Mountainous area power transmission line operation and maintenance robot

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of cable maintenance, and discloses a mountainous area power transmission line operation and maintenance robot, which comprises a main body, a sliding buffer assembly, a shooting maintenance assembly, a positioning assembly and a driving assembly. The sliding buffer assembly realizes motion decoupling of the shooting mechanism and the robot main body through a sliding groove and a sliding block, so that the robot can continuously advance at a uniform speed while the shooting mechanism is stationary, and motion blur and channel misplacement are eliminated. The positioning assembly is driven by the driving assembly to first axially stretch and then axially push a cable to be measured, so that a circumferential and axial tiny crack is forced to open, early damage is facilitated to be shown, and four groups of annular array multispectral high-definition cameras adopt an intermittent stationary shooting strategy. Each detection section only needs to collect one key image in the stretching and pushing states, the application realizes high-precision and low-miss-rate detection of the tiny crack of the mountainous area cable, simplifies the system structure, and improves the portability and operation stability of the robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cable inspection and maintenance technology, and in particular to a robot for the operation and maintenance of power transmission lines in mountainous areas. Background Technology

[0002] The overhead power line inspection robot is an intelligent piece of equipment specifically designed to replace manual labor in the automated inspection and maintenance of power transmission lines in high-altitude and high-risk environments. Its core task is to inspect the condition of the cable's insulation, fittings, and conductor itself, utilizing a multispectral high-definition camera as its vision system. This camera integrates multiple spectral channels, including visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet, enabling it to simultaneously capture macroscopic damage to the cable surface, such as cracks, scratches, abnormal heating points, and weak electric arcs, providing reliable data for subsequent automated maintenance or manual intervention.

[0003] In existing power transmission line maintenance robots, the maintenance camera typically moves along the cable with the robot itself. The relative speed between the camera and the cable causes motion blur and afterimages during the exposure time, which can obscure even millimeter-level micro-cracks in the image, increasing the risk of missed detection. Furthermore, because the exposure sequences of different channels of a multispectral high-definition camera, such as visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet, are difficult to synchronize completely, the continuous movement of the robot can cause sub-pixel-level offsets and misalignments between images of different spectra, leading to ghosting or registration failures during subsequent image fusion. In addition, the surface of overhead cables is usually black or dark, resulting in low contrast with the background and defects. Under natural stress-free conditions, some micro-cracks in the cable may be closed or semi-closed due to material elasticity, making them difficult to capture clearly. All of these factors combined significantly reduce the reliability of existing dynamic maintenance solutions when dealing with early and minor insulation damage, directly affecting the accuracy of line health status assessment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that the existing technology has the disadvantage that the image blurring caused by the movement of the camera with the robot during the maintenance process, the misalignment of multispectral channels, and the natural closure of small cracks in the black background of the cable all contribute to the significant decrease in the reliability of early insulation damage identification. To address this, we propose a maintenance robot for power transmission lines in mountainous areas.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: a maintenance and repair robot for power transmission lines in mountainous areas, comprising: a robot body, a sliding buffer assembly installed on the top surface of the robot body, the sliding buffer assembly including a groove formed on the top surface of the robot body, a slider slidably connected inside the groove, a second electromagnetic mechanism installed at the front end of the groove, a first electromagnetic mechanism installed on the side of the slider near the second electromagnetic mechanism, a support rod fixedly connected to the top of the slider, a camera inspection and repair assembly installed at the top of the support rod, the camera inspection and repair assembly including a silicone connecting block fixedly connected to the top of the support rod, a mounting ring fixedly connected to the top of the silicone connecting block, and a multispectral high-definition camera installed inside the mounting ring;

[0006] Two sets of positioning components are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the mounting ring. A driving component is arranged between the mounting ring and the positioning components. The driving component is used to drive the positioning component to move closer to or away from the shooting and maintenance component. A line cable runs through the inside of the shooting and maintenance component and the positioning component. The positioning component is used to clamp and fix itself on the line cable when the multispectral high-definition camera shoots and identifies the surface of the line cable, thereby ensuring the relative stillness between the shooting and maintenance component and the line cable.

[0007] The main body of the maintenance robot is symmetrically provided with two sets of walking wheel mechanisms at both ends. The walking wheel mechanisms are used to drive the main body of the maintenance robot to travel at a constant speed along the line cable during the maintenance process.

[0008] Preferably, the outer wall of the slider is inlaid with spherical balls, and the spherical balls are rotatably connected to the slider. The spherical balls roll inside the groove to reduce the friction between the slider and the groove.

[0009] Preferably, the positioning component includes a support ring, and a cleaning brush is installed on the side of the support ring. The cleaning brush sweeps across the surface of the line cable to clean the line cable. The upper and lower ends of the support ring are equipped with mounting slots.

[0010] Preferably, an inflation mechanism is installed inside the support ring, and an airbag is installed inside the inflation mechanism. The inner wall of the airbag is fixedly connected with an anti-slip pad. When the positioning component moves away from the shooting and maintenance component, the airbag inflates and moves in opposite directions to stretch the cable segment passing through it to both ends.

[0011] Preferably, the airbag is equipped with a telescopic mechanism, and a clamping block is fixedly connected to the end of the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism drives the clamping block to clamp and fix it on the line cable, so as to maintain the relative stillness between the shooting and maintenance component and the line cable.

[0012] Preferably, the drive assembly includes a first mounting block fixedly connected to the inner wall of the mounting ring, and a dual-axis motor is installed inside the first mounting block.

[0013] Preferably, both output ends of the dual-axis motor are fixedly connected to lead screws, ball nuts are sleeved on the outside of the lead screws, and a second mounting block is fixedly connected to the outside of the ball nuts.

[0014] Preferably, a sliding rod extends through the interior of the second mounting block, and the second mounting block and the sliding rod are slidably connected.

[0015] Preferably, one end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to the first mounting block, and the other end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to a support block, and the support block is fixedly connected to the lead screw.

[0016] Preferably, the multispectral high-definition cameras are arranged in a ring array with four groups inside the mounting ring.

[0017] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0018] This invention achieves motion decoupling between the imaging mechanism and the robot body through a sliding buffer component, enabling the robot to move continuously at a constant speed while the imaging mechanism can remain stationary for imaging, eliminating motion blur and multispectral channel misalignment. The positioning component, driven by the drive component, first axially stretches the cable section to be tested, forcibly opening circumferential micro-cracks, and then moderately pushes it, causing the axial cracks to expand radially, thus facilitating the visualization of early damage in different directions. Combined with an intermittent static imaging strategy, each detection section only needs to acquire one key image under both the stretching and pushing states, significantly reducing data redundancy and processing burden, reducing the pressure on onboard storage and wireless backhaul, and the additional weight and power consumption brought by high frame rate cameras and motion compensation modules. This achieves high-precision, low-miss-rate detection of micro-cracks in mountainous cables, while simplifying the system structure and improving the robot's portability and operational stability on lines with large spans and large elevation differences. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The disclosure of this invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same parts:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall shooting state of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention in its overall reset state;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the sliding buffer component of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the maintenance component part of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the driving component part of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning component of the present invention in its partially open state;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the positioning component of the present invention.

[0027] Legend: 1. Main body of the inspection robot; 2. Sliding buffer assembly; 3. Imaging and inspection assembly; 4. Drive assembly; 5. Positioning assembly; 6. Walking wheel mechanism; 7. Line cable; 201. Slide groove; 202. Slider; 203. First electromagnetic mechanism; 204. Second electromagnetic mechanism; 205. Spherical ball; 206. Support rod; 301. Mounting ring; 302. Multispectral high-definition camera; 303. Silicone connecting block; 401. First mounting block; 402. Dual-axis motor; 403. Lead screw; 404. Second mounting block; 405. Ball nut; 406. Slide rod; 407. Support block; 501. Support ring; 502. Inflation mechanism; 503. Airbag; 504. Anti-slip pad; 505. Mounting bayonet; 506. Cleaning brush; 507. Telescopic mechanism; 508. Clamping block. Detailed Implementation

[0028] It is readily understood that, based on the technical solution of this invention, those skilled in the art can propose various interchangeable structural methods and implementations without altering the essential spirit of the invention. Therefore, the following detailed embodiments and accompanying drawings are merely illustrative examples of the technical solution of this invention and should not be considered as the entirety of the invention or as limitations or restrictions on the technical solution of this invention.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the present invention provides a technical solution: a maintenance and repair robot for power transmission lines in mountainous areas, comprising: a robot body 1, a sliding buffer assembly 2 installed on the top surface of the robot body 1, the sliding buffer assembly 2 including a groove 201 formed on the top surface of the robot body 1, a slider 202 slidably connected inside the groove 201, a spherical ball 205 embedded in the outer wall of the slider 202, and the spherical ball 205 rotatably connected to the slider 202, the spherical ball 205 rolling inside the groove 201 to reduce the friction between the slider 202 and the groove 201, a second electromagnetic mechanism 204 installed at the front end of the groove 201, and the slider 202 being close to the first electromagnetic mechanism 204. A first electromagnetic mechanism 203 is installed on one side of the second electromagnetic mechanism 204. A support rod 206 is fixedly connected to the top of the slider 202. A shooting and maintenance component 3 is installed at the top of the support rod 206. The shooting and maintenance component 3 includes a silicone connecting block 303 fixedly connected to the top of the support rod 206. A mounting ring 301 is fixedly connected to the top of the silicone connecting block 303. A multispectral high-definition camera 302 is installed inside the mounting ring 301. Four sets of multispectral high-definition cameras 302 are arranged in a ring array about the inside of the mounting ring 301. The four sets of multispectral high-definition cameras 302 are evenly distributed on the outside of the line cable 7 for shooting and identifying the line cable 7 from various angles around its circumference.

[0030] Please see Figure 1 As shown, two sets of walking wheel mechanisms 6 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the main body 1 of the maintenance robot. The walking wheel mechanisms 6 are used to drive the main body 1 of the maintenance robot to travel at a constant speed along the line cable 7 during the maintenance process.

[0031] By incorporating a sliding buffer component 2 and utilizing a slide groove 201 to provide a buffer delay distance, the movement of the imaging and inspection component 3 can be decoupled from the movement of the inspection robot body 1. During the inspection process, the inspection robot body 1 can move forward continuously at a constant speed without frequent start-stop for imaging and detection, thus ensuring that the overall inspection efficiency is not affected. Furthermore, during imaging and inspection, the imaging and inspection component 3 can remain stationary relative to the line cable 7 within the buffer zone provided by the sliding buffer component 2, eliminating motion blur and afterimages, enabling precise alignment of multispectral channel images, significantly improving the ability to identify minute cracks on the surface of the line cable 7, and enhancing the accuracy of the inspection.

[0032] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, two sets of positioning components 5 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the mounting ring 301. The inspection and maintenance component 3 and the positioning components 5 share a common internal cable 7. The positioning component 5 includes a support ring 501. A cleaning brush 506 is installed on the side of the support ring 501. The cleaning brush 506 sweeps across the surface of the cable 7 to clean it, preventing dirt such as fallen leaves and water stains from obscuring the surface of the cable 7 and affecting the test results. Mounting slots 505 are installed at the upper and lower ends of the support ring 501, allowing the support ring 501 to be secured to the outside of the cable 7. An inflation mechanism 502 is installed inside the support ring 501. An airbag 503 is installed inside the inflation mechanism 502, and an anti-slip pad 504 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the airbag 503. A telescopic mechanism 507 is installed inside the airbag 503, and a clamping block 508 is fixedly connected to the end of the telescopic mechanism 507. The telescopic mechanism 507 drives the clamping block 508 to clamp and fix it onto the cable 7. To maintain relative stillness between the shooting and inspection component 3 and the line cable 7, four sets of telescopic mechanisms 507 and clamping blocks 508 are evenly arranged along the circumference of the line cable 7. The four sets of telescopic mechanisms 507 extend simultaneously and at equal distances. While clamping and fixing, they can center the support ring 501, keeping the support ring 501 and the line cable 7 coaxial. Through the rigid connection of the drive component 4, the mounting ring 301 and the support ring 501 also remain coaxial. Thus, during fixed shooting, the mounting ring 301 and the line cable 7 remain coaxial, ensuring that the distance between each multispectral high-definition camera 302 and the surface of the line cable 7 is the same. Seamless splicing and fusion can be achieved without complex calibration and correction, simplifying the post-processing image processing workflow. At the same time, the coaxial and equidistant structure is also conducive to establishing a unified detection coordinate system, making it easy to accurately correspond the defect location with the axial and circumferential directions of the cable, thereby significantly improving the identification accuracy and positioning reliability of defects such as micro-cracks and damage.

[0033] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, a drive assembly 4 is provided between the mounting ring 301 and the positioning assembly 5. The drive assembly 4 includes a first mounting block 401 fixedly connected to the inner wall of the mounting ring 301. A dual-axis motor 402 is installed inside the first mounting block 401. Both output ends of the dual-axis motor 402 are fixedly connected to lead screws 403. A ball nut 405 is sleeved on the outside of the lead screw 403. A second mounting block 404 is fixedly connected to the outside of the ball nut 405. A slide rod 406 also passes through the inside of the second mounting block 404, and the second mounting block 404 and the slide rod 406 are slidably connected. The slide rod 406 is used to guide the second mounting block 404. One end of the slide rod 406 is fixedly connected to the first mounting block 401, and the other end of the slide rod 406 is fixedly connected to a support block 407, and the support block 407 is fixedly connected to the lead screw 403.

[0034] The driving component 4 drives the positioning component 5 to move closer to or further away from the imaging and inspection component 3. When the positioning component 5 moves away from the imaging and inspection component 3, the airbag 503 inflates, stretching the cable segment 7 running through it to both ends. This causes the section of cable 7 under test to undergo stable axial tension. This stretching action causes the insulation layer on the surface of the cable 7 to stretch axially and contract radially, thereby forcibly opening up the circumferential micro-gap, such as transverse cracks and interlayer separation, which were originally closed due to material elasticity. This significantly increases its geometric width and optical contrast. At the same time, the stretching also eliminates local wrinkles and sags on the cable surface, making the area under test straighter and ensuring that the distance and angle between each camera and the cable surface are consistent. Therefore, it can effectively improve the ability of the multispectral high-definition camera 302 to capture circumferential micro-cracks on the surface of the cable 7, reduce missed detections and false judgments, and ultimately significantly enhance the detection accuracy and reliability of early insulation damage.

[0035] After completing the axial stretching positioning and shooting, the output of the dual-axis motor 402 is reversed by a certain angle, which can drive the two sets of positioning components 5 to return a certain distance towards the shooting and inspection component 3. This will generate an axial inward pushing effect on the line cable 7 of the section to be tested. At this time, the line cable 7 undergoes radial expansion, which can effectively open the originally closed axial micro gaps, such as cracks or delaminations parallel to the axis, from the circumference, significantly enhancing its geometric width and optical characteristics, so that the multispectral high-definition camera 302 can more easily and clearly capture such defects.

[0036] This pre-processing method of pulling and then pushing during detection enables the full opening and visualization of both circumferential and axial micro-cracks, significantly improving the detection system's ability to identify and locate early insulation damage in different directions.

[0037] Furthermore, in conjunction with an intermittent static shooting strategy, only one image is captured at a selected fixed point during both the stretching and pushing states of the cable. Compared to traditional methods that continuously move and capture massive amounts of video frames or real-time footage, this significantly reduces redundant data. Only two key images are needed for each detection segment to fully reflect the excitation state of minute circumferential and axial cracks, thereby significantly reducing the bandwidth pressure on onboard storage and wireless transmission, and simplifying the subsequent image stitching and recognition processing. Simultaneously, since there is no need for a high frame rate camera, large-capacity high-speed cache, or complex real-time motion compensation and deblurring calculation modules, the weight and power consumption of the maintenance robot's electronic system can be effectively reduced, thereby reducing the overall weight of the robot, lessening the load on the power transmission lines and the driving force requirements of the walking mechanism, allowing the robot to operate more easily and stably on mountainous lines with large spans and significant elevation differences.

[0038] Working principle: First, the maintenance robot is mounted on the line cable 7 by means of drone or manual ladder. The walking wheel mechanism 6 is locked on the line cable 7 to drive the maintenance robot to move at a constant speed along the line cable 7. At the same time, the mounting ring 301 is fitted on the outside of the line cable 7. The multispectral high-definition camera 302 is evenly distributed on the outside of the line cable 7 in the circumferential direction to capture and identify the surface of the line cable 7 from various angles. The positioning component 5 is also fixed on the outside of the line cable 7 by opening and closing and the locking of the mounting slot 505.

[0039] During the maintenance process, the walking wheel mechanism 6 drives the maintenance robot to move at a constant speed along the cable 7. Initially, the slider 202 is located at the front end of the slide 201, and the inspection and maintenance component 3 is also located at the front end of the robot. At this time, the inflation mechanism 502 inflates the airbag 503, causing the airbag 503 to expand inward, making the anti-slip pad 504 adhere to the outer wall of the cable 7, increasing the friction between the anti-slip pad and the cable 7. Due to the friction, the inspection and maintenance component 3 and the cable 7 remain approximately stationary, and the slider 202 no longer moves forward with the main body of the maintenance robot 1, but the forward movement of the main body of the maintenance robot 1 continues. The movement did not stop, so the slider 202 slid backward along the slide groove 201. At the same time, the two output ends of the dual-axis motor 402 rotated, driving the positioning components 5 on both sides to move away from the shooting and maintenance component 3 through the lead screw 403, the second mounting block 404, and the ball nut 405. While the positioning components 5 moved to both sides, due to the certain friction between the anti-slip pad 504 and the surface of the line cable 7, the line cable 7 could be stretched from the middle to both sides, causing the surface of the line cable 7 to spread out along the axial direction. This caused the circumferential cracks on the surface of the line cable 7 to change from closed to open, making it easier to be photographed and identified in subsequent identification and maintenance.

[0040] After the two sets of positioning components 5 move to the ends of the slide bar 406, the output end of the telescopic mechanism 507 pushes the clamping block 508 inward. The clamping blocks 508 work together to clamp and position the line cable 7. Under the clamping and positioning action of the positioning components 5 at both ends, the shooting and inspection component 3 and the line cable 7 remain relatively stationary. At this time, the multispectral high-definition camera 302 shoots and identifies the line cable 7. Then, the output end of the dual-axis motor 402 reverses a certain angle and drives the two sets of positioning components 5 to move a certain distance towards the shooting and inspection component 3. At this time, the positioning components 5 are still in the clamping and fixing state of the line cable 7, which can then push the line cable 7 between the two sets of positioning components 5 towards the middle, so that the line cable 7 is compressed along the axial direction, making its axial cracks easier to be exposed. At this time, the multispectral high-definition camera 302 shoots and identifies again.

[0041] After completing two positioning shots, the airbag 503 and clamp 508 are released. At the same time, the drive component 4 drives the positioning component 5 back to the position close to the shooting and inspection component 3, and the first electromagnetic mechanism 203 and the second electromagnetic mechanism 204 are energized to reset the slider 202 to the front end of the slide groove 201. The cycle is repeated. The multispectral high-definition camera 302 intermittently stops and shoots along the line cable 7, and there is a certain overlap between the lengths captured each time to ensure that the shooting and inspection screen can cover the entire line cable 7.

[0042] The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the content described above. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the above embodiments without departing from the technical concept of this invention, and all such modifications and variations should fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A robot for the operation and maintenance of power transmission lines in mountainous areas, characterized in that, The system includes a maintenance robot body, on the top surface of which a sliding buffer assembly is installed. The sliding buffer assembly includes a groove formed on the top surface of the maintenance robot body, a slider slidably connected inside the groove, a second electromagnetic mechanism installed at the front end of the groove, a first electromagnetic mechanism installed on the side of the slider near the second electromagnetic mechanism, a support rod fixedly connected to the top of the slider, and a camera maintenance assembly installed at the top of the support rod. The camera maintenance assembly includes a silicone connecting block fixedly connected to the top of the support rod, a mounting ring fixedly connected to the top of the silicone connecting block, and a multispectral high-definition camera installed inside the mounting ring. Two sets of positioning components are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the mounting ring. A driving component is arranged between the mounting ring and the positioning components. The driving component is used to drive the positioning component to move closer to or away from the shooting and maintenance component. A line cable runs through the inside of the shooting and maintenance component and the positioning component. The positioning component is used to clamp and fix itself on the line cable when the multispectral high-definition camera shoots and identifies the surface of the line cable, thereby ensuring the relative stillness between the shooting and maintenance component and the line cable. The main body of the maintenance robot is symmetrically provided with two sets of walking wheel mechanisms at both ends. The walking wheel mechanisms are used to drive the main body of the maintenance robot to travel at a constant speed along the line cable during the maintenance process. The positioning component includes a support ring, and a cleaning brush is installed on the side of the support ring. The cleaning brush sweeps across the surface of the line cable to clean the line cable. The upper and lower ends of the support ring are equipped with mounting slots. An inflation mechanism is installed inside the support ring, and an airbag is installed inside the inflation mechanism. An anti-slip pad is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the airbag. When the positioning component moves away from the shooting and maintenance component, the airbag inflates and moves in opposite directions to stretch the cable segment passing through it to both ends. The airbag is equipped with a telescopic mechanism, and a clamping block is fixedly connected to the end of the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism drives the clamping block to clamp and fix it on the line cable, so as to maintain the relative stillness between the shooting and maintenance component and the line cable.

2. The mountain power transmission line maintenance and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the slider is inlaid with spherical balls, and the spherical balls are rotatably connected to the slider. The spherical balls roll inside the groove to reduce the friction between the slider and the groove.

3. The mountain power transmission line maintenance and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly includes a first mounting block fixedly connected to the inner wall of the mounting ring, and a dual-axis motor is installed inside the first mounting block.

4. The mountain power transmission line maintenance and repair robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both output ends of the dual-axis motor are fixedly connected to lead screws, and ball nuts are sleeved on the outside of the lead screws. A second mounting block is fixedly connected to the outside of the ball nuts.

5. The mountain power transmission line maintenance and repair robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second mounting block also has a sliding rod running through its interior, and the second mounting block and the sliding rod are slidably connected.

6. The mountain power transmission line maintenance and repair robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: One end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to the first mounting block, and the other end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to a support block, and the support block is fixedly connected to the lead screw.

7. The mountain power transmission line maintenance and repair robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multispectral high-definition cameras are arranged in a ring array with four groups inside the mounting ring.

Images