takes into account both motion efficiency and economy under the working conditions of uniform pipe diameter, providing a more cost-effective solution for specific industrial scenarios.

[0106] Example 3

[0107] Please refer to Figure 11 and 12 This embodiment also discloses a pipeline inner wall processing robot, including a control box 17, a sensor module and the intelligent vehicle of embodiment 1.

[0108] The control box 17 is mounted on the fixed support rod 211 and has a built-in control system.

[0109] The actuator 40 is in communication with the control system and includes a robotic arm 41 mounted on the vehicle frame 11 and a processing device 42 mounted on the robotic arm 41. The processing device 42 is a welding device mounted on the vehicle frame 11 of one of the four-wheeled vehicles 10 and used to weld the inner wall of the pipe. Of course, in other embodiments, depending on the processing requirements, the processing device 42 may also be a cutting device, a spraying device, a detection device, or a shot blasting device. This embodiment is described using a welding device.

[0110] The sensor module is connected to the control system for communication, and includes four gravity sensors, a first visual sensor, a second visual sensor, eight encoders, and a third visual sensor.

[0111] There are four gravity sensors, which are arranged at the four corners of the frame 11 (four-quadrant arrangement) for collecting the inclination data of the four-wheeled vehicle 10.

[0112] The first visual sensor is disposed at the front end of the vehicle frame 11 and is used to identify front working condition data.

[0113] The second visual sensor is arranged at the rear end of the vehicle frame 11 and is used to identify rear working condition data.

[0114] Each of the eight drive motors 12 is provided with an encoder for monitoring the rotation speed and displacement data of the drive motor 12 .

[0115] The third visual sensor is provided on the actuator 40 and is used to identify the weld image on the inner wall of the pipeline;

[0116] The control system is used to receive and process the data sent by the sensor module, and generate a first control instruction for controlling the movement of the intelligent vehicle and a second control instruction for controlling the processing of the actuator.

[0117] The pipe inner wall processing robot provided in this embodiment is based on an intelligent vehicle 10 as a mobile platform, achieving multi-system coordinated control through a control box 17 mounted on the vehicle frame 11. Its core operating principle is as follows: the drive motor 12 of the four-wheeled vehicle 10 is controlled by the control system within the control box 17. Using encoder feedback on speed and displacement, the differential speed of each wheel is adjusted in real time to ensure vehicle stability as it moves along the pipe. The linkage mechanism 20 dynamically adjusts the spacing between the four-wheeled vehicle 10 through telescoping, ensuring that the wheels maintain constant contact pressure against the pipe wall, adapting to the working environment of pipes of varying diameters. The robotic arm 41 of the actuator 40 is equipped with a welding device. A third visual sensor captures the three-dimensional morphology of the weld seam or surface defects in real time. Combined with the forward working condition data from the first visual sensor and the rear working condition data from the second visual sensor, the control system receives and processes the data transmitted by the sensor modules and generates a first control command for controlling the intelligent vehicle's movement and a second control command for controlling the actuator's processing, respectively, achieving precise adjustment of the processing posture.

[0118] The working principle of this robot is a deep integration of multi-source sensor data and closed-loop control logic. The gravity sensor continuously monitors the inclination changes of the frame 11, and together with the data collected by the encoder, constructs a multi-degree-of-freedom motion model of the vehicle body. The data fusion module of the control box 17 eliminates the spatiotemporal errors between sensors. When the first visual sensor identifies the elbow or reducer structure of the pipe in front, the control system of the control box 17 synchronously starts the SLAM mapping function, constructs a safe operating space model at the rear, and generates a collision-free path through the trajectory planning and force control compensation module. The visual-force closed loop formed by the third visual sensor at the end of the robotic arm 41 can be detected in real time during the welding process, and feedback is fed back to the control system to dynamically correct the welding gun posture to avoid unfused or biting defects.

[0119] Through the collaborative perception of multiple sensors and a hierarchical control strategy, adaptive operation is achieved in complex pipeline environments. The coordinated control of the four-wheeled vehicle 10 and the actuator 40 solves the posture instability problem of traditional devices in curved and variable-diameter pipe sections, while the linkage of three visual sensors significantly improves trajectory tracking accuracy.

[0120] Furthermore, the control box 17 is provided with a communication module 18, which includes an Ethernet communication interface, a USB communication interface, and a wireless communication device. The intelligent vehicle of this embodiment achieves intelligent control through the collaborative design of the control box 17, the sensor module, and the communication module 18. The control box 17 is integrated into the fixed support rod 211 and directly receives the pipeline inner wall trajectory data collected by the sensor module, controlling the rotational speed and differential speed of the Mecanum wheel 14 in real time. It also interacts with external systems via the Ethernet, USB, or wireless link of the communication module 18. The symmetrical layout of the visual sensors at the front and rear ends of the vehicle frame 11 can capture real-time images of the weld area on the inner wall of the pipeline. Combined with image processing algorithms (such as edge detection, feature matching, and deep learning), the weld location is identified. Combined with the real-time decision-making algorithm of the control box 17, the clamping force of the telescopic drive module 21 and the wheel motion parameters are dynamically adjusted to ensure omnidirectional motion accuracy under complex trajectories. The multi-mode communication interface supports both plug-and-play on-site debugging and remote monitoring and group collaboration via wireless networks, significantly improving the multi-scenario adaptability and system scalability of the intelligent vehicle.

[0121] Example 4

[0122] Please refer to Figure 13 and 14 This embodiment also discloses a pipeline inner wall processing robot, including a control box 17, a sensor module and the intelligent vehicle of embodiment 1.

[0123] The control box 17 is mounted on the fixed support rod 211 and has a built-in control system.

[0124] The actuator 40 is connected to the control system. Its main structure comprises four independently controllable robotic arms 41, each equipped with a dedicated processing unit 42 at its end. The symmetrical design of the frame 11 allows the two robotic arms 41 to be mounted in a group, forming a distributed layout of two frames and four arms. The four processing units 42 are equipped with front welding equipment, rear welding equipment, front grinding equipment, and rear grinding equipment, respectively, forming a complete dual-welding and dual-grinding processing system for the inner wall of the pipe.

[0125] In this embodiment, the front welding equipment performs the initial weld foundation on the pipe wall, while the rear welding equipment simultaneously applies the top weld layer. The dual welding stations achieve a smoother weld surface, ensuring weld quality. The front and rear grinding equipment, equipped with diamond grinding discs and fiber polishing wheels, respectively, perform two-stage processing, coarse grinding and fine polishing, on the weld area. Combined with the motion control of the four robotic arms 41, the welding and grinding processes are completed simultaneously during a single circumferential movement of the pipe, improving efficiency.

[0126] Example 5

[0127] Please refer to Figure 15 This embodiment discloses a method for controlling a processing robot, and uses the pipeline inner wall processing robot of embodiment 4 to perform the operation, including the following steps:

[0128] S0 preparation before operation:

[0129] Before the intelligent vehicle 10 enters the pipeline, the control system's self-test program is activated. The drive motor 12 is tested with no load via the control system's wheel-side dynamic control module. Simultaneously, the sensor calibration process is activated: the gravity sensor performs zero-bias calibration, the first and second vision sensors complete dual-target calibration, and the third vision sensor loads the weld recognition model. The control system establishes the pipeline's axial reference coordinate system, and the cylinder 213 adjusts the preset spacing between the two four-wheeled vehicles 10, completing system initialization and sensor parameter calibration.

[0130] S1. Multidimensional data collection:

[0131] Gravity sensors installed in the four quadrants of the vehicle frame (11) monitor the vehicle's inclination in real time. Together with encoder feedback on the speed of the drive motor (12), they provide dual-source verification of the vehicle's posture. A first visual sensor scans the pipe's inner wall at the front end; a second visual sensor identifies operating conditions at the rear; and a third visual sensor identifies weld seam images. All sensor data is aggregated and outliers are removed before being transmitted to the control system's decision-making layer.

[0132] S2. Data planning and instruction generation:

[0133] The vehicle posture control module of the control system processes the inclination data collected by the gravity sensor and generates wheel group coordinated compensation instructions;

[0134] The vehicle posture control module and the wheel drive control module of the control system respectively plan and process the front working condition data collected by the first visual sensor and the rear working condition data collected by the second visual sensor to generate speed and differential control instructions. The speed and differential control instructions and the wheel coordinated compensation instructions constitute the first control instructions;

[0135] The weld seam image collected by the third visual sensor is processed by the image processing weld seam tracking module and the adaptive positioning module of the control system to generate speed and image position coordinate feedback integration instructions;

[0136] The weld image is received by the posture controller of the control system to generate joint motion instructions including path planning and force control compensation. The speed and image position coordinate feedback integration instructions and the joint motion instructions constitute the second control instruction.

[0137] S3. Execute operations on the smart car and the execution structure respectively according to the first control instruction and the second control instruction; specifically including:

[0138] According to the first control instruction and the second control instruction, the intelligent vehicle and the execution structure are respectively executed; including:

[0139] According to the first control instruction, the connecting rod mechanism of the intelligent trolley is controlled to adjust the distance between the two four-wheeled trolleys 10 by telescoping to adapt to different pipe diameters and maintain contact pressure on the pipe wall;

[0140] According to the first control instruction, the driving motor of the intelligent car is controlled to adjust the rotation speed and differential speed of the wheels, adjust the position and posture of the two four-wheeled cars 10, and drive the intelligent car to move along the planned path;

[0141] Controlling the robotic arm 41 of the actuator to perform multi-degree-of-freedom motion according to the second control instruction;

[0142] According to the second control instruction, the processing device 42 of the execution structure 40 is controlled to perform welding, cutting, spraying, testing or shot blasting operations on the weld position of the pipe wall.

[0143] S4. Abnormal working condition handling:

[0144] When the trajectory deviation exceeds the limit or the sensor data is detected to be abnormal, the error alarm module of the control system immediately triggers the adaptive feedback adjustment mechanism, prioritizes the execution of the safety shutdown protocol, and sends back the fault code to the remote monitoring end.

[0145] This method achieves adaptive operation in complex pipeline environments through a closed-loop architecture consisting of sensor layer → data aggregation → control decision → actuator layer. The linkage mechanism of wheel group collaborative compensation and robotic arm force control compensation effectively solves the problem of posture instability in curved and variable-diameter pipe sections, while the priority arbitration strategy of the dynamic optimization module ensures the collaborative efficiency of multi-task operations. The coordinate anti-locking module and the adaptive positioning → path planning iterative mechanism shown in the attached figure together constitute the core innovation of this control operation method, significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of pipeline inner wall processing.

[0146] The above specifically describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art may make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without violating the spirit of the present invention. These equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included in the scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. Intelligent car, characterized by: include: Two axially symmetrical four-wheeled carts (10); A connecting rod mechanism (20) connecting the two four-wheeled carts (10); The four-wheeled cart (10) is composed of a frame (11) and wheels; In each four-wheeled vehicle (10): at least two adjacent wheels serve as omnidirectional wheels; The connecting rod mechanism (20) comprises a telescopic driving module (21), and both ends of the telescopic driving module (21) are respectively hinged to the two four-wheeled vehicles (10); The telescopic drive module (21) can be telescoped along the radial direction of the pipeline, and the distance between the two four-wheeled trolleys (10) and the pressing force on the pipeline wall can be adjusted by its own telescopic movement; The vehicle frame (11) is composed of two side beams (111) and two cross beams (112), wherein the side beams (111) are made of rectangular steel tubes, and the cross beams (112) are made of C-shaped steel or H-shaped steel; The four-wheeled vehicle (10) further comprises a drive motor (12) and a reducer (13), wherein the drive motor (12) is mounted on a flange (113) of the vehicle frame (11), and the drive motor (12) and the wheels are respectively mounted on both sides of the reducer (13); There are two telescopic drive modules (21), and both ends of each telescopic drive module (21) are hinged to the two vehicle frames (11). The telescopic driving module (21) comprises: A fixed support rod (211) and a telescopic support rod (212) are respectively connected to the two vehicle frames (11) via hinges (114); A cylinder (213), the cylinder body of which is fixedly connected to the fixed support rod (211), and the piston rod of which is fixedly connected to the telescopic support rod (212); A pneumatic circuit comprises an air pipe (214), an electromagnetic reversing valve (215), a pressure stabilizing valve (216) and an air compressor, wherein the air cylinder (213) is connected to the electromagnetic reversing valve (215) via the air pipe (214), the electromagnetic reversing valve (215) is connected to the pressure stabilizing valve (216) via the air pipe (214), and the pressure stabilizing valve (216) is connected to the air supply end of the air compressor via the air pipe (214).

2. The intelligent car according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the four-wheeled vehicle (10) is in full drive mode: Each wheel adopts a Mecanum wheel (14) as an omnidirectional wheel; The Mecanum wheels (14) of the two four-wheeled carts (10) are arranged in mirror image.

3. The intelligent car according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the four-wheeled vehicle (10) is in a semi-drive mode: The two four-wheeled carts (10) are respectively provided with two ordinary wheels (15) as driving wheels and two rifle wheels (16) as omnidirectional wheels.

4. The intelligent car according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic driving module (21) further includes a limiting component (22), comprising: A sleeve (221) is fixed to the cylinder body and sleeved with the piston rod and the telescopic support rod (212); the sleeve (221) is provided with a limiting groove (222) extending along the telescopic direction of the cylinder (213); The limit pin (223) is fixed to the telescopic support rod (212) and moves in the limit slot (222) to limit the telescopic stroke.

5. Pipeline inner wall processing robot, characterized in that: The smart car according to claim 1, and: A control box (17) with a built-in control system, mounted on the fixed support rod (211); an actuator (40) communicatively connected to the control system, comprising a mechanical arm (41) mounted on the vehicle frame (11) and a processing device (42) mounted on the mechanical arm (41), wherein the processing device (42) comprises at least one of a welding device, a cutting device, a spraying device, a detection device, and a shot blasting device; A sensor module in communication with the control system includes: A gravity sensor, provided on the vehicle frame (11), for collecting inclination data of the four-wheeled vehicle (10); A first visual sensor is provided at the front end of the vehicle frame (11) and is used to identify front working condition data; A second visual sensor is provided at the rear end of the vehicle frame (11) and is used to identify rear working condition data; An encoder for monitoring the speed and displacement data of the drive motor (12); A third visual sensor, provided on the actuator (40), for identifying weld seam images; The control system is used to receive and process the data sent by the sensor module, and generate a first control instruction for controlling the movement of the intelligent vehicle and a second control instruction for controlling the processing of the actuator.

6. A control method for a pipeline inner wall processing robot as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Collect multi-dimensional data through sensor modules, including: Obtaining inclination data of the vehicle frame (11) in real time through a gravity sensor; Identify front working condition data through a first visual sensor; Recognize rear working condition data through a second visual sensor; Synchronously monitor the drive motor speed and displacement data through the encoder; Recognize the weld image by a third visual sensor; S2. Receive, through the control system, the multidimensional data sent by the sensor module and perform planning and processing on the multidimensional data, thereby generating a first control instruction for controlling the movement of the intelligent vehicle and a second control instruction for controlling the processing of the actuator; S3. Executing operations on the smart car and the execution structure respectively according to the first control instruction and the second control instruction; including: According to the first control instruction, the connecting rod mechanism of the intelligent vehicle is controlled to adjust the distance between the two four-wheeled vehicles (10) by telescoping to adapt to different pipe diameters and maintain contact pressure on the pipe wall; According to the first control instruction, the driving motor of the intelligent car is controlled to adjust the rotation speed and differential speed of the wheels, adjust the position and posture of the two four-wheeled cars (10), and drive the intelligent car to walk along the planned path; Controlling the mechanical arm (41) of the actuator to perform multi-degree-of-freedom motion according to the second control instruction; According to the second control instruction, the processing device (42) of the execution structure is controlled to perform welding, cutting, spraying, testing or shot blasting operations on the weld position of the pipe wall.

7. The control operation method according to claim 6, characterized in that: Step S2 specifically includes: The vehicle posture control module of the control system processes the inclination data collected by the gravity sensor and generates wheel group coordinated compensation instructions; The vehicle posture control module and the wheel drive control module of the control system respectively plan and process the front working condition data collected by the first visual sensor and the rear working condition data collected by the second visual sensor to generate speed and differential control instructions. The speed and differential control instructions and the wheel coordinated compensation instructions constitute the first control instructions; The weld seam image collected by the third visual sensor is processed by the image processing weld seam tracking module and the adaptive positioning module of the control system to generate speed and image position coordinate feedback integration instructions; The weld image is received by the posture controller of the control system to generate a joint motion instruction including path planning and force control compensation. The speed and image position coordinate feedback integration instruction and the joint motion instruction constitute the second control instruction.

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