A photovoltaic panel inspection robot imitating a snail

Abstract

The present application relates to photovoltaic panel detection robot, specifically disclose a kind of bionic snail's photovoltaic panel detection robot, including support base, the rear side of the shell is provided with openable tail shell, tail shell and shell form containing space, the containing space is provided with flaw detection mechanical arm, when tail shell opens, flaw detection mechanical arm extends to the outside of containing space and carries out flaw detection operation;The bottom of the support base is provided with soft driver group with photovoltaic panel surface contact.The bionic snail's photovoltaic panel detection robot, soft driver group is deformed by inflation and deflation and forms flexible contact with photovoltaic panel, can control scratch rate far below the level of traditional rigid robot, fundamentally avoid the secondary damage caused by detection;Center of gravity adjusting mechanism through type stepper motor drives battery, air pump moves along screw rod, cooperates with soft center of gravity driver adjustment direction, tail driver maintains balance, can stably adapt to multi-inclined roof, improve the success rate of passing through equipment dense area.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of photovoltaic panel detection robots, in particular to a photovoltaic panel detection robot imitating a snail. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of global photovoltaic industry, the global photovoltaic newly installed capacity reached a new high in 2024, and the proportion of distributed photovoltaic increased, but operation and maintenance faced many pain points: high risk of manual scrubbing, high scratch rate of existing rigid detection robots; many inclined surfaces on the roof of residential buildings and dense equipment, traditional robots are easy to slide and drift. The closest prior art is a rigid photovoltaic detection robot, most of which are track-type or wheeled and driven by motors, which can easily scratch the surface of the photovoltaic panel and have poor adaptability, making it difficult to meet the needs of photovoltaic panel defect detection.

[0003] There are mainly three types of existing technology implementation schemes similar to the present application: first, motor-driven non-contact detection robots, such as the unmanned photovoltaic power station inspection device disclosed in patent publication No. CN222215692U, which uses a high-definition camera and an infrared thermal imager to detect at multiple angles through an adjusting assembly, reducing the risk of scratches without rigid contact, but it does not adapt to complex inclined surfaces; second, bionic adsorption type detection equipment, such as a bionic inchworm robot equipped with a pneumatic suction cup, which avoids damage by precisely controlling the suction force of the suction cup and integrates a detection module to identify small defects, adapting to photovoltaic panels of different shapes, but it does not solve the problem of complex obstacle avoidance; third, unmanned aerial vehicle non-contact detection schemes, such as the photovoltaic scanning equipment of Changjiang Electric Power, which uses a camera scanner driven by a rotating shaft to image and detect, combined with infrared technology to achieve non-destructive detection, but features can be misaligned under strong light.

[0004] The existing photovoltaic panel low-damage defect detection technology has two major shortcomings: first, the contact adaptability is insufficient, semi-flexible detection equipment only uses flexible materials in part, the rigid frame of the main body is still prone to hard contact with the surface of curved and irregular photovoltaic panels, and there is no bionic adhesion design, which can easily slip on inclined surfaces and cannot be stably attached for detection; second, the complex environment adaptability is poor, fixed detection equipment cannot be moved, and portable equipment can be moved but lacks flexible direction adjustment structure, which can be easily blocked by obstacles on equipment-dense rooftops. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to provide a photovoltaic panel detection robot imitating a snail to solve the problems raised in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a biomimetic snail-shaped photovoltaic panel inspection robot, comprising a support base, a shell disposed on the top front side of the support base, and an openable tail shell disposed on the rear side of the shell, the tail shell and the shell forming a receiving space, a flaw detection robotic arm disposed within the receiving space, the flaw detection robotic arm extending to the outside of the receiving space to perform flaw detection operations when the tail shell is opened; a soft actuator assembly in contact with the photovoltaic panel surface is disposed at the bottom of the support base, and a center of gravity adjustment mechanism is disposed on the front side of the receiving space for use in conjunction with the soft actuator assembly.

[0007] Preferably, the tail shell is controlled to open or close via a tail shell opening and closing control mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, the tail shell opening and closing control mechanism includes a lead screw motor fixedly connected to the outer shell, the output end of the lead screw motor is threadedly connected to a lead screw nut, one end of a driven arm is rotatably connected to both sides of the outer wall of the lead screw nut, and the other end of the driven arm is rotatably connected to a connector fixedly connected to the tail shell.

[0009] Preferably, the flaw detection robotic arm is rotatably connected to the support base via a horizontal gimbal.

[0010] Preferably, the software driver group includes software drivers, which are divided into software driver one, software driver two and software driver three arranged in sequence, and each of software driver one, software driver two and software driver three is connected to an air pump through a pipe.

[0011] Preferably, the soft actuator includes a limiting layer and a soft foot chamber, with an air inlet and an air outlet respectively opened on the top of the limiting layer, wherein the limiting layer is fixedly connected to the support base.

[0012] Preferably, the deformation of the soft foot cavity located on the front side is greater than that of the soft foot cavity located on the rear side.

[0013] Preferably, the center of gravity adjustment mechanism includes a fixed box, a lead screw is provided inside the fixed box, a stepper motor is threaded to the outer wall of the lead screw, the lead screw passes through the stepper motor, and the stepper motor can move inside the fixed box along the length of the lead screw.

[0014] Preferably, a battery for increasing the counterweight is fixed to the top of the stepper motor.

[0015] Preferably, the flaw detection robotic arm includes a fixed base, on which one end of an active arm 1 and one end of an active arm 2 are respectively connected. The other end of the active arm 1 and the active arm 2 are connected to a driven arm 3, wherein the connection points of the active arm 1 and the active arm 2 with the driven arm 3 are not coaxial. The free end of the driven arm 3 is connected to a robotic arm tail platform for supporting the flaw detection equipment. The fixed base also has one end of a driven arm 1 connected. The other end of the driven arm 1 is connected to a triangular driven arm 2 that is connected to the active arm 1, wherein the connection point of the triangular driven arm 2 with the active arm 1 and the connection point of the active arm 1 with the driven arm 3 are coaxial. The triangular driven arm 2 is also connected to the robotic arm tail platform via a driven arm 4.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This biomimetic snail-shaped photovoltaic panel inspection robot uses a soft actuator assembly to form flexible contact with the photovoltaic panel through inflation and deflation distortion, which can control the scratch rate to a level far lower than that of traditional rigid robots, fundamentally avoiding secondary damage caused by inspection. The center-of-gravity adjustment mechanism uses a through-type stepper motor to drive the battery and air pump to move along the lead screw, cooperating with the soft center-of-gravity actuator to adjust the direction and the tail actuator to maintain balance, enabling stable adaptation to multi-sloped roofs, improving the success rate of passage through densely populated equipment areas, and solving the current problem of poor equipment compatibility and insufficient maintenance in distributed photovoltaic systems. Simultaneously, the flaw-detecting robotic arm, controlled by a servo motor and a horizontal gimbal, can achieve arbitrary hovering and pitch observation of the infrared detection unit. When the tail shell opens, it blocks strong lateral light, improving the defect detection rate and reducing the false alarm rate. Economically, robot inspection does not require chemical auxiliary reagents, which can reduce the annual maintenance cost of a single photovoltaic panel and extend the life of the module. It can also replace manual labor for high-altitude inspections, reducing the maintenance accident rate to zero. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the robot's front view in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the robot from the rear view in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the inner side of the robot in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a software driver assembly in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a software driver in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the tail shell opening and closing control mechanism in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the flaw detection robotic arm in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the center of gravity adjustment mechanism in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Outer shell; 2. Flaw detection robotic arm; 21. Fixed base; 22. Active arm one; 23. Active arm two; 24. Driven arm one; 25. Triangular driven arm two; 26. Driven arm three; 27. Driven arm four; 28. Tail end platform of the robotic arm; 29. ​​Infrared detection unit; 3. Support base; 4. Tail shell; 5. Software actuator assembly; 51. Air pump; 52. Solenoid valve; 53. Software actuator one; 54. Software actuator two; 5 5. Software driver 3; 56. Air inlet; 57. Air outlet; 58. Restriction layer; 59. Soft foot chamber; 6. Center of gravity adjustment mechanism; 61. Fixing box; 62. Lead screw; 63. Stepper motor; 64. Stepper motor fixing plate; 65. Slider; 66. Slide rail; 67. Cover plate; 7. Tail shell opening and closing control mechanism; 71. Lead screw motor; 72. Lead screw nut; 73. Driven arm; 74. Connector; 8. Horizontal gimbal; 9. Battery. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] Please see Figures 1-8 This invention provides a technical solution: a biomimetic snail-shaped photovoltaic panel inspection robot, comprising a support base 3, an outer shell 1 disposed on the top front side of the support base 3, and two openable tail shells 4 disposed on the rear side of the outer shell 1, the tail shells 4 being shaped like snail shells. The tail shells 4 and the outer shell 1 form a receiving space, the receiving space being used for a flaw detection robotic arm 2, etc. When the tail shells 4 are opened, the two tail shells 4 can assist in shading light, and the flaw detection robotic arm 2 extends to the outside of the receiving space to perform flaw detection operations; a soft actuator assembly 5 is disposed at the bottom of the support base 3 in contact with the photovoltaic panel surface, and a center of gravity adjustment mechanism 6 is disposed at the front side of the receiving space to cooperate with the soft actuator assembly 5.

[0028] The opening and closing states of the two tail shells 4 are controlled by the tail shell opening and closing control mechanism 7.

[0029] The tail shell opening and closing control mechanism 7 includes a lead screw motor 71 fixedly connected to the outer shell 1. The output end of the lead screw motor 71 is threadedly connected to a lead screw nut 72. One end of a driven arm 73 is rotatably connected to both sides of the outer wall of the lead screw nut 72. The other end of each driven arm 73 is rotatably connected to a connector 74 fixedly connected to the tail shell 4. When the lead screw motor 71 operates, the lead screw nut 72 moves on the outer wall of the lead screw motor 71, thereby driving the driven arm 73 to move and pushing the tail shell 4 to rotate around the outer shell 1.

[0030] The software actuator assembly 5 includes software actuators, which are arranged sequentially as software actuator one 53, software actuator two 54, and software actuator three 55. Each of the three software actuators is connected to an air pump 51 via a pipe. The software actuator assembly 5 uses the air pump 51 as the driving source. A sandwich layer is opened in the middle of the support base 3, and pipes are arranged inside the sandwich layer to connect the air pump 51 and the soft foot chamber 59.

[0031] The soft actuator includes a limiting layer 58 and a soft foot chamber 59. The top of the limiting layer 58 is provided with an air inlet 56 and an air outlet 57, and the limiting layer 58 is fixedly connected to the support base 3.

[0032] The deformation of the soft foot chamber 59 located on the front side is greater than that of the soft foot chamber 59 located on the rear side.

[0033] The soft actuators 53, 54, and 55 are powered by an air pump 51, while the deflating of the soft actuators is controlled by a solenoid valve 52. Soft actuator 53, also known as a soft power actuator, provides the robot's primary forward propulsion. Soft actuator 54, also known as a soft center-of-gravity actuator, works in conjunction with the center-of-gravity adjustment mechanism 6 to adjust the robot's direction of travel. Soft actuator 55 is a soft tail actuator, primarily responsible for maintaining the robot's balance. The soft actuators undergo torsional deformation during inflation and deflation; due to their inherent structure, the front of the actuator deforms more than the rear, enabling crawling on smooth surfaces.

[0034] The center-of-gravity adjustment mechanism 6 includes a fixed box 61, with a lead screw 62 fixed to the inner side of the fixed box 61. A stepper motor 63 is threadedly connected to the outer wall of the lead screw 62, and the stepper motor 63 can move along the outer wall of the lead screw 62. A cover plate 67 is fixedly connected to one end of the stepper motor 63, and a slider 65 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the cover plate 67. A slide rail 66 is provided on the inner wall of the fixed box 61, and the slide rail 66 is slidably connected to the slider 65 to restrict the movement trajectory of the stepper motor 63. The lead screw 62 passes through the stepper motor 63, and the stepper motor 63 can move along the length of the lead screw 62 inside the fixed box 61.

[0035] A battery 9 for increasing the counterweight is fixed to the top of the stepper motor 63.

[0036] The stepper motor 63 can move freely on the lead screw 62. At the same time, the battery 9 and the air pump 51 are both fixed on the through stepper motor 63. Under the pressure of gravity, the left and right airbags of the soft center of gravity driver bend at different degrees, resulting in inconsistent displacement of the left and right ends. Therefore, this device can adjust the center of gravity of the entire robot.

[0037] The flaw detection robotic arm 2 is rotatably connected to the support base 3 via a horizontal gimbal 8. A motor is installed at the bottom of the horizontal gimbal 8, which drives the top of the horizontal gimbal 8 to rotate, thereby causing the flaw detection robotic arm 2 to rotate horizontally.

[0038] The flaw detection robotic arm 2 includes a fixed base 21 fixed to the top of a horizontal gimbal 8. Two servo motors are fixedly mounted on the fixed base 21. The output ends of the two servo motors are respectively connected to one end of an active arm 22 and an active arm 23 that are rotatably connected to the fixed base 21. A driven arm 26 is rotatably connected to the other end of the active arm 22 and the active arm 23. The rotatable points of the active arm 22 and the active arm 23 and the driven arm 26 are not coaxial. The free end of the driven arm 26 is rotatably connected to a support for... The robotic arm tail platform 28 supports the flaw detection equipment. The second active arm 23 drives the third driven arm 26 to rotate. One end of the first driven arm 24 is also connected to the fixed base 21. The other end of the first driven arm 24 is connected to a triangular driven arm 25, which is connected to the active arm 22. The connection point between the triangular driven arm 25 and the active arm 22 is coaxial with the connection point between the active arm 22 and the third driven arm 26. The triangular driven arm 25 is also connected to the robotic arm tail platform 28 via a fourth driven arm 27. An infrared detection unit 29 is installed on the robotic arm tail platform 28 for detecting the condition of the photovoltaic panels.

[0039] When the tail shell 4 is fully closed, it can protect the infrared detection unit 29 from damage by flying objects such as stones in high-altitude environments such as rooftops. When the tail shell 4 is fully open, it provides ample space for the flaw detection robotic arm 2 to move, and at the same time, it can shield the infrared detection unit 29 from a certain amount of strong lateral light, ensuring the reliability of the test data.

[0040] Working process and principle:

[0041] A distributed photovoltaic power station, such as a rooftop photovoltaic panel on a residential building, is randomly selected. After the robot starts, the battery 9 powers the air pump 51, servo motor, and stepper motor 63. The central control board controls the air pump 51 to charge the soft actuator 53 with a fixed air pressure. The front soft foot chamber has a larger deformation than the rear chamber, driving the robot to creep along the photovoltaic panel at a certain speed. In the center of gravity adjustment mechanism 6, the through-type stepper motor 63 moves the battery 9 2cm to the right. This, combined with the unilateral inflation of the soft center of gravity actuator 54, allows the robot to make large-angle turns between large obstacles such as water heater brackets.

[0042] The tail shell 4 can open to a maximum angle of 120° under the drive of the N20 ball screw motor 71. The tail shell 4 can greatly reduce the interference of strong lateral light. If the infrared detection unit 29 detects an abnormal temperature at a certain point of the photovoltaic panel, it indicates that there are defects such as hidden cracks in the photovoltaic panel.

[0043] The soft actuators of the biomimetic snail robot are made of silicone with a hardness of 30 Shore A. They are inflated and deflated using an air pump and a solenoid valve to simulate the peristaltic deformation of snail muscle waves. The soft actuators are mainly divided into soft foot chambers and a restraining layer. The main function of the restraining layer is to connect the silicone soft foot chambers to the rigid structure on the support base. Due to the constraints of the rigid structure, the restraining layer does not deform significantly during inflation and deflation. Each soft actuator has three soft foot chambers arranged in a fan-shaped diffusion pattern. When inflated, horizontal components of force and torque are generated in the soft foot chambers, which can cause the soft foot chambers to bend naturally.

[0044] Each soft actuator has three openings for gas to enter and exit. From front to back, the two openings closest to the direction of travel are the air inlets 56, and the rear opening is the air outlet 57. Gas is injected into the inside of the first soft actuator 53 by the air pump 51. When the soft foot chamber 59 of the first soft actuator 53 expands to a certain size, the gas is discharged through the air outlet 57 on the first soft actuator 53. The discharged gas enters the soft foot chamber 59 of the second soft actuator 54 through the air inlet 56. When the soft foot chamber 59 of the second soft actuator 54 expands to a certain size, it is discharged again and enters the soft foot chamber 59 of the next soft actuator. Therefore, when the air pump 51 is inflating, the soft actuators inflate and expand sequentially in the order of "front-middle-rear," causing the deformation of the soft foot chamber 59 of the soft actuator closer to the front to be greater than that of the soft foot chamber 59 of the soft actuator closer to the rear. When the solenoid valve deflates, the soft actuators deflate and contract sequentially in the order of "rear-middle-front." It can be seen that the front soft foot chamber has the largest deformation and the longest deformation time in a single inflation / deflation cycle. This can generate a peristaltic wave that propels the robot forward.

[0045] The measured coefficient of friction between the soft actuator of the biomimetic snail robot and the rough surface in contact with the photovoltaic panel is around 0.25. The static friction on the smooth glass surface tilted at 45° can offset the component of the robot's own weight.

[0046] The center of gravity adjustment mechanism can adjust the movement of the robot's main gravity components (air pump, battery) along the robot's width, which can cause a difference in expansion angle between the left and right actuators. This results in a thrust difference: , This refers to the contact area between the expanded soft actuator and the photovoltaic panel surface. This value is constant under a given inflation pressure, hence the thrust difference. Difference in expansion angle Positive correlation. The thrust difference generates a steering torque around the robot's center of gravity. This causes the robot to rotate.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "coaxial," "bottom," "one end," "top," "middle," "other end," "upper," "one side," "outer," "inner," "front," "center," "both ends," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0048] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," "third," or "fourth" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features.

[0049] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "setting," "connection," "fixing," "screw connection," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Unless otherwise explicitly limited, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A biomimetic snail-inspired photovoltaic panel inspection robot, comprising a support base (3), characterized in that: The support base (3) has a shell (1) on the top front side and an openable tail shell (4) on the rear side of the shell (1). The tail shell (4) and the shell (1) form a receiving space. A flaw detection robot arm (2) is installed in the receiving space. When the tail shell (4) is opened, the flaw detection robot arm (2) extends to the outside of the receiving space to perform flaw detection operations. The support base (3) has a soft actuator group (5) that contacts the photovoltaic panel at the bottom. A center of gravity adjustment mechanism (6) is installed on the front side of the receiving space to work in conjunction with the soft actuator group (5). The software driver group (5) includes a software driver, which is divided into software driver one (53), software driver two (54) and software driver three (55) arranged in sequence. Software driver one (53), software driver two (54) and software driver three (55) are all connected to an air pump (51) through a pipe. The soft actuator includes a limiting layer (58) and a soft foot chamber (59). The top of the limiting layer (58) is provided with an air inlet (56) and an air outlet (57), and the limiting layer (58) is fixedly connected to the support base (3). The deformation of the soft foot chamber (59) located on the front side is greater than that of the soft foot chamber (59) on the rear side; The center of gravity adjustment mechanism (6) includes a fixed box (61), a lead screw (62) is provided inside the fixed box (61), a stepper motor (63) is threaded to the outer wall of the lead screw (62), the lead screw (62) passes through the stepper motor (63), and the stepper motor (63) can move inside the fixed box (61) along the length direction of the lead screw (62).

2. The biomimetic snail-based photovoltaic panel inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tail shell (4) is controlled to open or close by a tail shell opening and closing control mechanism (7).

3. The biomimetic snail-based photovoltaic panel inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tail shell opening and closing control mechanism (7) includes a lead screw motor (71) fixedly connected to the outer shell (1). The output end of the lead screw motor (71) is threadedly connected to a lead screw nut (72). Both sides of the outer wall of the lead screw nut (72) are connected to one end of a driven arm (73). The other end of the driven arm (73) is connected to a connector (74) fixedly connected to the tail shell (4).

4. The biomimetic snail-based photovoltaic panel inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flaw detection robotic arm (2) is rotatably connected to the support base (3) via a horizontal gimbal (8).

5. The biomimetic snail-based photovoltaic panel inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stepper motor (63) is fixed to the top of a battery (9) for increasing the counterweight mass.

6. The biomimetic snail-based photovoltaic panel inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flaw detection robotic arm (2) includes a fixed base (21), on which one end of an active arm (22) and an active arm (23) are respectively connected. The other end of the active arm (22) and the active arm (23) is connected to a driven arm (26). The connection points of the active arm (22) and the active arm (23) with the driven arm (26) are not coaxial. The free end of the driven arm (26) is connected to a robotic arm tail for supporting the flaw detection equipment. End platform (28); one end of driven arm one (24) is also connected to the fixed base (21), and the other end of driven arm one (24) is connected to triangular driven arm two (25) which is connected to active arm one (22). The connection point between triangular driven arm two (25) and active arm one (22) and the connection point between active arm one (22) and driven arm three (26) are coaxial. The triangular driven arm two (25) is also connected to the tail platform (28) of the robot arm through driven arm four (27).

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