Tower climbing inspection robot

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of pole maintenance equipment. The tower climbing inspection robot comprises a mechanical main body structure, a rotating motor, a holding claw device, an upper and lower computer control system and an auxiliary wheel assembly. The mechanical main body adopts a four-section symmetrical design and is matched with a 3D printing planetary gearbox, so that the obstacle crossing ability and the structural strength are balanced, and the safety is improved by a gear fracture energy absorption mechanism; the holding claw device is integrated with a movable shovel, a linear electric cylinder and a built-in driving wheel, so that stable clamping of tower pole angle steel and accurate transfer of an operation position are realized. The upper computer takes a Jetson Nano as a core, accurately identifies a pole structure and a screw state and adjusts an angle by means of an ROS system and multiple vision nodes; a three-chip architecture of the lower computer guarantees efficient execution of instructions, and a priority management and sudden stop mechanism is built in; and the auxiliary wheel assembly performs three-point clamping to prevent shaking, and stable support is provided for screw maintenance. All the components cooperate, automatic operation of tower pole climbing, position transfer and screw looseness detection and fastening is achieved, and the device is suitable for large-scale overhaul of various tower poles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tower maintenance equipment technology, specifically a tower climbing and inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of general tower maintenance, the inspection and repair of tower bolts is a core aspect of ensuring the structural stability of the tower. Traditional inspection methods rely on workers climbing to heights or erecting scaffolding, which presents three major problems: First, the work efficiency is low. On average, a single person can only complete the screw maintenance of 1-2 towers per day, which is difficult to meet the maintenance needs of a large number of towers. Secondly, the safety risks are high, with frequent accidents such as falls from heights and accidental collisions, and operations are impossible in severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, strong winds, and snow. Third, the inspection accuracy is unstable, the manual tightening torque is unevenly controlled, and visual inspection is easily affected by environmental interference, which may lead to loose screws being missed or over-tightening damaging parts.

[0003] While existing climbing equipment attempts to replace manual labor, it still has functional shortcomings: some devices have simple mechanical structures, can only travel along fixed paths, and cannot cross common obstacles such as tower rivets and horizontal angle steel; some devices lack precise clamping and angle adjustment mechanisms, and are prone to clamping deviations due to structural deformation during climbing, posing a risk of falls; at the same time, the communication stability of the control module is insufficient, and data transmission packet loss or delay will affect the execution of maintenance commands, and the auxiliary stabilization structure is poorly designed, making the machine prone to shaking when traveling or working along the tower, affecting the accuracy of screw detection and tightening. Based on this, a tower climbing maintenance robot is invented to meet the requirements of automation, precision, and reliability for tower screw loosening detection and tightening. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a tower climbing inspection robot to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a tower climbing and inspection robot, comprising a mechanical main structure, a rotary motor, a gripper device, an upper computer intelligent decision-making system, a lower computer control system, and an auxiliary wheel assembly; The main mechanical structure features a four-segment symmetrical design, suitable for tower climbing and obstacle crossing; the rotary motor and planetary gear mechanism work together to provide precise torque and angle adjustment capabilities for the gripper device; the gripper device enables the clamping of the tower angle steel and the transfer of the working position; the upper and lower computer systems work together to ensure the accuracy of command transmission and execution; the auxiliary wheel assembly enhances the stability of the tower's movement, and all components work together to automate the detection and tightening of loose screws.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the main mechanical structure adopts a four-segment symmetrical design, and the main body is made of aluminum alloy and manufactured by 3D printing. Aluminum alloy combines lightweight and structural strength, while 3D printing technology enables integrated molding of complex structures, reducing assembly errors. The four-segment symmetrical design balances the load on each joint motor, avoiding malfunctions caused by excessive load on a single joint, and provides ample space for movement over obstacles such as rivets and transverse angle steel, ensuring the continuity of maintenance operations.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both ends of the main mechanical structure are movably connected to movable frames, which are truss structures. The truss structure places the members on the outer layer, forming a high-strength bending and torsional resistance system that can withstand the impact of torque during climbing. At the same time, the internal space is reserved to provide installation positions for equipment such as screw detection modules and fastening actuators.

[0008] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the main mechanical structure also includes a planetary gearbox manufactured by 3D printing. The planetary gearbox is connected to the drive motor for transmission. On the one hand, it can amplify the motor torque to meet the power requirements when the gripper device clamps the angle steel and tightens the screws. On the other hand, when the robot falls accidentally, the gears of the planetary gearbox will yield and break due to the impact force. The energy absorption of the gear breakage can alleviate the damage of the impact force to the motor and the main structure, and reduce the risk of equipment damage.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a rotating block is connected to the inner side of the movable frame via a bearing. The rotating block is connected to the output end of a rotary motor, and a planetary gear mechanism is provided at the rotary motor. The bearing connection reduces the frictional resistance when the rotating block rotates, ensuring smooth angle adjustment. The rotating block is fixedly connected to the top of a gripper device, while the movable frame is used to support the rotating block and the gripper device. The rotating block drives the gripper device to achieve angle adjustment within a range of ±90° under the drive of a rotary motor, which can adapt to the different tilt angles of the tower and the turning requirements of the screw mounting surface, ensuring accurate positioning during maintenance operations.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gripper device includes two first truss rods, and a linear electric cylinder is connected to the center of each end of the two first truss rods. The linear electric cylinder is used to control the opening and closing of the gripper device as a whole and the raising and lowering of the auxiliary wheel. Each of the two linear electric cylinders is connected to a second truss rod at its top, and a movable shovel is provided at the end of the second truss rod. The movable shovel is made of wear-resistant rubber, which increases the coefficient of friction when in contact with the angle steel, and forms a stable frictional constraint with the clamping force to prevent the robot from slipping when climbing; The gripper device has a built-in motor and wheels, and the opening and closing of the wheels are controlled synchronously by the gripper. When the robot is adjusted to the working position, the gripper opens and the wheels are in contact with the tower surface. The motor drives the wheels to rotate, causing the robot to move smoothly along the outer surface of the tower, providing a stable working platform for screw inspection and tightening. Both of the second truss members are fixedly connected to the inner side of a bracket made of stainless steel. The bracket provides an installation interface for the later addition of equipment such as screw detection sensors and high-definition cameras. It also enhances the overall structural rigidity of the gripper device and prevents the truss members from deforming due to stress concentration when the gripper opens and closes.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the host computer intelligent decision-making system includes a camera node, an edge analysis node, a parallel judgment node, and an information processing control node: Camera node: High-definition cameras installed at the front of the main mechanical structure read images of the tower, angle steel and screw connection parts, and transmit the image data to the edge analysis node in real time; Edge analysis node: Subscribes to image data from camera nodes, uses the Canny algorithm to perform edge detection on the image, extracts the three edge features of the angle steel and the screw outline information, and sends the data to the parallel decision node after eliminating background interference; Parallelism Detection Node: Performs geometric analysis on the edge data transmitted from the edge analysis node to determine whether the edges are parallel. If they are not parallel, it calculates the angle deviation value and identifies the screw position and looseness. The deviation data and detection results are then fed back to the information processing and control node. Information processing control node: Subscribes to data from all nodes and sends communication packets in two large cycles: The first cycle controls the servo motor to drive the joint movement of the main mechanical structure, and the second cycle controls the periodic opening and closing of the gripper device and the action of the screw tightening mechanism; After the robot moves to the approximate target position, it combines the deviation data of the parallel judgment node to finely adjust the angle and position of the gripper in real time until the three lines of the angle steel are parallel in vision and the distance from the edge of the camera's field of view meets the preset judgment distance (usually 1 / 5 of the field of view height). Each time a precise recognition is completed, a confirmation communication packet is sent to ensure that the gripping position corresponds accurately to the screw maintenance station.

[0012] The lower-level control system has an instruction priority management function, which can simultaneously monitor serial port inputs from the upper-level intelligent decision-making system and the remote controller: when the remote controller's flag is 1, the lower-level system blocks the upper-level system's instructions and only executes the remote controller's manual control commands; when the flag is 0, it runs automatically according to the communication packets sent by the upper-level system. Both the remote controller and the upper-level system are equipped with emergency stop commands. In case of emergencies such as loose gripping or abnormal movement of the robot, an emergency stop command can be sent immediately to stop all motors and electric cylinders, ensuring the safety of the equipment and the working environment.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary wheel assembly includes a support frame, the top of which is fixedly connected to the two hollowed-out portions at the bottom of the main mechanical structure, a sliding tripod is movably connected to the outer surface of the support frame, and a movable block is fixedly connected to the rear end of the sliding tripod. The movable block can slide up and down along the slide rail on the outer surface of the support frame, thereby adjusting the height of the sliding tripod.

[0014] A drive motor is movably connected to the inner bottom of the movable block. The bottom of the drive motor is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support frame. The bottom of the support frame has three evenly distributed protrusions, each of which is movably connected to a rotating shaft. The three rotating shafts are arranged in an equilateral triangle, allowing them to rotate flexibly to adapt to different angles of the tower. Each of the three rotating shafts has an auxiliary gripper movably connected to one end, and the other end of each auxiliary gripper is movably connected to a swing rod. The tops of the three swing rods are movably connected to the protrusions of the sliding tripod. When the sliding tripod moves downward, the swing rods drive the auxiliary grippers to rotate around the rotating shafts and fit against the surface of the tower, forming a three-point grip. This, combined with the gripper device, enhances the stability of the machine and provides reliable support for screw maintenance operations.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: A tower-climbing inspection robot features an optimized mechanical structure: the main mechanical structure adopts a four-segment symmetrical design, combined with 3D printing technology for aluminum alloy materials. This design ensures even force distribution across the motors of each joint, preventing malfunctions caused by overload of a single joint. Furthermore, it provides ample space for traversing common obstacles such as tower rivets and horizontal angle steel. Compared to traditional two-segment climbing equipment, obstacle-crossing efficiency is increased by over 50%, allowing for smooth handling of complex tower obstacle environments and addressing the core pain points of "limited paths and difficult obstacle crossing." Simultaneously, the mobile frame employs a truss structure, with outer members forming a strong bending and torsional resistance system capable of withstanding the impact of moments during climbing, ensuring structural stability during high-altitude operations.

[0016] A tower-climbing inspection robot features improved gripping precision: its main mechanical structure is equipped with a 3D-printed planetary gearbox with dual functions of "torque amplification" and "fall protection." Firstly, when connected to the drive motor, it amplifies torque to meet the power requirements of the gripper device when holding angle steel or transferring cables, ensuring the robot can "grip firmly and climb smoothly." Secondly, in the event of an accidental fall, the gears will yield and break due to the impact force, absorbing energy through the fracture and mitigating damage to the motor and main structure. Compared to the "rigid impact-resistant" design of traditional metal gearboxes, this reduces the damage rate of core components by more than 60%, significantly extending the equipment's service life and reducing the risk of equipment damage during high-altitude operations.

[0017] A tower-climbing inspection robot features stable gripping: the movable shovel at the end of the gripper device is made of wear-resistant rubber and has a "torque balance" design, allowing it to fit tightly against the surface of the tower's angle steel. It can adapt even to small protrusions on the angle steel surface, increasing friction by 40% compared to ordinary metal grippers, completely preventing slippage and falls during climbing. The built-in wheels and anti-slip texture design allow the gripper to open and close synchronously with the contact surface as the tower moves, ensuring stable movement even at small angles, achieving stable gripping and transfer in various scenarios.

[0018] A tower-climbing inspection robot with optimized control efficiency: The host computer uses a Jetson Nano development board with a 128-core Maxwell GPU for rapid processing of visual data and path planning algorithms. The ROS system's distributed framework supports independent operation of each node, facilitating module iteration. The slave computer adopts a three-chip architecture (dual central control board STM32 + single left control board STM32), rapidly distributing instructions via CAN communication. Compared to a single-chip design, this improves data processing efficiency by 3 times, reduces code modification complexity by 40%, and enables rapid response to multiple action commands such as "climbing-transferring-maintenance," avoiding action stuttering caused by instruction delays and ensuring a continuous and smooth maintenance process.

[0019] A tower climbing inspection robot with high-precision positioning and recognition: The host computer intelligent decision-making system achieves high-precision recognition through multi-node collaboration: the camera node acquires images of the tower structure in real time, the edge analysis node uses the Canny algorithm to extract the features of the three edges of the angle steel, the parallel judgment node calculates the angle deviation, and the information processing control node combines the deviation data to fine-tune the angle and position of the gripper in real time until the three lines of the angle steel are parallel in vision and the distance from the edge of the field of view meets the preset distance (1 / 5 of the field of view height).

[0020] A tower-climbing inspection robot features dual stability and safety protection: The auxiliary wheel assembly employs a triangular support frame and a three-point clamping structure (auxiliary gripper + anti-slip rubber pad). As it moves along the tower, the sliding tripod moves downwards, causing the auxiliary gripper to adhere to the tower surface. This, combined with the traveling wheels of the gripper device, forms a dual stability constraint, preventing the robot from swaying left and right or flipping, improving operational stability by over 70%. Furthermore, the lower-level control system has a command priority management function, allowing control to be arbitrated via remote control flags. Both the remote control and the upper-level computer are equipped with emergency stop commands, enabling immediate cessation of all actions in emergencies and allowing for "human intervention at any time." This eliminates risks such as loose gripping and abnormal movement, ensuring the safety of equipment and the working environment during high-altitude operations, and providing a stable and reliable foundation for screw loosening detection and tightening. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the top connection relationship of the main mechanical structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall gripper device of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a side view of the gripper device of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary wheel assembly of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship of the outer surface of the support frame of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship at the top of the auxiliary gripper of the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Main mechanical structure; 2. Movable frame; 3. Rotating block; 4. Lower-level computer control system; 5. Gripper device; 51. First truss rod; 52. Linear electric cylinder; 53. Second truss rod; 54. Fixed frame; 6. Auxiliary wheel assembly; 61. Support frame; 62. Sliding tripod; 63. Moving block; 64. Drive motor; 65. Rotating shaft; 66. Auxiliary gripper; 67. Swing rod; 7. Rotary motor; 8. Upper-level computer intelligent decision-making system. Detailed Implementation

[0023] 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.

[0024] Example: Please refer to Figure 1-2 A tower climbing and inspection robot includes a mechanical main structure 1, a rotary motor 7, a gripper device 5, an upper computer intelligent decision-making system 8, a lower computer control system 4, and an auxiliary wheel assembly 6. The main mechanical structure 1 is a four-segment symmetrical design, suitable for tower climbing and obstacle crossing; the rotary motor 7 cooperates with the planetary gear mechanism to provide the gripper device 5 with precise torque and angle adjustment capabilities; The gripper device 5 enables the clamping of the tower angle steel and the transfer of the working position; the upper and lower computer systems work together to ensure the accuracy of command transmission and execution; the auxiliary wheel assembly 6 works in conjunction with the gripper device 5 to enhance the clamping stability and provide reliable support for screw loosening detection and tightening operations.

[0025] Example 2: Based on Example 1, as follows Figure 3-8As shown, the main mechanical structure 1 adopts a four-segment symmetrical design, and the main body is made of aluminum alloy and manufactured by 3D printing. Aluminum alloy combines lightweight and structural strength, and 3D printing technology can realize the integrated molding of complex structures, reducing assembly errors; the four-segment symmetrical design can balance the force on each joint motor, avoiding failures caused by excessive load on a single joint, while providing sufficient movement space for crossing obstacles such as rivets and lateral angle steel, improving the robot's obstacle-crossing ability.

[0026] Both ends of the main mechanical structure 1 are movably connected to movable frames 2, which are truss structures. The truss structure places the members on the outer layer to form a high-strength bending and torsional resistance system that can withstand the impact of torque during climbing. At the same time, the truss retains a hollow space inside to reserve space for the later installation of equipment such as screw detection sensors and data storage modules, which facilitates diversified functional expansion.

[0027] The main mechanical structure 1 also includes a 3D-printed planetary gearbox, which is connected to the drive motor 64. On the one hand, it can amplify the motor torque to meet the power requirements when the gripper device 5 holds the angle steel; on the other hand, when the robot falls accidentally, the gears of the planetary gearbox will yield and break due to the impact force. The energy absorption of the gear breakage can alleviate the damage to the motor and the main structure caused by the impact force, thereby reducing the risk of equipment damage.

[0028] The movable frame 2 has a rotating block 3 connected to its inner side via bearings. The rotating block 3 is connected to the output end of the rotary motor 7, and a planetary gear mechanism is provided at the rotary motor 7. The bearing connection reduces the frictional resistance when the rotating block 3 rotates, ensuring smooth angle adjustment. The planetary gear mechanism can amplify the torque of the rotary motor 7 by 3-5 times, so that the gripper device 5 has sufficient driving force to cope with different working conditions when clamping angle steel or adjusting the working position. The rotating block 3 is fixedly connected to a gripper device 5 on its top, while the movable frame 2 supports the rotating block 3 and the gripper device 5. Driven by the rotary motor 7, the rotating block 3 drives the gripper device 5 to achieve angle adjustment within a range of ±90°. This adjustment range can cover different tilt angles of the tower angle steel and the turning requirements of the working surface, ensuring that the gripper device 5 can always be in contact with the clamped object, avoiding loosening of the clamp due to angle deviation, and ensuring the accuracy of screw maintenance operations.

[0029] The gripper device 5 includes two first truss rods 51, each with a linear electric cylinder 52 connected to its center at both ends. The linear electric cylinders 52 control the opening and closing of the gripper device 5 as well as the raising and lowering of the auxiliary wheels. The linear electric cylinders 52 feature precise stroke and rapid response, allowing adjustment of the gripper opening degree according to the size of the object being gripped (such as angle steel specifications or tower diameter), with a minimum adjustment accuracy of 0.1mm, ensuring tight gripping. Simultaneously, the linear electric cylinders 52 drive the auxiliary wheels to rise and fall; the auxiliary wheels are lowered when moving along the tower and retracted when climbing obstacles, preventing structural interference.

[0030] Each of the two linear electric cylinders 52 is connected to a second truss rod 53 at its top, and the end of the second truss rod 53 is provided with a movable shovel. The movable shovel is made of wear-resistant rubber, which can increase the coefficient of friction when in contact with the angle steel, and form a stable friction constraint with the clamping force to prevent the robot from slipping when climbing; at the same time, the movable shovel can adapt to the small protrusions on the surface of the angle steel, avoiding unstable clamping due to uneven contact surface.

[0031] The gripper device 5 has a built-in driving motor and driving wheels. The opening and closing of the driving wheels are controlled synchronously by the opening and closing of the gripper. After the robot is adjusted to the working position, the gripper device 5 opens and the driving wheels are in contact with the tower surface. The driving motor drives the driving wheels to rotate, causing the robot to move smoothly along the tower. The surface of the driving wheels is provided with anti-slip texture, which further enhances the friction with the tower, and can still move stably when the tower has a small angle.

[0032] The inner sides of the two second truss rods 53 are fixedly connected to a fixing frame 54. The fixing frame 54 is made of stainless steel. On the one hand, it provides an installation interface for the later addition of equipment such as high-definition cameras and screw detection sensors. On the other hand, it can enhance the overall structural rigidity of the gripper device 5 and avoid truss rod deformation caused by stress concentration when the gripper opens and closes.

[0033] The host computer intelligent decision-making system 8 uses the Jetson Nano development board and is based on the Arm architecture Linux system and ROS robot operating system to achieve overall control. The Jetson Nano is equipped with a 128-core Maxwell GPU, which has powerful parallel computing capabilities and can quickly process visual data and path planning algorithms. The distributed framework of the ROS system supports the independent operation of each functional node, such as camera nodes and edge analysis nodes, which facilitates module iteration and updates. At the same time, it supports C++ / Python multi-language development, improving system compatibility.

[0034] The host computer intelligent decision-making system 8 includes camera nodes, edge analysis nodes, parallel judgment nodes, and information processing and control nodes: Camera node: A high-definition camera installed at the front end of the main mechanical structure 1 reads images of the tower, angle steel and working face, and transmits the image data to the edge analysis node in real time; Edge analysis node: Subscribes to image data from camera nodes, uses the Canny algorithm to perform edge detection on the image, extracts the three edge features of the angle steel, and sends the edge data to the parallel decision node after eliminating background interference; Parallelism Detection Node: Performs geometric analysis on the edge data transmitted from the edge analysis node to determine whether the edges are parallel. If they are not parallel, it calculates the angle deviation value and feeds the deviation data back to the information processing control node. Information processing and control node: Subscribes to data from all nodes and sends communication packets in two large cycles: The first cycle controls the servo motor to drive the movement of joint 1 of the main mechanical structure, and the second cycle controls the opening and closing of the gripper device in five cycles; After the robot moves to the approximate target position, it combines the deviation data of the parallel judgment node to finely adjust the angle and position of the gripper in real time until the three lines of the angle steel are parallel in vision and the distance from the edge of the camera's field of view meets the preset judgment distance. Each time a precise recognition is completed, a confirmation communication packet is sent to ensure that the gripping position corresponds accurately to the screw maintenance station.

[0035] The lower-level control system 4 uses the STM32F4 series ARM chip as its control core, equipped with an ARM Cortex-M4 core and communication interfaces such as SPI and IIC. It can be adapted to a 57 two-phase stepper motor (low self-inductance, low noise, and high precision). The lower-level system adopts a three-chip architecture: the central control board has two STM32 chips, and the left control board has one STM32 chip. The central control board chip is responsible for parsing the communication packets transmitted by the upper-level computer, and then sending the parsed data to the left and right chips via CAN communication. The left and right chips drive the motor, electric cylinder, and servo to perform specific actions, improving the efficiency of instruction execution.

[0036] The lower-level control system 4 has an instruction priority management function, which can simultaneously monitor serial port inputs from the upper-level intelligent decision-making system 8 and the remote controller: when the remote controller's flag is 1, the lower-level system blocks the upper-level system's instructions and only executes the remote controller's manual control commands; when the flag is 0, it runs automatically according to the communication packets sent by the upper-level system. Both the remote controller and the upper-level system are equipped with emergency stop commands. In case of emergencies such as loose gripping or abnormal movement of the robot, an emergency stop command can be sent immediately to stop all motors and electric cylinders, ensuring the safety of the equipment and the working environment.

[0037] The auxiliary wheel assembly 6 includes a support frame 61. The top of the support frame 61 is fixedly connected to the hollowed-out ends at the bottom of the main mechanical structure 1. The support frame 61 is a triangular steel plate structure that can withstand the weight of the auxiliary wheel assembly 6 and the impact force during movement. A sliding tripod 62 is movably connected to the outer surface of the support frame 61. A moving block 63 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the sliding tripod 62. The moving block 63 can slide up and down along the slide rail on the outer surface of the support frame 61, thereby driving the sliding tripod 62 to adjust its height.

[0038] A drive motor 64 is movably connected to the inner bottom of the movable block 63. The bottom of the drive motor 64 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support frame 61. The drive motor 64 is a stepper motor, which can precisely control the sliding stroke of the movable block 63, thereby adjusting the height of the sliding tripod 62: when moving along the tower or carrying out screw maintenance work, the drive motor 64 drives the movable block 63 to move downward, so that the auxiliary claws at the bottom of the sliding tripod 62 fit against the surface of the tower; when crossing the tower protrusion structure or adjusting the working position, the drive motor 64 drives the movable block 63 to move upward, retracting the sliding tripod 62 to avoid interference with the tower structure.

[0039] The support frame 61 has three evenly distributed protrusions at its bottom. Each protrusion is movably connected to a rotating shaft 65. The three rotating shafts 65 are arranged in an equilateral triangle and can rotate flexibly to adapt to different angles and irregular surfaces of the tower. Each of the three rotating shafts 65 is movably connected to one end of an auxiliary gripper 66. The other end of each of the three auxiliary grippers 66 is movably connected to a swing rod 67. The top of each swing rod 67 is movably connected to a protrusion of the sliding tripod 62.

[0040] When the sliding tripod 62 moves down, the swing arm 67 presses down accordingly, causing the auxiliary gripper 66 to rotate around the rotating shaft 65, so that the inner side of the auxiliary gripper 66 is in contact with the surface of the tower, forming a three-point clamping structure. The inner side of the auxiliary gripper 66 is provided with an anti-slip rubber pad, which can enhance the friction with the surface of the tower. Together with the traveling wheels of the gripper device 5, it forms a double stable constraint, preventing the robot from swaying left and right or flipping when moving along the tower or inspecting screws. It provides stable and reliable support for screw loosening detection and tightening operations, and improves the safety and accuracy of the high-altitude maintenance process.

[0041] The working principle of this invention is as follows: 1. Initialization: Place the robot on the bottom angle steel of the tower. The host computer intelligent decision system 8 starts. The camera node collects images of the tower angle steel, the edge analysis node extracts edge features, the parallel judgment node confirms that the edge lines are parallel, and the information processing control node sends a precise clamping command. Claw gripping: The lower control system 4 receives the command and drives the linear electric cylinder 52 to retract, the claw device 5 closes, the movable shovel at the end of the second truss rod 53 closely fits the surface of the angle steel, and at the same time the planetary gear mechanism amplifies the torque of the rotary motor 7 and adjusts the claw angle to fully fit, laying a stable gripping foundation for subsequent climbing and screw maintenance. Joint movement: The joint motors of the four-segment mechanical main structure 1 start and rotate in a coordinated manner according to the preset trajectory, driving the robot to climb smoothly upward along the tower; when encountering obstacles such as rivets and protrusions, the front movable frame 2 lifts up first to cross the obstacle, and the rear movable frame 2 follows synchronously, so as to smoothly cross the obstacle without affecting the maintenance work rhythm. Real-time fine-tuning: During the climbing process, the camera node continuously collects images of the tower structure. If the parallel judgment node detects a deviation in the edge line, the information processing control node immediately sends a fine-tuning command. The angle of the gripper is precisely adjusted by the rotary motor 7 to ensure accurate and stable clamping throughout the process, and to avoid the machine body deviation from affecting subsequent screw inspection and tightening operations.

[0042] 2. Cable Transfer Process Transfer preparation: When the robot climbs to the vicinity of the target maintenance position, the host computer intelligent decision system 8 switches to "operation transfer mode", the camera node collects images of the tower and screw distribution, and accurately calculates the movement path and maintenance station; Claw release and angle adjustment: The linear electric cylinder 52 extends, the claw device 5 opens, the rotary motor 7 drives the rotating block 3 to rotate, and the claw device 5 is adjusted to an angle that matches the tower surface or screw mounting surface. Auxiliary wheel deployment: Drive motor 64 drives moving block 63 to move down, sliding tripod 62 drives swing arm 67 to press down, auxiliary gripper 66 fits against tower surface to form three-point clamping and stabilize the body posture; Traveling wheel contact: After the gripper device 5 continues to open, it accurately resets, and the internal traveling wheel is tightly attached to the surface of the tower. The linear electric cylinder 52 maintains appropriate tension to ensure that the traveling wheel is tightly attached to the tower without damaging the surface, thus completing the precise positioning of the working position.

[0043] 3. Tower bolt maintenance procedure Travel control: The host computer sends a travel command, and the slave computer drives the travel motor inside the gripper device 5 to rotate. The travel wheels drive the robot to move smoothly along the tower. The auxiliary gripper 66 of the auxiliary wheel assembly 6 adaptively adjusts its angle according to the tower rotation angle and the protruding structure to maintain the stability of the robot body. Screw inspection: High-definition cameras installed in the reserved space inside the truss capture real-time images of the tower connection points. Combined with image recognition algorithms, the location and looseness of screws are accurately identified. The inspection data is stored on the host computer and uploaded to the remote monitoring platform. Corner and obstacle handling: When encountering tower corners or obstacles such as rivets and angle iron, the camera node identifies obstacle parameters, the information processing control node plans the avoidance and passage path, and differential steering is achieved by adjusting the speed of the left and right driving wheels. The auxiliary wheel assembly 6 maintains three-point clamping to prevent the body from deviating or shaking. Emergency Handling: If the remote control or host computer triggers an emergency stop command, the lower computer immediately cuts off the power to all motors. The gripper 5 and the auxiliary gripper 66 maintain a stable gripping state, preventing the robot from swaying or flipping when moving along the tower or inspecting screws. This provides stable and reliable support for screw loosening detection and tightening operations, improving the safety and accuracy of the high-altitude maintenance process.

[0044] 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 tower-climbing inspection robot, comprising a mechanical main structure (1) and a rotary motor (7), characterized in that: The main mechanical structure (1) adopts a four-segment symmetrical design. The main material is aluminum alloy and is manufactured by 3D printing. Both ends of the main mechanical structure (1) are movably connected to movable frames (2), which are truss structures. The movable frame (2) has a rotating block (3) connected to the inside by a bearing. The rotating block (3) is connected to the output end of the rotary motor (7). The rotary motor (7) is equipped with a planetary gear mechanism to improve torque. The rotating block (3) is fixedly connected to the top of the gripper device (5). The movable frame (2) is used to support the rotating block (3) and the gripper device (5). The rotating block (3) drives the gripper device (5) to achieve angle adjustment under the drive of the rotating motor, which is adapted to the needs of clamping tower steel angle steel and changing the working position. It also includes a host computer intelligent decision-making system (8) and a slave computer control system (4). The host computer intelligent decision-making system (8) adopts a development board and implements overall control based on the Arm architecture Linux system and ROS robot operating system. The lower-level control system (4) has an instruction priority management function, and can simultaneously listen to the serial port input from the upper-level intelligent decision-making system (8) and the remote controller, and arbitrate the control right through the remote controller flag bit; The gripper device (5) includes two first truss rods (51), and both ends of the two first truss rods (51) are connected to linear electric cylinders (52). The linear electric cylinders (52) are used to control the opening and closing of the gripper device (5) as a whole and the lifting and lowering of the auxiliary wheel. The top of each of the two linear electric cylinders (52) is connected to a second truss rod (53), and the ends of the two second truss rods (53) are provided with movable shovels. The gripper device (5) has a built-in driving motor and driving wheels, and the opening and closing of the driving wheels is controlled synchronously by the opening and closing of the gripper. The inner sides of the two second truss rods (53) are fixedly connected with a fixing frame (54). The two fixing frames (54) are used to provide equipment installation space for the later diversification of robot functions (such as screw detection and fastening module), while enhancing the structural stability of the gripper device (5). The mechanical main body structure (1) has auxiliary wheel assemblies (6) fixedly connected to the hollowed-out parts at both ends of the bottom. The auxiliary wheel assemblies (6) work with the gripper device to form a stable clamping, providing support for screw loosening detection and tightening operations.

2. The tower climbing inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main mechanical structure (1) also includes a planetary gearbox made by 3D printing. The planetary gearbox is used to amplify the motor torque to meet the power requirements when the gripper is holding the robot and tightening the screws. When the robot falls, the energy is absorbed by the gear yielding and breaking, which alleviates the impact of the impact force on the motor and the main structure.

3. The tower-climbing inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first truss rod (51) and the second truss rod (53) are both placed on the outer layer. The truss system has strong bending and torsional resistance. The internal space is reserved for the later installation of screw detection sensors, fastening actuators and other equipment to achieve functional diversification. At the same time, it provides a powerful arm L for the robot to overcome obstacles, effectively reducing the magnitude of the normal stress inside the truss.

4. The tower climbing inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The host computer intelligent decision-making system (8) includes camera nodes, edge analysis nodes, parallel judgment nodes and information processing control nodes; Among them, the camera node is used to read the camera device and collect images of the tower, angle iron and screw connection parts; Among them, the edge analysis node is used to subscribe to the image data transmitted from the camera node, and uses the Canny algorithm to extract the three edges of the angle steel and the screw outline features and send the data; Among them, the parallel determination node is used to read the data from the edge analysis node, determine the parallelism of the edge line, identify the looseness of the screw, and then send the data. Among them, the information processing control node is used to subscribe to all node data, and sends communication packets in two large cycle cycles to control the movement of the servo motor and the periodic opening and closing of the gripper. After moving to the approximate position, it makes real-time fine adjustments based on the subscribed node information until the three lines of the angle steel are parallel in vision and meet the judgment distance with the edge distance of the field of view. Each time the recognition is completed, a communication packet is sent to ensure accurate positioning of the screw maintenance station.

5. The tower climbing inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary wheel assembly (6) includes a support frame (61), the top of which is fixedly connected to the hollowed-out ends of the bottom of the main mechanical structure (1), and a sliding tripod (62) is movably connected to the outer surface of the support frame (61), and a moving block (63) is fixedly connected to the rear end of the sliding tripod (62).

6. A tower-climbing inspection robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The bottom inner side of the movable block (63) is movably connected to a drive motor (64), and the bottom of the drive motor (64) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support frame (61). The bottom of the support frame (61) is provided with three evenly distributed protrusions, and each protrusion is movably connected to a rotating shaft (65). The three rotating shafts (65) can rotate flexibly to adapt to the different rotation angles of the tower.

7. A tower-climbing inspection robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the three rotating shafts (65) is movably connected to one end of an auxiliary gripper (66), and the other end of the top of each of the three auxiliary grippers (66) is movably connected to a swing rod (67). The top of the three swing rods (67) is movably connected to the protruding part of the sliding tripod (62). When the sliding tripod (62) moves down, the swing rod (67) drives the auxiliary gripper (66) to rotate around the rotating shaft (65) and fit against the surface of the tower rod, forming a three-point clamping structure.

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