Pressure pipeline intelligent detection robot and detection method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a pressure pipeline intelligent detection robot and a detection method thereof.The pressure pipeline intelligent detection robot comprises a trolley, a lifting arm is arranged at the top of the trolley, a mechanical arm and a rotating detection ring are arranged on the lifting arm, the detection ring comprises a middle rail, rotating side rails are arranged at the two ends of the middle rail, and opening and closing mechanisms are arranged on the middle rail and the side rails; the opening and closing mechanism comprises a plurality of sliding seats and a plurality of hinge rods, detection probes are arranged on the sliding seats, and a camera is arranged at the top of the mechanical arm. The device can adapt to various complex scenes of inclination, turning, high altitude, narrow space and the like of the power station pressure pipeline, has extremely high scene adaptation capacity, can flexibly adjust the posture of the detection ring according to an inclined pipeline, a rotating motor and the structure of the rotating motor and a lifting arm, and adapts to pipelines with different inclination angles; aiming at a pipeline corner, the detection ring can stably penetrate through the corner area, and equipment replacement or detection scheme adjustment is not needed; the scene limitation of traditional manual troubleshooting is thoroughly broken through, and the diversified detection requirements of the power station pressure pipeline are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pipeline inspection, and in particular to an intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines and its inspection method. Background Technology

[0002] The power plant has long pressure pipelines connected by flange joints or welding. Due to long-term operation and environmental factors, minor leaks may occur at the pipeline welds and flange joints, causing frequent air compressor starts, increased energy consumption, and a higher air compressor failure rate, affecting the normal operation of the unit. In addition, pressure equipment may also experience other faults such as loose bolts, pipe deformation, paint peeling, corrosion, and cracks. Traditional manual inspection methods require scaffolding or ladders, and personnel must carry inspection tools when working at heights. Some high-altitude pipelines are in high-temperature, strong-wind, or dusty environments, and prolonged work can lead to physical exhaustion and loss of concentration, further increasing the probability of operational errors and safety accidents. This presents problems such as high-altitude work risks and low work efficiency.

[0003] Pipeline maintenance typically involves inspecting horizontal, inclined, and bend sections. Bends are notoriously difficult to inspect, far more so than straight sections, making them blind spots where potential problems are easily overlooked during troubleshooting. These bends are often critical points where the flow direction of the medium in the pipeline system changes. They are inherently high-risk areas for failure due to long-term erosion by the medium, pressure fluctuations, and stress concentration within the structure itself. Manually climbing or entering these areas not only poses extremely high safety risks, but also makes it difficult for workers to maintain a stable inspection posture for extended periods, easily leading to fatigue and missed inspections. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines and its inspection method, which solves the problems of manual inspection methods that require scaffolding or ladders, posing risks of working at height, low work efficiency, and increasing the probability of operational errors and safety accidents.

[0005] Another problem solved by this invention is that pipelines often encounter bends, which are difficult to inspect. Operators cannot maintain a stable inspection posture for a long time, and fatigue can easily lead to oversights in the inspection.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a pressure pipeline intelligent inspection robot and its inspection method, including a trolley, a lifting arm on the top of the trolley, a mechanical arm and a rotating inspection ring on the lifting arm, the inspection ring including a central rail, rotating side rails at both ends of the central rail, an opening and closing mechanism on the central rail and the side rails, the opening and closing mechanism including multiple slides and multiple hinge rods, an inspection probe on the slide, and a camera on the top of the mechanical arm.

[0007] In the preferred embodiment, the trolley is equipped with brackets at the four corners of its bottom, a steering motor is mounted on the brackets, a drive wheel is mounted at the bottom of the brackets, and a suspension spring is mounted between the drive wheel and the bracket.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the lifting arm includes an outer cylinder, a middle cylinder, an inner cylinder, and a hollow second lead screw. The bottom of the outer cylinder is provided with a first lead screw, the bottom of the middle cylinder is provided with a threaded seat, the threaded seat is connected to the first lead screw, and the bottom of the first lead screw is provided with a lead screw motor.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment, the inner wall of the second lead screw is provided with multiple vertical bars, the outer wall of the first lead screw is provided with a vertical groove, the vertical bars abut against the vertical groove, the bottom of the second lead screw is provided with a swivel seat, the swivel seat is provided with a keyway, the swivel seat is rotatably connected to the threaded seat through the keyway, the top of the inner cylinder is provided with a top plate, and a support plate is provided on the top plate.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the side rail includes an arc-shaped track with an arc-shaped groove on it. The bottom of the groove has a through groove, and one side of the groove has an arc-shaped toothed ring. One end of the track has a rounded corner and a rotating rod. The arc-shaped track is rotatably connected to the center rail through the rotating rod.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment, the structure of the middle rail is the same as that of the side rails. The middle rail is equipped with a rotating shaft, and folding motors are provided on both sides of the middle rail. The output shaft of the folding motor is connected to the rotating rod, and a rotary motor is provided at one end of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the support plate.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the slide block includes an arc-shaped block, one side of which is provided with an installation groove, and one end of which is provided with a limiting rod. The arc-shaped block abuts against the slide groove, and the limiting rod abuts against the through groove.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, a first motor is provided on the slides at both ends of the opening and closing mechanism, and a gear is provided on the first motor, which meshes with a gear ring.

[0014] In the preferred embodiment, two hinge rods are provided between two adjacent slides, and the two adjacent hinge rods are hinged to each other. The limiting rod is rotatably connected to the hinge rod.

[0015] A detection method for a pressure pipeline intelligent inspection robot, characterized by: S1, when inspecting the pipeline, acquiring the robot's posture: the system acquires the point cloud dataset S of the current frame through a camera, and obtains motion data C from an IMU sensor. Data C describes the robot's posture and position changes at the current moment. The lidar provides geometric information of the environment, while the IMU provides posture reference. S2. Data preprocessing: After acquiring the data, the point cloud data S will undergo downsampling and uniform sampling to reduce redundant points and optimize computational efficiency. Preprocessing retains the most representative feature points in the point cloud while reducing the amount of computation. S3, Time Synchronization and Point Cloud Conversion and Fusion: Time synchronization is performed on point cloud data S and IMU motion data C. Point cloud conversion and fusion: The system uses IMU data C to set an initial conversion matrix M, converts the current frame's point cloud data S to a world coordinate system, and fuses it with existing point cloud data to generate a new point cloud set W in the world coordinate system. S4. Objective function calculation and convergence judgment: After obtaining the initial transformation result W, the system will calculate the objective function, which is the average distance between each point in W and its nearest neighbor point cloud. S5. Path planning and dynamic obstacle avoidance: Automatically selects the path with the least time. DWA will divide the scanning data around the robot into multiple windows based on the real-time obstacle information, with each window corresponding to a direction of travel. S5. Installation of the detection ring: The trolley is moved near the pipeline, the detection ring is opened, and the lifting arm is used to raise and lower the detection ring so that it is horizontal with the center of the pipeline. The trolley is moved so that the detection ring is against the pipeline. The detection ring is closed and wraps around the outer wall of the pipeline. S6. Pipeline Inspection: Drive the first motor on the slide block at one end of the middle rail and two side rails to adjust the distance between two adjacent cameras, and drive multiple first motors at the same time to make the opening and closing mechanism slide along the middle rail or side rail for inspection. S7. Pipeline bend inspection: When encountering a pipeline bend, the trolley is moved to drive the lifting arm to rotate the rotary motor, so that the closed detection ring can rotate along the pipeline bend, and the detection probe detects the pipeline bend. S8. After the test is completed, open the test ring and move the trolley away from the pipeline.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: when a horizontal pipeline needs to be inspected, the trolley is driven to move the trolley to the vicinity of the pipeline, the tilting motor is driven to open the detection ring, the lifting arm is raised and lowered to make the detection ring horizontal with the center of the pipeline, the trolley is moved so that the detection ring abuts against the pipeline, the detection ring is closed, and the detection ring wraps around the outer wall of the pipeline.

[0017] The first motor on the slide at one end of the drive center rail and the two side rails adjusts the distance between two adjacent cameras. At the same time, multiple first motors are driven to make the opening and closing mechanism slide along the center rail or the side rails so that multiple detection probes abut against the pipe for detection.

[0018] When it is necessary to inspect the inclined pipe, drive the rotary motor to make the detection ring rotate relative to the trolley so that the central axis of the detection ring is horizontal with the central axis of the inclined pipe. When the detection ring wraps around the inclined pipe, when the opening and closing mechanism moves to monitor, the trolley moves along the inclined pipe on one side and the height of the lifting arm is adjusted so that the center of the detection ring is always located at the center of the pipe detection section, so that the whole device can detect the inclined section.

[0019] When pipeline bends need to be inspected, a moving trolley drives the lifting arm to simultaneously rotate the rotary motor, allowing the closed detection ring to rotate along the bend. The detection probe then detects the bend, allowing the detection ring to slowly pass through it. This device can adapt to various complex scenarios in power plant pressure pipelines, including inclines, bends, high-altitude locations, and narrow spaces. Traditional manual inspections often cannot fully cover all scenarios due to limitations. This device has strong scenario adaptability. For incline pipelines, the rotary motor and the structure of the lifting arm can flexibly adjust the detection ring's posture to adapt to pipelines with different incline angles. For pipeline bends, such as 90° right-angle bends or curved bends, the coordinated movement of the trolley, lifting arm, and rotary motor allows the detection ring to smoothly pass through the bend area without the need to change equipment or adjust the inspection plan. Furthermore, the device uses the trolley as a mobile carrier, allowing it to move flexibly along one side of the pipeline. Whether it's a high-altitude pipeline or a pipeline in a narrow space, effective inspection can be achieved without personnel entering; only the trolley needs to be operated. This completely breaks the scenario limitations of traditional manual inspections and covers the diverse inspection needs of power plant pressure pipelines.

[0020] The overall device avoids placing parts of the high-altitude pipeline in environments with high temperatures, strong winds, or high dust levels. Prolonged operation in such environments can lead to physical exhaustion and loss of concentration, further increasing the probability of operational errors and safety accidents. This results in high-altitude operation risks and low work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments; Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of a partial structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an axonometric view of the detection ring of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a side view of the detection ring of the present invention; Figure 5 This is an axonometric view of the side rail of the present invention; Figure 6 This is the present invention. Figure 4 A magnified view of A in the middle; Figure 7This is an axonometric view of the opening and closing mechanism of the present invention; Figure 8 This is an axonometric view of the slide of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the lifting arm of the present invention; Figure 10 This is an axle-side view of the drive wheel of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the four-wheel independent steering robot of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the robot's dynamic obstacle avoidance strategy according to the present invention; Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the matching algorithm of this invention; In the diagram: 1. Cart; 101. Drive wheel; 102. Bracket; 103. Steering motor; 104. Suspension spring; 2. Lifting arm; 201. Outer cylinder; 202. Middle cylinder; 2021. Threaded seat; 203. Inner cylinder; 203. Threaded hole; 2031. First lead screw; 204. Second lead screw; 205. Rotary seat; 2051. Keyway; 206. Top plate; 207. Support plate; 208. Robotic arm; 3. Detection ring; 4. Side rail; 5. Track; 501. Slide groove; 502. Through groove; 503. Gear ring; 504. Rounded corner; 505. Rotating rod; 506. Middle rail; 6. Second track; 601. Rotating shaft; 602. Second rounded corner; 603. Folding motor; 604. Opening and closing mechanism; 7. Slide seat; 8. Arc block; 801. Limiting rod; 802. Mounting groove; 803. First motor; 804. Gear; 805. Hinge rod; 9. Rotary motor; 10. Camera; 11. Detection probe; 12. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Example 1: like Figure 1-13 A pressure pipeline intelligent inspection robot and its inspection method are disclosed. The robot includes a trolley 1 with a lifting arm 2 on top. The lifting arm 2 has a robotic arm 3 and a rotating inspection ring 4. The inspection ring 4 includes a central rail 6 and rotating side rails 5 at both ends. Both the central rail 6 and the side rails 5 have opening and closing mechanisms 7, each including multiple sliding seats 8 and multiple hinged rods 9. Inspection probes 12 are mounted on the sliding seats 8. A camera 11 is mounted on the top of the robotic arm 3. With this structure, when a horizontal pipeline needs inspection, the trolley 1 is driven to move near the pipeline, and a tilting motor 604 is driven to open the inspection ring 4. The lifting arm 2 is then raised and lowered to align the inspection ring 4 with the center of the pipeline. Moving the trolley 1 again causes the inspection ring 4 to rest against the pipeline, closing the inspection ring 4 and enclosing the outer wall of the pipeline.

[0023] The first motor 804 on the slide block 8 at one end of the central rail 6 and the two side rails 5 is driven to adjust the distance between two adjacent cameras 11. At the same time, multiple first motors 804 are driven to make the opening and closing mechanism 7 slide along the central rail 6 or the side rails 5 so that multiple detection probes 12 are pressed against the pipe for detection.

[0024] When it is necessary to inspect the inclined pipe, drive the rotary motor 10 to make the detection ring 4 rotate relative to the trolley 1 so that the central axis of the detection ring 4 is horizontal with the central axis of the inclined pipe. When the detection ring 4 wraps around the inclined pipe, when the opening and closing mechanism 7 moves to monitor, the trolley 1 moves along the inclined pipe on one side and adjusts the height of the lifting arm 2 so that the center of the detection ring 4 is always located at the center of the pipe detection section, so that the whole device can detect the inclined section.

[0025] When it is necessary to inspect the bend in the pipeline, the trolley 1 is moved to drive the lifting arm 2 to rotate the rotary motor 10 at the same time, so that the closed detection ring 4 can rotate along the bend in the pipeline. The detection probe 12 detects the bend in the pipeline, so that the detection ring 4 slowly passes through the bend in the pipeline. This device can adapt to various complex scenarios such as the pressure pipeline of the power station having inclination, bend, height, and narrow space. This device possesses strong adaptability to various scenarios. For inclined pipelines, the structure of the rotary motor 10 and the lifting arm 2 can flexibly adjust the posture of the detection ring to adapt to pipelines with different inclination angles. For pipeline bends, such as 90° right-angle bends or curved bends, the coordinated movement of the trolley 1 and the lifting arm 2 and rotary motor 10 allows the detection ring 4 to smoothly pass through the bend area without the need to change equipment or adjust the detection scheme. In addition, the device uses the trolley 1 as a mobile carrier, which can move flexibly on one side of the pipeline. Whether it is a pipeline in the air or a pipeline in a narrow space, no personnel need to enter; only the trolley 1 needs to be operated to achieve effective detection, completely breaking the scenario limitations of traditional manual inspection and covering the diverse detection needs of power plant pressure pipelines.

[0026] The overall device avoids placing parts of the high-altitude pipeline in environments with high temperatures, strong winds, or high dust levels. Prolonged operation in such environments can lead to physical exhaustion and loss of concentration, further increasing the probability of operational errors and safety accidents. This results in high-altitude operation risks and low work efficiency.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, brackets 102 are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the trolley 1. Steering motors 103 are provided on the brackets 102, and drive wheels 101 are provided at the bottom of the brackets 102. Suspension springs 104 are provided between the drive wheels 101 and the brackets 102. With this structure, a moving motor is provided on the drive wheel 101, which drives the moving motor to make the drive wheel 101 roll, and drives the steering motor 103 to make the trolley 1 turn.

[0028] The entire chassis structure is compact and robust, providing solid support for the installation of equipment on the upper platform. Multiple carefully designed fixing points and interfaces on the chassis of Vehicle 1 make modular integration with upper-level equipment exceptionally convenient, greatly improving the system's scalability and flexibility. The top platform of Vehicle 1 adopts a rotating structure design, allowing for easy adjustment of the equipment's orientation, further enhancing the robot's operational flexibility when performing detection and sampling tasks.

[0029] Thanks to its unique design, with each wheel equipped with an independent motor, the robot has an independent steering system. This design allows the robot to easily achieve 360° rotation on the spot, demonstrating high flexibility even in narrow spaces. This robust yet flexible design enables the robot to easily cope with various complex terrains, maintaining stability and reliability while performing tasks, making it a powerful assistant in various complex environments.

[0030] The chassis of the robot vehicle 1 is designed with an independent control system based on kinematics, enabling each drive wheel 101 to be adjustable at different angles. Each drive wheel 101 is equipped with an independent motor control system, which can adjust its speed and rotation direction in real time as needed. By precisely controlling the speed difference and angle of each wheel, the robot can achieve flexible omnidirectional movement, including forward, backward, lateral movement, and even diagonal travel.

[0031] Synchronized control of the four wheels enables the robot to rotate 360° in place in confined spaces, greatly enhancing its maneuverability and flexibility. With the support of the control system, the robot can dynamically plan its path and flexibly avoid obstacles using its omnidirectional motion. The system can adjust the speed and direction of the wheels to avoid obstacles based on real-time feedback from sensors, ensuring a smooth and safe driving path. This design not only improves the robot's adaptability to complex environments but also provides reliable assurance for performing precise inspection tasks, enabling it to efficiently complete tasks in various scenarios.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the lifting arm 2 includes an outer cylinder 201, a middle cylinder 202, an inner cylinder 203, and a hollow second lead screw 205. A first lead screw 204 is located at the bottom of the outer cylinder 201, and a threaded seat 2021 is located at the bottom of the middle cylinder 202. The threaded seat 2021 is connected to the first lead screw 204, and a lead screw motor is located at the bottom of the first lead screw 204. With this structure, the lead screw motor is driven to rotate the first lead screw 204, causing the middle cylinder 202 to rise and fall against the inner cylinder 202 within the outer cylinder 201. A vertical bar abuts against a vertical groove, causing the rotating seat 2051 to rotate relative to the threaded seat 2021, thereby causing the inner cylinder 203 to rise and fall against the inner cylinder 202 within the middle cylinder 202.

[0033] In the preferred embodiment, the inner wall of the second lead screw 205 is provided with multiple vertical bars, the outer wall of the first lead screw 204 is provided with a vertical groove, the vertical bars abut against the vertical groove, the bottom of the second lead screw 205 is provided with a rotating seat 2051, the rotating seat 2051 is provided with a keyway 206, the rotating seat 2051 is rotatably connected to the threaded seat 2021 through the keyway 206, the top of the inner cylinder 203 is provided with a top plate 207, and a support plate 208 is provided on the top plate 207. With this structure, the lifting arm 2 adopts a multi-section telescopic design, achieving linear height adjustment and flexibly adapting to various operational needs within different height ranges. The multi-section telescopic design brings significant space utilization advantages: when not in use, the lifting arm 2 can be completely retracted, greatly reducing the vertical space occupied, thereby ensuring the robot's mobility in low-lying areas. Simultaneously, when high-altitude operations are required, the lifting arm 2 can extend section by section to a predetermined height, easily covering a wide range of operations and meeting diverse operational requirements.

[0034] The vertical lifting arm 2 allows for fine height adjustments, further enhancing the accuracy and stability of operations. This design is highly suitable for complex working environments in industrial settings, enabling the robot to perform multiple tasks such as equipment maintenance and monitoring within limited spaces, thus improving the overall functional flexibility and adaptability of the robot.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the side rail 5 includes an arc-shaped track 501 with an arc-shaped groove 502 on it. The bottom of the groove 502 has a through groove 503, and one side of the groove 502 has an arc-shaped toothed ring 504. One end of the track 501 has a rounded corner 505 and a rotating rod 506. The arc-shaped track 501 is rotatably connected to the central rail 6 via the rotating rod 506. This structure drives the folding motor 604 to rotate the side rail 5 relative to the central rail 6, thereby opening and closing the detection ring 4.

[0036] In the preferred embodiment, the structure of the middle rail 6 is the same as that of the side rail 5. The middle rail 6 is equipped with a rotating shaft 602, and folding motors 604 are located on both sides of the middle rail 6. The output shaft of the folding motor 604 is connected to the rotating rod 506. A rotary motor 10 is located at one end of the rotating shaft 602, and the rotating shaft 602 is rotatably connected to the support plate 208. This structure drives the rotary motor 10 to rotate the detection ring 4 relative to the trolley 1.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the slide block 8 includes an arc-shaped block 801, with an installation groove 803 on one side and a limiting rod 802 at one end. The arc-shaped block 801 abuts against the slide groove 502, and the limiting rod 802 abuts against the through groove 503.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, a first motor 804 is provided on the slide blocks 8 at both ends of the opening and closing mechanism 7. The first motor 804 is equipped with a gear 805, which meshes with a gear ring 504. With this structure, the first motor 804 on one of the slide blocks 8 at one end of the opening and closing mechanism 7 is not driven, while the first motor 804 on the slide block 8 at the other end is driven, so as to rotate the multiple hinge rods 9 to adjust the distance between the multiple slide blocks 8.

[0039] When multiple first motors 804 are driven simultaneously, the opening and closing mechanism 7 slides along the side rail 5 or the middle rail 6.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, two hinge rods 9 are provided between two adjacent slide blocks 8, and the two adjacent hinge rods 9 are hinged to each other. The limiting rod 802 is rotatably connected to the hinge rods 9. With this structure, two hinge rods 9 are provided between two adjacent slide blocks 8, and the two hinge rods 9 are hinged to each other.

[0041] Example 2: Further explanation in conjunction with Example 1: A detection method for a pressure pipeline intelligent inspection robot, characterized by: S1, when inspecting the pipeline, acquiring the robot's posture: the system acquires the point cloud dataset S of the current frame through the camera 11, and acquires motion data C from the IMU sensor. Data C describes the robot's posture and position changes at the current moment. The lidar provides geometric information of the environment, while the IMU provides posture reference. S2. Data preprocessing: After acquiring the data, the point cloud data S will undergo downsampling and uniform sampling to reduce redundant points and optimize computational efficiency. Preprocessing retains the most representative feature points in the point cloud while reducing the amount of computation. S3. Time Synchronization and Point Cloud Conversion and Fusion: Time Synchronization: After preprocessing, the system synchronizes the point cloud data S and the IMU motion data C to ensure that the current frame's point cloud and motion data were acquired at the same time. This timestamp alignment step is crucial because inconsistencies in data timing can lead to error accumulation, affecting the accuracy of localization and map building.

[0042] Point cloud transformation and fusion: After time synchronization, the system uses IMU data C to set an initial transformation matrix M, transforming the current frame's point cloud data S into a world coordinate system and fusing it with existing point cloud data to generate a new point cloud set W in the world coordinate system. This transformation process aligns the current frame's point cloud data with previous map data, providing a preliminary matching result for error optimization and subsequent localization. S4. Objective Function Calculation and Convergence Judgment: After obtaining the initial transformation result W, the system calculates the objective function, which is the average distance between each point in W and its nearest neighbor point cloud. This distance reflects the matching error between the current frame point cloud and the existing map. The smaller the value of the objective function, the closer the current point cloud data is to the existing map; Convergence Check: Finally, the system checks whether the objective function is less than the set convergence threshold or whether the algorithm has reached the maximum number of iterations. If the objective function value is less than the allowable error range, or the maximum number of iterations has been reached, it indicates that the system has found the best match and the data association has converged. At this point, the current transformation matrix M will be used as the final pose estimation output. If the convergence condition is not met, the algorithm will update the transformation matrix and return to the point cloud transformation and fusion step to continue optimization until the convergence condition is met. S5. Path Planning and Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance: Automatically selecting the path with the least time, DWA divides the scanned data around the robot into multiple windows based on real-time obstacle information, each window corresponding to a travel direction. The robot 1 is equipped with an autonomous navigation system, whose path planning part uses the A* algorithm for global path planning. The A* algorithm is an optimal path planning algorithm based on heuristic search. By defining the start point, end point, and the cost at each location, it automatically selects the path with the least time, providing the robot with a clear navigation direction. In inspection tasks, the A* algorithm generates a global path from the start point to the end point based on obstacle information in the map, helping the robot to avoid known obstacles in advance and perform tasks on the predetermined path.

[0043] Dynamic Windowing (DWA) is used to achieve dynamic obstacle avoidance for robots during movement. DWA divides the scanned data around the robot into multiple windows based on real-time obstacle scanning information, with each window corresponding to a movement direction. The system selects the window with the lowest cost as the obstacle avoidance path, ensuring the robot avoids obstacles while maintaining adherence to the global path. The DWA algorithm achieves local obstacle avoidance and path fine-tuning, enabling the robot to flexibly handle temporary obstacles in complex environments. For example, if the robot encounters a ditch or a sudden edge risk during inspection, DWA can immediately adjust the robot's direction or stop it to avoid danger.

[0044] S5. Installation of detection ring 4: Move trolley 1 to the vicinity of the pipeline, open detection ring 4, and raise and lower it by lifting arm 2 to make detection ring 4 horizontal with the center of the pipeline. Move trolley 1 so that detection ring 4 is against the pipeline and close detection ring 4, which wraps around the outer wall of the pipeline. S6. Pipeline inspection: Drive the first motor 804 on the slide block 8 at one end of the middle rail 6 and the two side rails 5 to adjust the distance between the two adjacent cameras 11, and drive multiple first motors 804 at the same time to make the opening and closing mechanism 7 slide along the middle rail 6 or the side rail 5 for inspection. S7. Pipeline bend inspection: When encountering a pipeline bend, the moving trolley 1 drives the lifting arm 2 to rotate the rotary motor 10 at the same time, so that the closed detection ring 4 can rotate along the pipeline bend, and the detection probe 12 detects the pipeline bend. S8. After the test is completed, open the test ring 4 and move the trolley 1 to move the test ring 4 away from the pipeline.

[0045] The above embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of the present invention and should not be considered as limitations on the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be limited to the technical solutions described in the claims, including equivalent substitutions of the technical features described in the claims. That is, equivalent substitutions and improvements within this scope are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pressure pipeline intelligent inspection robot, characterized in that: The device includes a trolley (1), a lifting arm (2) on the top of the trolley (1), a robotic arm (3) and a rotating detection ring (4) on the lifting arm (2), the detection ring (4) includes a middle rail (6), rotating side rails (5) at both ends of the middle rail (6), and opening and closing mechanisms (7) on both the middle rail (6) and the side rails (5). The opening and closing mechanism (7) includes multiple slides (8) and multiple hinge rods (9), a detection probe (12) on the slide (8), and a camera (11) on the top of the robotic arm (3).

2. The intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trolley (1) has a bracket (102) at the four corners of the bottom, a steering motor (103) on the bracket (102), a drive wheel (101) at the bottom of the bracket (102), and a suspension spring (104) between the drive wheel (101) and the bracket (102).

3. The intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting arm (2) includes an outer cylinder (201), a middle cylinder (202), an inner cylinder (203), and a hollow second lead screw (205). The bottom of the outer cylinder (201) is provided with a first lead screw (204), and the bottom of the middle cylinder (202) is provided with a threaded seat (2021). The threaded seat (2021) is connected to the first lead screw (204), and the bottom of the first lead screw (204) is provided with a lead screw motor.

4. The intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner wall of the second lead screw (205) is provided with multiple vertical bars, the outer wall of the first lead screw (204) is provided with a vertical groove, the vertical bars abut against the vertical groove, the bottom of the second lead screw (205) is provided with a rotating seat (2051), the rotating seat (2051) is provided with a keyway (206), the rotating seat (2051) is rotatably connected to the threaded seat (2021) through the keyway (206), the top of the inner cylinder (203) is provided with a top plate (207), and a support plate (208) is provided on the top plate (207).

5. The intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side rail (5) includes an arc-shaped rail (501), an arc-shaped groove (502) on the rail (501), a through groove (503) at the bottom of the groove (502), an arc-shaped toothed ring (504) on one side of the groove (502), a rounded corner (505) and a rotating rod (506) at one end of the rail (501), and the arc-shaped rail (501) is rotatably connected to the middle rail (6) through the rotating rod (506).

6. The intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure of the middle rail (6) is the same as that of the side rail (5). The middle rail (6) is equipped with a rotating shaft (602). Folding motors (604) are provided on both sides of the middle rail (6). The output shaft of the folding motor (604) is connected to the rotating rod (506). A rotary motor (10) is provided at one end of the rotating shaft (602). The rotating shaft (602) is rotatably connected to the support plate (208).

7. The intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slide block (8) includes an arc-shaped block (801), an installation groove (803) on one side of the arc-shaped block (801), a limiting rod (802) at one end of the arc-shaped block (801), the arc-shaped block (801) abutting against the slide groove (502), and the limiting rod (802) abutting against the through groove (503).

8. The intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to claim 7, characterized in that: A first motor (804) is provided on the slide (8) at both ends of the opening and closing mechanism (7). A gear (805) is provided on the first motor (804), and the gear (805) meshes with the gear ring (504).

9. The intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to claim 7, characterized in that: Two hinge rods (9) are provided between two adjacent slides (8), and the two adjacent hinge rods (9) are hinged to each other. The limiting rod (802) is rotatably connected to the hinge rod (9).

10. The detection method of the intelligent inspection robot for pressure pipelines according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: S1. When detecting the pipeline, obtain the machine posture: The system collects the point cloud dataset S of the current frame through the camera (11) and obtains motion data C from the IMU sensor. Data C describes the robot's posture and position change at the current moment. The lidar provides geometric information of the environment, while the IMU provides posture reference. S2. Data preprocessing: After acquiring the data, the point cloud data S will undergo downsampling and uniform sampling to reduce redundant points and optimize computational efficiency. Preprocessing retains the most representative feature points in the point cloud while reducing the amount of computation. S3, Time Synchronization and Point Cloud Conversion and Fusion: Time synchronization is performed on point cloud data S and IMU motion data C. Point cloud conversion and fusion: The system uses IMU data C to set an initial conversion matrix M, converts the current frame's point cloud data S to a world coordinate system, and fuses it with existing point cloud data to generate a new point cloud set W in the world coordinate system. S4. Objective function calculation and convergence judgment: After obtaining the initial transformation result W, the system will calculate the objective function, which is the average distance between each point in W and its nearest neighbor point cloud. S5. Path planning and dynamic obstacle avoidance: Automatically selects the path with the least time. DWA will divide the scanning data around the robot into multiple windows based on the real-time obstacle information, with each window corresponding to a direction of travel. S5. Installation of detection ring (4): The trolley (1) is moved to the vicinity of the pipeline, the detection ring (4) is opened, and the lifting arm (2) is raised and lowered to make the detection ring (4) horizontal with the center of the pipeline. The trolley (1) is moved, the detection ring (4) is pressed against the pipeline, the detection ring (4) is closed, and the detection ring (4) wraps around the outer wall of the pipeline. S6, Pipeline inspection: Drive the first motor (804) on the slide (8) at one end of the middle rail (6) and the two side rails (5) to adjust the distance between the two adjacent cameras (11), and drive multiple first motors (804) at the same time to make the opening and closing mechanism (7) slide along the middle rail (6) or the side rail (5) for detection; S7. Pipeline bend inspection: When encountering a pipeline bend, the trolley (1) is moved to drive the lifting arm (2) to rotate the rotary motor (10) at the same time, so that the closed detection ring (4) can rotate along the bend of the pipeline and the detection probe (12) detects the bend of the pipeline. S8. After the test is completed, open the test ring (4) and move the trolley (1) so that the test ring (4) is away from the pipeline.

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