An autonomous navigation robot for pipeline clogging and damage detection and method of use thereof

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of urban pipeline operation and maintenance, and discloses an autonomous navigation robot for pipeline clogging and damage detection and a use method thereof, which comprises a device shell and three groups of support frames, a support column is fixedly installed on the device shell, a sliding plate is slidably installed on the support column, a spring is sleeved on the support column, and a bottom plate is fixedly installed on the support column. The electric telescopic rod is started to drive the No. 2 support rod to move and rotate, the sliding plate moves on the support column, the distance between the support frame and the device shell is changed, the device can stably adhere to the inner wall of the pipeline, and the poor universality of the existing robot is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of urban pipeline operation and maintenance technology, specifically to an autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipeline blockage and damage, and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] As critical infrastructure for urban drainage, industrial transportation, and oil and gas transport, the regular inspection and maintenance of pipelines' internal condition is essential. Traditional manual inspection methods suffer from drawbacks such as low efficiency, high safety risks, and inability to reach deep sections of pipelines. Therefore, pipeline robots, as an alternative solution, have become a key focus of development in this technological field.

[0003] Currently, existing technologies in this field mainly focus on pipeline inspection devices that rely on tracked or wheeled mobile platforms and are equipped with simple sensors (such as cameras). However, to adapt to pipelines of different diameters, some existing robots employ simple mechanical adjustment mechanisms or fixed designs for specific pipe diameters. However, such designs struggle to maintain stable movement and wall adhesion in complex pipe networks (such as reducing pipe diameters, bends, tees, etc.), making them prone to tipping over or getting stuck, and exhibiting poor versatility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipeline blockages and damage, and its usage method, thus solving the problem of poor versatility of existing robots.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipe blockage and damage includes a device shell and three sets of support frames. A support column is fixedly installed on the device shell, a sliding plate is slidably installed on the support column, a spring is sleeved on the support column, and a base plate is fixedly installed on the support column. The device housing is equipped with three sets of adjustment mechanisms to keep the device in contact with the wall. Each set of support frames is equipped with a drive mechanism that enables the equipment to move stably within the pipeline.

[0006] Preferably, each set of adjustment mechanisms includes a first support rod rotatably mounted on the device housing and a sliding plate, an electric telescopic rod fixedly mounted on the first support rod, and a connecting frame fixedly mounted on the support frame.

[0007] Preferably, each set of adjustment mechanisms further includes two sets of second support rods rotatably mounted on the connecting frame, and the second support rods are fixedly connected to the movable end of the electric telescopic rod. Four sets of connecting rods are rotatably mounted between the first support rod and the second support rod.

[0008] Preferably, the drive mechanism includes a waterproof brushless motor fixedly mounted on a support frame, and a pulley is fixedly mounted on the output end of the waterproof brushless motor.

[0009] Preferably, the drive mechanism further includes a drive shaft rotatably mounted on a support frame, and a transmission shaft is rotatably mounted on the support frame.

[0010] Preferably, the drive mechanism further includes a drive belt wound around the pulley and the drive shaft, a transmission belt wound around the drive shaft and the transmission shaft, and two sets of omnidirectional pulleys fixedly installed on both the drive shaft and the transmission shaft.

[0011] Preferably, a fixed cover is fixedly installed on the outer shell of the device, a camera body is fixedly installed on the fixed cover, and a sonar ultrasonic ranging body is fixedly installed on the fixed cover.

[0012] A method for using an autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipe blockage and damage, the method comprising the following steps: Step 1: The camera captures real-time images of the environment in front of the pipe; Step 2: The central processing unit calls the built-in visual model to understand the image and identify the overall structure of the pipe wall, elbows, branch pipes, etc. Step 2: Use the YOLO target detection algorithm to quickly identify preset feature markers inside the pipeline to achieve precise positioning.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. The present invention adjusts the mechanism by activating the electric telescopic rod to move and rotate the second support rod, causing the sliding plate to move on the support column. This changes the distance between the support frame and the outer shell of the device, allowing the device to stably adhere to the inner wall of the pipe, thus avoiding the poor versatility of existing robots.

[0014] 2. The setup of this invention, through the multi-sensor fusion technology of the sonar ultrasonic ranging subject and the camera subject, changes the limitations of traditional single sensor detection. The complementary advantages of the two technologies enable all-round and multi-dimensional perception of the internal state of the pipeline, greatly reducing the missed detection rate and false judgment rate. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention from a first-view perspective; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention from a second perspective; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the invention from a third-view perspective; Figure 4 This is the technical architecture of the situational awareness and decision-making system of the present invention; Figure 5 This is the technical architecture of the situational awareness and decision-making system of the present invention.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Device housing; 11. Support frame; 12. Support column; 13. Sliding plate; 14. Spring; 15. Base plate; 2. Adjustment mechanism; 21. Support rod No. 1; 22. Electric telescopic rod; 23. Connecting frame; 24. Support rod No. 2; 25. Connecting rod; 3. Drive mechanism; 31. Waterproof brushless motor; 32. Pulley; 33. Drive shaft; 34. Transmission shaft; 35. Drive belt; 36. Transmission belt; 37. Omnidirectional wheel; 4. Fixing cover; 41. Camera body; 42. Sonar ultrasonic ranging body. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following will describe in detail the implementation of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, so that the implementation process of how this application uses technical means to solve technical problems and achieve technical effects can be fully understood and implemented accordingly.

[0018] Because existing robots have poor versatility, in order to solve this problem, refer to Figures 1-5 This embodiment proposes an autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipe blockage and damage, including a device shell 1 and three sets of support frames 11. A support column 12 is fixedly installed on the device shell 1, and a sliding plate 13 is slidably installed on the support column 12. A spring 14 is sleeved on the support column 12 so that the sliding plate 13 can be quickly reset. A base plate 15 is fixedly installed on the support column 12. A fixed cover 4 is fixedly installed on the device shell 1, and a camera body 41 is fixedly installed on the fixed cover 4 for acquiring surface optical images. A sonar ultrasonic ranging body 42 is fixedly installed on the fixed cover 4 for emitting sound waves to detect internal defects.

[0019] The outer casing 1 of the device is equipped with three sets of adjustment mechanisms 2 to keep the device attached to the wall. Each set of support frame 11 is equipped with a drive mechanism 3 to enable the device to move stably in the pipeline, which facilitates the movement of the device in the pipeline.

[0020] Each adjustment mechanism 2 includes a first support rod 21 rotatably mounted on the device housing 1 and the sliding plate 13. An electric telescopic rod 22 is fixedly mounted on the first support rod 21. A connecting frame 23 is fixedly mounted on the support frame 11. Each adjustment mechanism 2 also includes two sets of second support rods 24 rotatably mounted on the connecting frame 23. The second support rods 24 are fixedly connected to the movable end of the electric telescopic rod 22. Four sets of connecting rods 25 are rotatably mounted between the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 24. For pipes of different sizes or irregular shapes, the electric telescopic rod 22 is activated to move and rotate the second support rod 24, causing the connecting rods 25 to rotate with the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 24. The sliding plate 13 moves on the support column 12, changing the distance between the support frame 11 and the device housing 1. This allows the device to stably adhere to the inner wall of the pipe, avoiding the poor versatility of existing robots.

[0021] The drive mechanism 3 includes a waterproof brushless motor 31 fixedly mounted on the support frame 11. A pulley 32 is fixedly mounted on the output end of the waterproof brushless motor 31. The drive mechanism 3 also includes a drive shaft 33 rotatably mounted on the support frame 11. A transmission shaft 34 is rotatably mounted on the support frame 11. The drive mechanism 3 also includes a drive belt 35 wound around the pulley 32 and the drive shaft 33. The pulley 32 and the drive shaft 33 are connected by the drive belt 35. A transmission belt 36 is wound around the drive shaft 33 and the transmission shaft 34. The drive shaft 33 and the transmission shaft 34 are connected by the transmission belt 36. Two sets of omnidirectional pulleys 37 are fixedly mounted on both the drive shaft 33 and the transmission shaft 34. When the waterproof brushless motor 31 starts, it drives the pulley 32 to rotate. Under the action of the drive belt 35 and the transmission belt 36, the drive shaft 33 and the transmission shaft 34 drive the omnidirectional pulleys 37 to rotate, so that the device can move stably on the inner wall of the pipe.

[0022] Working principle: The robot is placed at the entrance of the pipe to be inspected. After the system is started, the central processing unit powers on for self-test and initializes all modules. The adjustment mechanism 2 moves first, and the robot obtains a stable initial support posture. The central processing unit determines the inner diameter of the current pipe section based on preset parameters or preliminary environmental information obtained through the camera body 41 and the sonar ultrasonic ranging body 42 of the intelligent detection module. Then, the adjustment mechanism 2 issues an unfolding command, starting the electric telescopic rod 22 to move and rotate the second support rod 24, causing the connecting rod 25 to rotate between the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 24. The sliding plate 13 moves on the support column 12, changing the distance between the support frame 11 and the device shell 1. The waterproof brushless motor 31 starts, driving the pulley 32 to rotate, which in turn drives the drive belt 35 and the transmission belt. Under the action of 36, the drive shaft 33 and transmission shaft 34 drive the omnidirectional wheel 37 to rotate. The omnidirectional wheel 37 firmly abuts against the inner wall of the pipe and achieves final position locking through actuators such as the electric telescopic rod 22. This process is achieved by the spring 14 and the adjustment mechanism 2 to achieve buffering and smooth movement, so that the robot body is positioned on the central axis of the pipe. After stable support, the autonomous navigation and positioning module starts to work. The camera body 41 continuously collects images of the environment in front. The central processing unit runs a large visual model to perform semantic segmentation, recognizes the pipe structure, runs the YOLO algorithm to identify positioning markers, and combines the optical flow algorithm to calculate the robot's own motion, corrects possible slippage errors of the omnidirectional wheel 37, and the central processing unit generates navigation commands by integrating the information, controls the waterproof brushless motor 31 to drive the omnidirectional wheel 37, and realizes autonomous movement and curve pre-adjustment.

[0023] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0024] 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. An autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipe blockage and damage, comprising a device housing (1) and three sets of support frames (11), characterized in that, A support column (12) is fixedly installed on the outer shell (1) of the device, a sliding plate (13) is slidably installed on the support column (12), a spring (14) is sleeved on the support column (12), and a base plate (15) is fixedly installed on the support column (12). The outer casing (1) of the device is equipped with three sets of adjustment mechanisms (2) to keep the device attached to the wall. Each set of support frames (11) is equipped with a drive mechanism (3) that enables the equipment to move stably within the pipeline.

2. The autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipeline blockage and damage according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each adjustment mechanism (2) includes a first support rod (21) rotatably mounted on the device housing (1) and sliding plate (13), an electric telescopic rod (22) is fixedly mounted on the first support rod (21), and a connecting frame (23) is fixedly mounted on the support frame (11).

3. The autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipeline blockage and damage according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each set of adjustment mechanisms (2) also includes two sets of second support rods (24) rotatably mounted on the connecting frame (23), and the second support rods (24) are fixedly connected to the movable end of the electric telescopic rod (22). Four sets of connecting rods (25) are rotatably mounted between the first support rod (21) and the second support rods (24).

4. The autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipeline blockage and damage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (3) includes a waterproof brushless motor (31) fixedly mounted on a support frame (11), and a pulley (32) is fixedly mounted on the output end of the waterproof brushless motor (31).

5. An autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipeline blockage and damage according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (3) further includes a drive shaft (33) rotatably mounted on a support frame (11), and a transmission shaft (34) is rotatably mounted on the support frame (11).

6. An autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipeline blockage and damage according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (3) also includes a drive belt (35) wound around the pulley (32) and drive shaft (33), a transmission belt (36) wound around the drive shaft (33) and transmission shaft (34), and two sets of omnidirectional pulleys (37) fixedly installed on the drive shaft (33) and transmission shaft (34).

7. An autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipeline blockage and damage according to claim 1, characterized in that, A fixed cover (4) is fixedly installed on the outer shell (1) of the device, a camera body (41) is fixedly installed on the fixed cover (4), and a sonar ultrasonic ranging body (42) is fixedly installed on the fixed cover (4).

8. A method for using an autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipe blockage and damage, characterized in that, The invention includes an autonomous navigation robot for detecting pipe blockage and damage as described in any one of claims 1-7, and includes the following steps: Step 1: The camera captures real-time images of the environment in front of the pipe; Step 2: The central processing unit calls the built-in visual model to understand the image and identify the overall structure of the pipe wall, elbows, branch pipes, etc. Step 2: Use the YOLO target detection algorithm to quickly identify preset feature markers inside the pipeline to achieve precise positioning.

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