Drainage pipe network branch adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system

Abstract

This invention provides an adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches. The robot includes telescopic detection, control and communication, and sensor detection modules. The sensor detection module uses an ultrasonic distance sensor to detect the distance between the robot and the side wall in real time. The main control chip of the control and communication module compares the measured distance with a preset safety threshold. When the distance deviates from the threshold, it generates differential steering and center auxiliary wheel height adjustment commands to adjust the travel direction, stabilize the posture, and drive the telescopic detection module to the target branch pipe detection height. It also drives the camera and side-scan lidar to continuously rotate 360 ​​degrees along the branch pipe axis to collect panoramic images of the inner wall and three-dimensional contour point cloud data. The data is automatically marked with first and second anomaly information by an image anomaly recognition model. Finally, a side-scan inspection report is generated through a remote monitoring platform, marking the location, type, and level of anomalies, and annotating them on an electronic map. This robot and system improve the efficiency and accuracy of drainage pipe network branch inspection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of drainage pipe network inspection equipment, specifically to an adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches. Background Technology

[0002] Drainage pipe networks are the "lifeline" of urban infrastructure, responsible for the collection, transportation, and discharge of rainwater and sewage. Their operational status directly affects urban flood control and drainage capacity, water environment quality, ecological security, and residents' quality of life. With the acceleration of urbanization in my country and the continuous expansion of urban scale, the drainage pipe network system has become increasingly complex. The total length of urban drainage pipe networks in my country has exceeded 1 million kilometers, of which branch pipe networks account for more than 60%, widely distributed in various urban areas, forming a crisscrossing underground pipe network.

[0003] However, due to the characteristics of drainage pipe network branches—namely, their concealment, narrowness, complexity, and harshness—their inspection, maintenance, and management have always been challenging tasks in the industry. Currently, the inspection of drainage pipe network branches in most Chinese cities still relies on traditional methods, which suffer from low efficiency, high risk, low data accuracy, and limited coverage. This results in a large number of branch pipe networks being left uninspected and unmaintained for extended periods, leading to problems such as pipe blockage, damage, and leaks. This not only affects urban drainage functions but may also cause groundwater pollution, road collapses, and other safety hazards. Developing an adaptive inspection robot suitable for branch pipe networks has become an urgent need to address industry pain points and drive industry development.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention proposes an adaptive side-scanning inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches, aiming to improve inspection efficiency and accuracy while reducing problems such as pipe blockage and damage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides an adaptive side-scanning inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an adaptive side-scanning inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches are provided, comprising a telescopic detection module, a control and communication module, and a sensing and detection module, characterized in that: The sensing and detection module includes at least one set of ultrasonic distance sensors, which are used to detect the measured distance information between the robot and the pipe walls on both sides in the drainage pipe network branch in real time, and transmit the measured distance to the control and communication module. The control and communication module compares the measured distance with a preset safe distance threshold through the main control chip. When the measured distance deviates from the preset safe distance threshold, it generates a differential steering control command and a center auxiliary wheel height adjustment command. The differential steering control command is used to control the speed difference between the left and right track wheels so that the robot can automatically adjust its direction of travel to restore a safe distance from the pipe walls on both sides. The center auxiliary wheel height adjustment command is used to stabilize the side sweeping posture of the branch road. When the robot's posture is adjusted to a stable traveling state, the lifting drive electric push rod is driven to extend and retract according to the lifting adjustment command, which drives the X-shaped lifting bracket to expand or retract, so that the extension detection module reaches the branch side scanning target detection height that matches the current pipe diameter. After the telescopic detection module reaches the target detection height, the main control chip sends a side-scan start command to the telescopic detection module. The telescopic detection module drives the onboard camera and side-scan lidar to perform a 360-degree continuous rotation side scan along the pipeline axis, and collects panoramic image data of the pipeline inner wall and three-dimensional contour point cloud data of the pipeline inner wall in real time. The panoramic image data and the three-dimensional contour point cloud data are input into the image anomaly recognition model to identify and mark the first anomaly information, including silt accumulation, debris blockage, pipe wall damage, cracks and interface leakage, and the second anomaly information, including pipe cross-sectional deformation, pipe settlement and excessive thickness of inner wall attachments. The branch pipeline side scan inspection report, including anomaly location coordinates, anomaly type, anomaly level, anomaly size and anomaly confidence level, is generated through the remote monitoring platform and marked on the electronic map.

[0007] In one alternative embodiment, the chassis module further includes a track tensioning device and a shock-absorbing device; The buffer and shock absorption device adopts a combination structure of rubber shock absorption pad and spring; the track tensioning device has an adjustment range of 5-10mm; and the central auxiliary wheel and the two side track wheels together constitute a support posture maintenance mechanism. The robot is hoisted, lowered, and retrieved using the support posture maintenance mechanism in conjunction with the lowering rope sling.

[0008] In one alternative configuration, an AH34 Hall effect travel limit sensor and a linear guide rail are also included. The travel limit sensor is installed at the lifting limit position to prevent overtravel, and the linear guide rail provides vertical guidance support for the lifting platform.

[0009] In one alternative embodiment, the telescopic detection module includes a main lens push rod, a front-view lens, a side-scan illumination assembly, and a rotation drive mechanism. The camera rotates 360 degrees along the pipe axis to achieve full-section blind-spot-free side-scan detection; the main lens push rod, in conjunction with the lifting platform, achieves front-to-back extension compensation to eliminate dead angles in the pipe wall and image distortion.

[0010] In one alternative approach, it also includes: When the ultrasonic distance sensor detects that the robot's travel resistance or track wheel slippage rate exceeds a preset threshold, the micro hydraulic pump is controlled to pump shear-thickening fluid into the flexible deformable bladder, causing the flexible deformable bladder to expand and protrude from the surface of the rigid support claw; when the sediment at the bottom of the pipe is detected to be hard, compacted mud or gravel, the micro hydraulic pump is controlled to reverse and extract the shear-thickening fluid, causing the flexible deformable bladder to contract into the interior of the rigid support claw.

[0011] In one alternative approach, it also includes: When the real-time current of the lifting drive electric push rod exceeds the preset current and the duration exceeds the preset time, the first-level unblocking program is started to apply a sinusoidal AC voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic ring, causing the piezoelectric ceramic ring to generate radial expansion and contraction vibration to push the stuck mud and sand particles to both ends of the gap. If the current does not decrease after the first-stage card unlocking program has run for a preset time, the second-stage card unlocking program will be started to increase the driving voltage to 110-120V and switch the frequency to a square wave pulse of 2-3Hz, so that the piezoelectric ceramic ring will generate a quasi-static radial expansion and contraction cycle, which, together with the slight reciprocating advance and retreat of the electric push rod, will break up the hard plated mud and sand.

[0012] In one alternative embodiment, an electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid dynamic balancing device is connected in series between the rotation drive mechanism of the telescopic detection module and the mounting base of the camera and the side-scanning lidar. The electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid dynamic balancing device includes: an annular electromagnetic suspension bearing, three sets of piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacers distributed in a 120-degree annular pattern, and a six-axis inertial measurement unit installed at the end of the rotating shaft. The stator coil of the electromagnetic levitation bearing is fixed to the outer shell of the rotary drive mechanism, and its rotor core is rigidly connected to the mounting base. One end of the piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement device abuts against the stator end face of the electromagnetic levitation bearing, and the other end is connected to the mounting flange of the housing via a flexible hinge. When the six-axis inertial measurement unit detects that the radial runout or axial sway generated by the rotating shaft during rotation exceeds a preset threshold, the control and communication module activates the electromagnetic levitation bearing for coarse balancing. By adjusting the current of each phase coil, an electromagnetic force opposite to the centrifugal force is generated to suppress the radial runout to within a preset range. Additionally, the piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement device is activated for fine balancing. Based on the residual vibration spectrum fed back by the inertial measurement unit, the three sets of piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement devices are driven at a preset response frequency to generate compensating displacement to eliminate the unbalanced torque caused by the elliptical deformation of the pipe or the tilting of the robot posture.

[0013] In one alternative, the camera of the telescopic detection module shares the same optical window with the side-scanning lidar. An ultrasonic standing wave suspension self-cleaning component is provided on the outside of the optical window. The ultrasonic standing wave suspension self-cleaning component includes an annular piezoelectric transducer, a reflective end cap coaxially mounted with the piezoelectric transducer, and a water quality sensor. The annular piezoelectric transducer and the reflective end cap form a standing wave acoustic field region, which covers the outer surface of the optical window. When the micro water quality sensor detects a liquid film or suspended particulate matter concentration exceeding a threshold on the surface of the optical window, the control and communication module activates the piezoelectric transducer to generate ultrasonic vibration, forming an ultrasonic standing wave field between the transducer and the reflective end cap. This suspends the liquid film and particulate matter on the surface of the optical window to a position 0.1-0.3 mm away from the window surface. Furthermore, an axial fan set by the telescopic detection module blows the suspended droplets and particulate matter away along the tangential direction of the optical window.

[0014] In one alternative embodiment, the control communication module includes a positioning and mapping unit, wherein the sensor data fused by the positioning and mapping unit includes a three-dimensional point cloud of a side-scan lidar, a texture image of the inner wall of the pipe acquired by a camera, measurement data from an inertial measurement unit, and a magnetic coded odometer mounted on the wheel axles of the two track wheels. Among them, when the robot moves along the branch of the drainage network, the pipe axis direction and cross-sectional ellipse features in the lidar point cloud are extracted in real time as geometric constraints, and the pipe joints, manhole interfaces and pipe wall cracks in the camera image are extracted as visual feature points. When the robot enters a branch pipe or a turning section, the inertial measurement unit, the odometer's push mode, and the pipe diameter change characteristics at the branch opening are used as natural landmarks for loop closure detection. When the robot completes an inspection cycle and returns to the starting inspection well, the accumulated pose error is corrected as a whole, and the corrected branch pipe network topology map is uploaded to the remote monitoring platform.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computing device is provided, comprising: a processor, a memory, a communication interface, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the memory, and the communication interface communicate with each other via the communication bus; The memory is used to store at least one executable instruction, which causes the processor to perform the corresponding operations of the aforementioned adaptive side-sweeping inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches.

[0016] According to the solution provided by the present invention, the system includes a telescopic detection module, a control communication module, and a sensing detection module. The driving chassis module includes two sets of tracked wheels arranged symmetrically on the left and right, a central auxiliary wheel installed below the middle of the chassis frame, and a hoisting rope for lowering the robot into the well. The lifting adjustment module adopts an X-shaped lifting bracket structure and is installed on the chassis frame of the driving chassis module. The top of the X-shaped lifting bracket structure is provided with a lifting platform for installing the telescopic detection module. The sensing detection module includes at least one set of ultrasonic distance sensors for real-time detection of the measured distance information between the robot and the pipe walls on both sides within the drainage pipe network branch, and transmits the measured distance to the control communication module. The control communication module communicates via a main... The control chip compares the measured distance with a preset safe distance threshold. When the measured distance deviates from the preset safe distance threshold, it generates a differential steering control command and a center auxiliary wheel height adjustment command. The differential steering control command controls the speed difference between the left and right track wheels, allowing the robot to automatically adjust its direction of travel to restore a safe distance from the side walls. The center auxiliary wheel height adjustment command controls the center auxiliary wheel height adjustment device to adjust the robot's overall posture to avoid tilting or collision. Once the robot's posture is adjusted to a stable traveling state, the main control chip sends a lifting adjustment command to the lifting adjustment module. The lifting adjustment module then drives the lifting drive electric push rod to extend and retract according to the lifting adjustment command, thereby driving the X... The telescopic detection module on the lifting platform can be raised or lowered to a target detection height matching the current pipe diameter by extending or retracting the lifting support. Once the telescopic detection module reaches the target detection height, the main control chip sends a side-scan start command to the module. The telescopic detection module then drives its onboard camera and side-scan lidar to perform a 360-degree continuous rotational side-scan along the pipe axis, acquiring real-time panoramic image data and three-dimensional contour point cloud data of the pipe's inner wall. The panoramic image data and the three-dimensional contour point cloud data are input into an image anomaly recognition model to identify and mark first anomalies including silt accumulation, debris blockage, pipe wall damage, cracks, and interface leakage, as well as second anomalies including pipe cross-sectional deformation, pipe settlement, and excessive thickness of inner wall deposits. The first and second anomalies are uploaded to a remote monitoring platform. The remote monitoring platform generates a branch pipeline inspection report including anomaly location coordinates, anomaly type, anomaly level, anomaly size, and anomaly confidence level, and marks it on an electronic map. This invention significantly improves inspection efficiency and accuracy, reducing pipe blockage and damage.

[0017] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and in order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 This invention illustrates the framework structure of an adaptive side-scanning inspection robot and system for drainage pipe networks according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of measuring the distance between the ultrasonic distance sensor and the two pipe walls according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of receiving abnormal information and electronic map annotation according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 An isometric view of the overall robot structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 ; Figure 5 An isometric view of the overall robot structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 ; Figure 6 An enlarged view of the telescopic detection module according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the control communication module according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure label: 1. Aircraft connector; 2. Power switch; 3. Rear camera; 4. Track wheel; 5. X-type lifting bracket; 6. Headlight; 7. Main lens; 8. Small light; 9. Center auxiliary wheel; 10. Lowering rope shackle; 11. Forward-looking lens; 12. Forward-looking lens auxiliary light; 13. Main lens push rod; Detailed Implementation

[0020] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0021] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the framework structure of an adaptive side-scanning inspection robot and system for drainage pipe networks according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, it includes a driving chassis module, a height adjustment module, a telescopic detection module, a control and communication module, and a sensor detection module; The driving chassis module includes two sets of track wheels 4 arranged symmetrically on the left and right, a central auxiliary wheel 9 installed in the lower middle part of the chassis frame, and a hoisting rope 10 for hoisting and lowering into the well. The lifting adjustment module adopts an X-shaped lifting bracket 5 structure, which is installed on the chassis frame of the driving chassis module. The top of the X-shaped lifting bracket 5 structure is provided with a lifting platform for installing the telescopic detection module. The sensing and detection module includes at least one set of ultrasonic distance sensors, which are used to detect the measured distance information between the robot and the pipe walls on both sides in the drainage pipe network branch in real time, and transmit the measured distance to the control and communication module. The control and communication module compares the measured distance with a preset safe distance threshold through the main control chip. When the measured distance deviates from the preset safe distance threshold, it generates a differential steering control command and a center auxiliary wheel 9 height adjustment command. The differential steering control command controls the speed difference between the left and right track wheels 4 so that the robot can automatically adjust its direction of travel to restore a safe distance from the pipe walls on both sides. The center auxiliary wheel 9 height adjustment command controls the height adjustment device of the center auxiliary wheel 9 to adjust the overall posture of the robot to avoid tilting or collision. In this embodiment, the robot uses an ultrasonic distance sensor to detect the distance to the pipe walls on both sides in real time. Combined with differential steering and height adjustment of the central auxiliary wheel 9, the robot can automatically adjust its direction of travel and body posture in drainage pipe network branches with different pipe diameters, bends, or inclinations, avoiding tilting, collisions, or jamming, and significantly enhancing its adaptability to complex pipeline environments. The control and communication module automatically completes distance deviation judgment and execution command generation, eliminating the need for remote operators to continuously manually adjust the driving trajectory, enabling the robot to achieve autonomous navigation and posture stability within the branch, reducing the operational burden. The height adjustment of the central auxiliary wheel 9 is not only used for obstacle avoidance, but also to adjust the overall center of gravity distribution when the bottom of the pipe is uneven or has deposits, reducing the impact load on the track wheels 4 and chassis, while preventing the telescopic detection module on the lifting platform from colliding with the pipe wall due to the tilt of the body. The lifting adjustment command is executed after the robot's posture is adjusted to a stable traveling state, ensuring that the lifting platform can reach the target detection height vertically and smoothly, avoiding jamming of the lifting mechanism or interference between the detection module and the pipe wall due to the tilt of the body.

[0022] Specifically, two sets of track wheels 4 are symmetrically installed on both sides of the chassis frame. Each track wheel 4 consists of a drive motor, reducer, drive wheel, driven wheel, and rubber track. A center auxiliary wheel 9 is installed below the center of the chassis frame. The height of this auxiliary wheel is adjusted via an electric push rod or hydraulic cylinder, with an adjustment range of 0-80mm from the bottom of the chassis. Two lower rope lifting rings 10, made of stainless steel, are fixed at both the front and rear ends of the chassis frame for connecting the lifting ropes. A battery compartment and a main control box are arranged inside the chassis frame. The main control box houses the main control chip of the control communication module and the wireless communication module. The lower hinge point of the X-shaped lifting bracket 5 is fixed to the upper surface of the chassis frame, and the upper hinge point is connected to the lifting platform. One end of the lifting drive electric push rod is hinged to the chassis frame, and the other end is hinged to the middle crossbeam of the X-shaped bracket. The extension and retraction of the push rod drives the X-shaped bracket to expand or contract. Linear guide rails are installed at the four corners of the lifting platform, with the fixed ends of the rails mounted on the chassis frame to ensure vertical movement of the lifting platform. Limit sensors (such as Hall effect or microswitch type) are installed at the lifting limit positions to automatically cut off the power to the electric push rod when the platform reaches its highest or lowest position. Six sets of ultrasonic distance sensors are installed on each of the front left and right sides, the middle left and right sides, and the rear left and right sides of the chassis frame. The signal lines of all ultrasonic sensors are connected to the ADC or digital input interface of the main control chip, with the measurement frequency set to 20Hz. During initial debugging, a safety distance threshold is preset based on the actual pipe diameter. For example, for a circular pipe with a diameter of 600mm, the preset safety distance is 30mm from each side of the pipe wall. The main control chip reads the measured values ​​of each ultrasonic distance sensor in real time and takes the average value of the sensors on the same side as the current left and right distances. The difference ΔL between the left distance and the preset safety distance is calculated, and the difference ΔR between the right and left sides is calculated. If ΔL or ΔR exceeds the allowable deviation (e.g., ±10mm), when the left distance is too small (the robot is too close to the left wall), the rotation speed of the right track wheel 4 is increased and the rotation speed of the left track wheel 4 is decreased to make the robot turn to the right; conversely, it turns to the left. Simultaneously, it checks if the robot is tilting. If the sum of the left and right distances is significantly less than the normal pipe diameter (indicating the pipe is narrowing or the robot is tilting), it outputs a height adjustment command for the center auxiliary wheel 9, for example, raising the center auxiliary wheel 9 to elevate the chassis and prevent the track edge from rubbing against the pipe wall. Only when ΔL and ΔR are within the allowable deviation range for 3 consecutive seconds is it considered a stable travel state, and then the lifting adjustment command is allowed. After the robot stably travels to the preset detection starting point, the main control chip calculates the target detection height based on the current pipe diameter (which can be estimated by the ultrasonic distance sensor), for example, aligning the rotation center of the telescopic detection module with the pipe axis. A lifting command is sent to the electric push rod controller, the push rod slowly extends, and the X-shaped bracket drives the lifting platform to rise. The travel limit sensor provides a deceleration signal before reaching the target height and locks the push rod after reaching the target height. After the lifting platform stabilizes, the main control chip sends a side scan start command to the telescopic detection module.

[0023] In one alternative approach, once the robot's posture is adjusted to a stable traveling state, the main control chip sends a lifting adjustment command to the lifting adjustment module. The lifting adjustment module then drives the lifting drive electric push rod to extend or retract according to the lifting adjustment command, thereby expanding or contracting the X-shaped lifting bracket and raising or lowering the extension detection module on the lifting platform to the target detection height that matches the current pipe diameter. After the telescopic detection module reaches the target detection height, the main control chip sends a side-scan start command to the telescopic detection module. The telescopic detection module drives the onboard camera and side-scan lidar to perform a 360-degree continuous rotation side scan along the pipeline axis, and collects panoramic image data of the pipeline inner wall and three-dimensional contour point cloud data of the pipeline inner wall in real time. The panoramic image data and the three-dimensional contour point cloud data are input into the image anomaly recognition model to identify and mark first anomaly information, including silt accumulation, debris blockage, pipe wall damage, cracks and interface leakage, and second anomaly information, including pipe cross-sectional deformation, pipe settlement and excessive thickness of inner wall attachments. The first and second anomaly information are uploaded to the remote monitoring platform. The remote monitoring platform generates a branch pipeline inspection report including anomaly location coordinates, anomaly type, anomaly level, anomaly size and anomaly confidence level, and marks it on the electronic map.

[0024] In this embodiment, as Figure 3As shown, the lifting and side-scanning actions are performed only after the robot has stabilized its movement. This avoids the lifting mechanism from jamming or the telescopic module from colliding with the pipe wall due to the robot tilting or being too close to the pipe wall, ensuring that the camera and LiDAR can collect data at the optimal position. The telescopic detection module is adjusted to the target detection height (such as the center of the pipe) that matches the current pipe diameter through the X-shaped lifting bracket 5, making the robot applicable to drainage branches with different diameters from DN300 to DN1200 without the need for manual hardware adjustment. The camera and LiDAR rotate continuously along the pipe axis, acquiring a panoramic image and three-dimensional contour point cloud of the pipe wall at once, covering the top, bottom, and both sides of the pipe, avoiding the blind spots of traditional push rod type detection. For example, a DN800 concrete drainage branch, 200m long, has 20mm thick silt at the bottom, a longitudinal crack about 30cm long at the top, and about 5% elliptical deformation in the middle section of the pipe. After the robot stabilizes in motion (ultrasonic measurements show a left and right distance of 38mm, a preset safety distance of 40mm, and a deviation of -2mm), the main control chip calculates the DN800 pipe radius as 400mm. The target detection height = 400 + the current actual height of the chassis from the bottom of the pipe (assumed to be 120mm) = 520mm (relative to the chassis reference plane). The electric push rod extends, and the X-shaped bracket raises the lifting platform to a height of 520mm. After the telescopic detection module reaches the target height, the main lens push rod 13 extends forward 150mm, and the camera and LiDAR rotate forward at 0.8r / s. At mileage 85m, the camera captures an image of a longitudinal crack at the top of the pipe (32cm in length and 3mm in width); at mileage 120m, the LiDAR point cloud shows that the ellipticity of the pipe cross-section reaches 7.2% (exceeding the threshold of 5%). The image anomaly recognition model outputs the first anomaly information for cracks (crack, confidence level 0.94, length 32cm); and the second anomaly information for elliptical deformation (pipe cross-sectional deformation, ellipticity 7.2%, confidence level 0.89). It also identifies continuous silt accumulation at the bottom of the pipe, with an average thickness of 22mm. The remote monitoring platform generates an inspection report, including the coordinates of the anomaly locations: K0+085 (crack) and K0+120 (elliptical deformation). Anomaly levels: cracks are rated "moderate" (requiring repair within 6 months), and elliptical deformation is rated "severe" (requiring repair within 3 months). On the electronic map, a red crack icon is displayed at K0+085, and an orange deformation icon is displayed at K0+120; clicking on these icons displays detailed data and a side-scan image. Maintenance personnel can obtain all anomaly information and precise locations within the branch without entering the pipeline, significantly improving the efficiency of drainage network inspection.

[0025] In one alternative embodiment, the chassis module further includes a track tensioning device and a shock-absorbing device; The buffer and shock absorption device adopts a combination structure of rubber shock absorption pad and spring; the track tensioning device has an adjustment range of 5-10mm; and the central auxiliary wheel 9 and the two side track wheels 4 together constitute a support posture holding mechanism. The robot is hoisted, lowered, and retrieved using the support posture maintenance mechanism in conjunction with the lowering rope shackle 10.

[0026] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, the combination of rubber shock-absorbing pads and springs in the buffer and shock-absorbing device absorbs the impact and vibration caused by unevenness at the bottom of the pipeline, differences in wellhead elevation, and sediment, reducing the impact on the chassis and precision detection module. The track tensioning device has an adjustment range of 5-10mm, allowing manual or automatic adjustment of track tension when the robot enters different pipe diameters or bends, preventing derailment due to excessively loose tracks or increased load on the drive motor due to excessively tight tracks. The three-point or four-point support posture maintenance mechanism, consisting of the central auxiliary wheel 9 and the two side track wheels 4, automatically maintains the chassis's horizontal posture when the robot is hoisted, lowered, or retrieved via the lowering rope lifting ring 10, preventing tilting that could lead to collisions with the well wall or getting stuck at the wellhead. No additional guide frames or manual straightening are needed during hoisting; the support posture maintenance mechanism, in conjunction with the shock absorption and tensioning device, allows the robot to quickly and safely pass through the inspection well and enter the branch pipe, reducing the risks for personnel operating underground. The buffer and shock absorption reduce impact wear between the tracks and the hard pipe bottom and well edge.

[0027] Specifically, track tensioning devices are installed on the driven wheels (tensioning wheels) axles of the left and right sets of track wheels 4, respectively. These devices employ a screw-adjustable structure, with one end of the screw connected to the tensioning wheel axle seat and the other end fixed to the chassis side plate via a locking nut. The adjustment range is set to 5-10mm, corresponding to a calibrated screw rotation angle; each rotation corresponds to a tension displacement of approximately 0.5mm. During factory testing of the robot, the tension is preset to 7mm (intermediate value) based on the track model and chassis weight. Before field use, operators can fine-tune the screw by observing the track sag (normal sag is 5-8mm). A buffer and shock-absorbing device is installed between the chassis frame and the track wheel 4 mounting brackets. At the connection between the axle seat of each track wheel 4 and the chassis, rubber shock-absorbing pads (10mm thick, Shore A hardness 60A) and helical compression springs (3mm wire diameter, 25mm outer diameter, 40mm free length) are stacked sequentially. The rubber shock absorber and spring are connected in series. The spring is fitted onto the guide post, and the rubber shock absorber is placed between the bottom of the spring and the mounting surface to form a two-stage buffer. A set of buffer and shock absorber devices is also installed at the mounting base of the central auxiliary wheel 9 below the center of the chassis, but the spring stiffness is slightly less than that at the track wheel 4 (wire diameter 2.5mm) to ensure that the central auxiliary wheel 9 is compressed preferentially. The support posture maintenance mechanism consists of the two track wheels 4 (front, middle, and rear, a total of 6 support points, actually continuous track contact) and the central auxiliary wheel 9 (1 point). On a level, hard surface, the lower edges of the central auxiliary wheel 9 and the track wheels 4 are on the same horizontal plane, forming a stable three-point support (actually track line contact + central wheel point contact). When the robot passes through a wellhead or a pipe diameter change section, if one of the track wheels 4 is suspended in the air, the central auxiliary wheel 9 can still contact the bottom due to the spring preload, preventing excessive chassis tilting. Connect the four hooks of the hoisting rope to the four lowering rope rings 10 on the chassis frame (two at the front and two at the rear). Use an electric winch or manual hoist to slowly lift the robot to directly above the inspection well. Lower it slowly; as the robot approaches the well opening, the support posture holding mechanism automatically keeps the chassis level. If there are steps or obstacles at the well opening, the central auxiliary wheel 9 will first contact the well wall or bottom, absorbing the impact through the buffer shock absorption device. Continue lowering to the bottom of the pipe; after the track wheels 4 contact sediment or a hard bottom surface, the central auxiliary wheel 9, under the action of the spring, will be slightly higher than the bottom surface of the track (approximately 2-3 mm) to avoid overloading. At this point, the robot can begin to move. As the robot moves back below the inspection well, operate the winch to tighten the rope, and the lowering rope rings 10 will be under force. The support posture holding mechanism keeps the chassis level during lift-off, and the central auxiliary wheel 9 will detach from the bottom surface before the track wheels 4, preventing the track wheels 4 from getting stuck at the junction of the well wall and the bottom of the pipe. When lifting to the well opening, if slight swaying occurs, the buffer shock absorption device can absorb the swaying energy to avoid collision with the well wall. After every 10 hoisting operations or 50-kilometer inspections, check whether the rubber shock-absorbing pads are cracked or permanently compressed (if the thickness decreases by more than 2mm, they need to be replaced).Place the robot on flat ground and apply a 10kg downward vertical force to the middle of the tracks. Measure the sag; if it exceeds 10mm, adjust it to 7-8mm using a screw tensioning device. This allows the robot to safely and smoothly complete hoisting, lowering, and retrieval in complex underground environments, exhibiting good shock absorption and track reliability during operation.

[0028] In an alternative embodiment, the lifting adjustment module further includes an AH34 type Hall effect travel limit sensor and a linear guide rail; The travel limit sensor is installed at the lifting limit position to prevent overtravel, and the linear guide rail provides vertical guidance support for the lifting platform.

[0029] In this embodiment, the AH34 Hall effect travel limit sensor promptly sends a stop signal to the main control chip or directly cuts off the power to the electric push rod when the lifting platform reaches its highest or lowest limit position, avoiding mechanical collisions, bracket deformation, or damage to the telescopic detection module caused by control command errors or sensor malfunctions. The linear guide rail provides strict vertical guidance support for the lifting platform, eliminating potential horizontal offset or swaying during the expansion / contraction of the X-type lifting bracket 5, ensuring that the telescopic detection module can accurately reach the target detection height concentric with the pipe axis, avoiding side-scan image distortion or point cloud stitching errors due to skewness. When the robot travels in a sloping drainage branch, the linear guide rail resists the lateral force generated by the robot's tilt, ensuring that the lifting platform always maintains a vertical movement trajectory relative to the robot chassis, preventing the lifting mechanism from jamming. The Hall effect travel limit sensor is a non-contact detection device with no mechanical contact wear, suitable for the harsh environment of high humidity and corrosive gases in drainage pipe networks; the linear guide rail uses self-lubricating materials or a sealed dustproof design to reduce the increased sliding resistance caused by mud and sand intrusion. The trigger signal of the travel limit sensor can be directly used as the basis for confirming the lifting and lowering position. At the same time, if the sensor triggers abnormally at a non-limit position or does not trigger for a long time, the main control chip can determine that the sensor is faulty or mechanically stuck and report it to the remote platform.

[0030] Specifically, two Hall effect sensor magnets and sensor bodies are installed on the upper surface of the chassis frame and the lower surface of the lifting platform, respectively. At the lower limit, the magnet is fixed to the lower edge of the lifting platform, and the AH34 sensor body is fixed to the chassis frame. When the lifting platform descends to its lowest position, the distance between the magnet and the sensor decreases to the trigger threshold (typically 2-4mm). At the upper limit, the magnet is fixed to the upper edge of the lifting platform (or near the upper hinge point of the X-shaped bracket), and the sensor body is fixed to the corresponding position on the lifting platform or on the fixed crossbeam of the X-shaped bracket. Triggering occurs when the lifting platform rises to its highest position. The AH34 sensor is a three-wire system (positive power supply, negative power supply, and output signal line). Power is provided by the regulated output of the control communication module (DC 5V or 12V, selected according to sensor specifications). The output signal line is connected to the GPIO interrupt pin of the main control chip, and simultaneously connected in parallel to the enable pin of the electric actuator driver (hardware-level emergency stop). During normal operation, the output is high; when the magnet approaches the sensor's sensing surface (distance ≤ 4mm), the output jumps to low. Upon detecting a falling edge interruption, the main control chip immediately stops the electric actuator drive signal and records either "upper limit reached" or "lower limit reached" status. A miniature ball linear guide is used, with a guide width of 15mm, a slider length of 40mm, and a rated dynamic load of not less than 500N. The slider is internally equipped with a double-row ball retainer and a dustproof seal (IP6X rating). The guide material is stainless steel (SUS440C), the slider base is aluminum alloy, and the balls are ceramic balls (rust-proof). Four linear guides are vertically fixed at the four corners of the chassis frame (outside the X-type lifting bracket 5), with the guide length determined according to the maximum lifting stroke (e.g., 200mm). One slider is installed on each guide, and the slider is rigidly fixed to the lifting platform via a connecting plate.

[0031] In one alternative embodiment, the telescopic detection module includes a main lens push rod 13, a front-view lens 11, a side-scan illumination assembly, and a rotation drive mechanism. The camera rotates 360 degrees along the pipe axis to achieve full-section blind-spot-free side-scan detection; the main lens push rod 13 works with the lifting platform to achieve front and rear extension compensation to eliminate dead angles in the pipe wall and image distortion.

[0032] In this embodiment, the camera rotates continuously 360 degrees along the pipe axis, covering the entire area of ​​the top, bottom, and both sides of the pipe, solving the blind spot problem of traditional push-rod or fixed cameras, and is especially suitable for circular or oval drainage pipes. Figures 5 to 7As shown, the main lens push rod 13 can push the camera forward to the center of the pipe or close to the area to be inspected, depending on the pipe diameter and the detection position. This avoids image distortion (such as barrel distortion) and near-end blind spots caused by the camera being too close to the pipe wall, while also making the point cloud distribution of the side-scan lidar more uniform. The telescopic stroke of the main lens push rod 13, combined with the height adjustment of the lifting platform, can cover circular, square, or horseshoe-shaped pipes from DN300 to DN1200, ensuring that the camera is always at the optimal imaging distance (usually 150-300mm from the pipe wall). By precisely controlling the position of the camera along the pipe axis through the push rod, the image sequence acquired by 360-degree rotation has a consistent working distance, reducing splicing misalignment or uneven overlap problems. The side-scan illumination assembly rotates with the camera and is installed around the lens, providing coaxial and uniform supplementary lighting for each angle of shooting, avoiding shadow areas or local overexposure caused by a fixed light source.

[0033] In one alternative, the outer circumferential surface of the central auxiliary wheel 9 is equidistantly distributed with 6-8 sets of biomimetic rigid-flexible switching claws along the axial direction, each set of claws consisting of a rigid support claw and a flexible deformation bladder. The root of the rigid support claw is hinged to the radial groove of the hub by a pin, and the flexible deformation bladder is a closed elastic cavity embedded in the inner side of the rigid support claw. The hub is equipped with a miniature hydraulic pump and an annular distribution valve. The inlet of the miniature hydraulic pump is connected to the outlet of the flexible deformable bladder. The outlet is connected to each group of flexible deformable bladders through the annular distribution valve. When the ultrasonic distance sensor detects that the robot's travel resistance or the slip rate of the track wheel 4 exceeds a preset threshold, the micro hydraulic pump is controlled to pump shear-thickening fluid into the flexible deformable bladder, causing the flexible deformable bladder to expand and protrude from the surface of the rigid support claw; when the sediment at the bottom of the pipe is detected to be hard, compacted mud or gravel, the micro hydraulic pump is controlled to reverse and extract the shear-thickening fluid, causing the flexible deformable bladder to contract into the interior of the rigid support claw.

[0034] In this embodiment, by using biomimetic rigid-flexible switching claws, the robot can actively switch the rigidity and flexibility of the claws depending on whether the sediment at the bottom of the pipe is soft silt / debris or hard, compacted mud / gravel. In soft environments, the claws expand and protrude to increase the contact area and prevent sinking; in hard environments, the claws contract to reduce resistance and protect the claw structure. When excessive travel resistance or excessive track slippage is detected, the flexible deformable bladder expands, and the claws protrude and grip the soft mud or debris, increasing the mechanical engagement force between the auxiliary wheel and the sediment, sharing the traction load of the track wheel 4, and reducing slippage. On hard pipe bottoms, the claws contract, causing the central auxiliary wheel 9 to roll with a smooth outer contour. The rolling resistance coefficient decreases from 0.3-0.5 in the expanded state to 0.1-0.15, the drive motor current decreases by about 20%-30%, and the inspection distance is extended with the same battery capacity. When the flexible deformable bladder expands, the material in contact with the bottom of the pipe is an elastomer (containing a shear-thickening fluid, which is soft under normal conditions), and it will not scratch the concrete or plastic pipe wall; when it contracts, the rigid support claws are not exposed, and will not cause impact damage to the hard pipe bottom. The miniature hydraulic pump and the annular distribution valve can complete the synchronous filling or draining of all the wheel claws within 1 to 2 seconds.

[0035] Specifically, along the outer circumferential surface of the hub of the central auxiliary wheel 9, six sets of claws are axially equidistantly distributed (for an auxiliary wheel with a diameter of 150mm, the circumferential spacing of the six sets of claws is 60°; for larger diameters, this can be increased to eight sets, spaced at 45°). Each set of claws has an axial width of 20mm, and the axial spacing between adjacent claws is 5mm. They are made of stainless steel (SUS304), with a trapezoidal cross-section, a root thickness of 5mm, a tip thickness of 2mm, and a height of 15mm. The root is hinged to the radial groove of the hub via a pin, with a groove depth of 12mm, allowing the support claw to slide radially ±6mm. A return spring (0.5mm wire diameter) is installed at the pin, allowing the support claw to automatically retract into the groove when there is no hydraulic pressure. Embedded inside the rigid support claw (on the side facing the center of the hub), a three-layer structure is used: the inner layer is nitrile rubber (oil resistant), the middle layer is aramid fiber woven mesh (resistant to expansion and cracking), and the outer layer is polyurethane (wear resistant). The bladder is a sealed cavity with a thickness of 2mm in its natural state, increasing to a maximum thickness of 8mm after expansion. The bladder is secured to the supporting claws via a slot. A miniature hydraulic pump, a miniature plunger pump, is installed in a sealed cavity inside the hub. It has a rated pressure of 1.5MPa, a maximum flow rate of 30mL / min, an operating voltage of DC12V, and a power of 15W. The pump body is made of 316L stainless steel, with internal seals made of fluororubber. A ring-shaped distribution valve, a rotary multi-channel valve, is located between the hydraulic pump outlet and each flexible deformable bladder. The valve core is made of ceramic, and the valve body is made of aluminum alloy. When the pump starts, the valve core rotates, sequentially connecting the inlets of each bladder to ensure simultaneous and uniform filling of all six bladders. The distribution valve has a throttling orifice (0.5mm in diameter) to prevent bladder bursting due to excessively rapid filling. The filling medium is a nano-silica / polyethylene glycol shear-thickening fluid with a zero-shear viscosity of approximately 0.5Pa•s and a high-shear viscosity reaching 10Pa•s. The hydraulic pump provides good fluidity at low speeds, but its viscosity increases sharply upon impact, giving the expanded wheel pawls a "hard-on-hard" characteristic. Travel resistance is monitored in real-time by the current detection module of the drive motors for the left and right track wheels. If the average current exceeds 1.5 times the rated current for more than 2 seconds, the travel resistance is considered excessive. Figure 2 As shown, the track slippage rate is compared between the magnetic odometer on the track wheel 4 axle and the encoder (or IMU calculation) on the center auxiliary wheel 9. Slippage is defined as a slippage rate > 15%. The control communication module sends a forward operation command to the micro hydraulic pump. The pump pumps shear-thickening fluid from the reservoir (located inside the hub) into each flexible deformable bladder. The bladder expands, pushing the rigid support claws out along the radial grooves, protruding 4-6 mm from the hub surface. The pressure is maintained at 1.0 MPa, continuously maintaining the expanded state. The hub adopts a welded sealing structure, leaving only the hydraulic pump vent (with a waterproof and breathable membrane). The fluid inlets of each flexible deformable bladder are connected to the annular distribution valve via stainless steel capillary tubes with a diameter of 1 mm, externally covered with a PTFE sheath. Labyrinth-type sealing rings are installed on both sides of the center auxiliary wheel 9 to prevent sewage and sediment from entering the hydraulic system inside the hub.

[0036] In one alternative embodiment, each hinge shaft of the X-type lifting bracket 5 is provided with a composite anti-jamming bushing, wherein the composite anti-jamming bushing consists of a porous oil-impregnated bronze substrate, a piezoelectric ceramic ring, and a stainless steel retainer from the inside out. Among them, when the real-time current of the lifting drive electric push rod exceeds the preset current and the duration exceeds the preset time, the first-level unblocking program is started to apply a sinusoidal AC voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic ring, so that the piezoelectric ceramic ring generates radial extension and contraction vibration to push the stuck mud and sand particles to both ends of the gap. If the current does not decrease after the first-stage card unlocking program has run for a preset time, the second-stage card unlocking program will be started to increase the driving voltage to 110-120V and switch the frequency to a square wave pulse of 2-3Hz, so that the piezoelectric ceramic ring will generate a quasi-static radial expansion and contraction cycle, which, together with the slight reciprocating advance and retreat of the electric push rod, will break up the hard plated mud and sand.

[0037] In this embodiment, the composite anti-jamming bushing, through the radial expansion and contraction vibration of the piezoelectric ceramic ring, can push out silt particles as soon as they enter the hinge gap, preventing particle accumulation that could cause the hinge shaft to jam and significantly reducing the failure rate of the X-type lifting bracket 5 in wastewater environments. The first-stage unjamming uses high-frequency, low-amplitude vibration (sine AC), suitable for minor jamming caused by loose silt; the second-stage unjamming uses low-frequency, large-displacement pulses (square waves), combined with the slight advance and retreat of the electric push rod, to break up stubborn jamming caused by hardened, plate-like silt, avoiding structural damage caused by blindly increasing the driving force. The porous, oil-impregnated bronze substrate provides long-term self-lubrication, and the vibration of the piezoelectric ceramic ring also acts as a micro-polishing agent, reducing wear on the journal and bushing surfaces. Jamming detection relies solely on real-time current monitoring of the electric push rod, eliminating the need for position or force sensors at the hinge, simplifying system wiring and reducing costs.

[0038] For example, the robot performs lifting and inspection in a DN600 concrete drainage branch pipe. The pipe contains a large amount of sediment, and the humidity is high, making it easy for the sediment to adhere to the hinge of the X-type lifting bracket 5. The lifting platform needs to rise from the transport height (80mm) to the target inspection height (250mm). The electric actuator extends at 5mm / s, and the lifting platform rises from 80mm to 200mm. At this point, the actuator current stabilizes at 1.9–2.1A (rated 2A). The porous oil-impregnated bronze in the composite bushing provides good lubrication, and the piezoelectric ceramic ring does not activate. Sediment intrusion causes slight jamming (first-stage unblocking). When the platform rises to 220mm, a stream of water washes loose sediment from the pipe wall into the left hinge gap. The actuator current surges from 2.0A to 3.8A, and after 0.5 seconds, the main control chip determines that the jamming has occurred. The first-stage unblocking is initiated by applying a 60V, 1kHz sinusoidal voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic ring. The piezoelectric ring generates radial high-frequency micro-vibrations with an amplitude of approximately 2μm. The sand particles stuck in the gap gradually moved towards both ends under vibration and were discharged from the hinge seat gap after about 2 seconds. The push rod current dropped to 2.2A, and the jamming was successful. Vibration stopped, and lifting continued. Hard, compacted sand caused severe jamming (second-stage jamming). When the platform rose to 240mm, it encountered a piece of hard, dried, compacted sand (moisture content <10%), which got stuck in the right hinge gap. The push rod current instantly rose to 4.5A. After the first-stage jamming program ran for 3 seconds, the current was still 4.3A, with no significant decrease. The second-stage jamming began, with the drive voltage increased to 115V and the frequency switched to a 2.5Hz square wave. The piezoelectric ring expanded and contracted with a period of 0.4 seconds, with a radial displacement of ±10μm. The electric push rod moved forward and backward in small increments at 1mm / s, advancing 2mm (while the piezoelectric ring expanded) and retreating 2mm (while the piezoelectric ring contracted), repeating the cycle 4 times. During the second cycle, the quasi-static expansion of the piezoelectric ring pushes the hardened mud and sand outward by about 0.5mm. During the third cycle, the mud and sand completely detaches from the hinge gap and falls off the bushing end face. The push rod current drops to 2.3A. The unblocking is successful, and the lifting platform continues to rise to the target height of 250mm. Assuming that the current is still 4.5A after four cycles of the second-stage unblocking, the main control chip determines that the jamming is irreversible, stops all lifting actions, and reports to the remote monitoring platform: "The lifting mechanism is severely jammed, location: right hinge, current 4.5A, manual cleaning recommended." At the same time, the push rod encoder value at the time of the fault (242mm height) is recorded. The operator observes a large piece of gravel stuck at the hinge through the forward-looking lens 11 and decides to retrieve the robot for manual cleaning. Without the composite anti-jamming bushing, loose mud and sand jamming will cause the push rod current to continuously exceed the standard, and the main control chip may mistakenly judge it as an overload and shut down the machine urgently, requiring manual cleaning down the well, which takes 30-60 minutes. After using this bushing, more than 90% of loose mud and sand stuck can be automatically removed within 3 seconds through the first stage of unblocking; hard hard crust stuck has a 70% probability of being recovered through the second stage of unblocking, without the need for manual intervention.It significantly improves the robot's lifting reliability in high-mud and sandy environments and reduces task interruptions caused by articulation jamming.

[0039] In one alternative embodiment, an electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid dynamic balancing device is connected in series between the rotation drive mechanism of the telescopic detection module and the mounting base of the camera and the side-scanning lidar. The electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid dynamic balancing device includes: an annular electromagnetic suspension bearing, three sets of piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacers distributed in a 120-degree annular pattern, and a six-axis inertial measurement unit installed at the end of the rotating shaft. The stator coil of the electromagnetic levitation bearing is fixed to the outer shell of the rotary drive mechanism, and its rotor core is rigidly connected to the mounting base. One end of the piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement device abuts against the stator end face of the electromagnetic levitation bearing, and the other end is connected to the mounting flange of the housing via a flexible hinge. When the six-axis inertial measurement unit detects that the radial runout or axial sway generated by the rotating shaft during rotation exceeds a preset threshold, the control and communication module activates the electromagnetic levitation bearing for coarse balancing. By adjusting the current of each phase coil, an electromagnetic force opposite to the centrifugal force is generated to suppress the radial runout to within a preset range. Additionally, the piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement device is activated for fine balancing. Based on the residual vibration spectrum fed back by the inertial measurement unit, the three sets of piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement devices are driven at a preset response frequency to generate compensating displacement to eliminate the unbalanced torque caused by the elliptical deformation of the pipe or the tilting of the robot posture.

[0040] In this embodiment, through two-stage compensation—electromagnetic coarse balancing and piezoelectric fine balancing—the radial runout of the rotating shaft is reduced from ±0.5–1.0 mm without compensation to within ±0.05 mm, and the axial runout is reduced to within ±0.02 mm. This results in a panoramic image stitching error of less than 2 pixels and a misalignment between lidar point cloud layers of less than 0.1 mm. When the pipeline exhibits elliptical deformation or the robot tilts slightly due to deposits at the bottom of the pipe, the balancing device can generate a compensating force in real time that is opposite to the direction of the unbalanced torque, eliminating the need for mechanical alignment or stopping the inspection, ensuring that the rotating shaft is always in a state of dynamic balance. The electromagnetic levitation bearing provides non-contact support during rotation, eliminating the frictional wear of traditional ball bearings under high-speed rotation. Stable rotation allows usable panoramic data to be obtained with a single 360-degree side scan, eliminating the need to repeatedly scan the same pipe section due to image blurring or point cloud misalignment, and increasing the inspection speed to 0.3–0.5 m / s. The six-axis inertial measurement unit detects vibration in real time at a sampling rate of 1 kHz, and the response delay to sudden changes in centrifugal force (such as sudden changes in pipe cross-section) is less than 5 ms.

[0041] In one alternative, the camera of the telescopic detection module shares the same optical window with the side-scanning lidar. An ultrasonic standing wave suspension self-cleaning component is provided on the outside of the optical window. The ultrasonic standing wave suspension self-cleaning component includes an annular piezoelectric transducer, a reflective end cap coaxially mounted with the piezoelectric transducer, and a water quality sensor. The annular piezoelectric transducer and the reflective end cap form a standing wave acoustic field region, which covers the outer surface of the optical window. When the micro water quality sensor detects a liquid film or suspended particulate matter concentration exceeding a threshold on the surface of the optical window, the control and communication module activates the piezoelectric transducer to generate ultrasonic vibration, forming an ultrasonic standing wave field between the transducer and the reflective end cap. This suspends the liquid film and particulate matter on the surface of the optical window to a position 0.1-0.3 mm away from the window surface. Furthermore, an axial fan set by the telescopic detection module blows the suspended droplets and particulate matter away along the tangential direction of the optical window.

[0042] In this embodiment, ultrasonic standing wave suspension lifts the liquid film and particulate matter off the window surface, which is then blown away by an axial fan. This avoids scratching the optical window coating layer by wipers or brushes, making it particularly suitable for drainage pipe networks with high sand content. Drainage pipe networks often contain water mist, oil film, and sludge splashes. The ultrasonic standing wave field can effectively suspend micron-sized particles (5-50 μm in diameter) and continuous liquid films. After being blown away by a fan, the window transmittance recovers to over 95%, ensuring the signal quality of the camera and lidar. The annular piezoelectric transducer consumes only 2-5W and can establish a stable standing wave field within 20ms after startup. The water quality sensor monitors in real time, triggering cleaning only when the pollution exceeds a threshold, avoiding energy consumption and wear caused by continuous operation. The camera and lidar share the same optical window, reducing the number of openings in the telescopic detection module and improving sealing protection (IP68). At the same time, the ultrasonic standing wave field covers the entire window, benefiting both sensors simultaneously. In heavily contaminated pipelines, windows without self-cleaning mechanisms may become covered in mud within 5 minutes, leading to data loss. This component can extend the effective working time to more than 2 hours, significantly increasing the length of a single well inspection.

[0043] In one alternative embodiment, the control communication module includes a positioning and mapping unit, wherein the sensor data fused by the positioning and mapping unit includes a three-dimensional point cloud of a side-scan lidar, a texture image of the inner wall of the pipe acquired by a camera, measurement data from an inertial measurement unit, and a magnetic coded odometer mounted on the four axles of the two side track wheels. Among them, when the robot moves along the branch of the drainage network, the pipe axis direction and cross-sectional ellipse features in the lidar point cloud are extracted in real time as geometric constraints, and the pipe joints, manhole interfaces and pipe wall cracks in the camera image are extracted as visual feature points. When the robot enters a branch pipe or a turning section, the inertial measurement unit, the odometer's push mode, and the pipe diameter change characteristics at the branch opening are used as natural landmarks for loop closure detection. When the robot completes an inspection cycle and returns to the starting inspection well, the accumulated pose error is corrected as a whole, and the corrected branch pipe network topology map is uploaded to the remote monitoring platform.

[0044] In this embodiment, sudden changes in pipe diameter and IMU / odometer positioning patterns at branch points serve as natural loop closure detection cues. When the robot returns to the same manhole, it can identify visited locations and perform overall correction of accumulated errors, preventing topology map drift. The corrected map includes pipe axes, branch points, manhole locations, and anomaly markings for each pipe segment, which can be directly imported into a GIS system, providing basic data for the digital operation and maintenance of drainage networks. Through loop closure detection and overall correction, even in manhole environments without GPS, the pose error can still be controlled within 0.5m after completing inspections of over 1km, meeting the engineering requirements for anomaly location in branch pipe networks.

[0045] For example, in a city's drainage pipe network branch inspection task, the branch starts from a starting manhole (Manhole A), passes through a 120m section of DN600 straight pipe, then enters a DN400 branch pipe (Branch X), travels another 80m, and returns to Manhole A (forming a loop). The inner wall of the pipe has pipe joint seams (one every 2.5m), two cracks (located at K0+035 and K0+112), and a sudden change in pipe diameter at the branch point. The robot is lowered from the bottom of Manhole A using a lowering rope and hoisting ring 10. The localization and mapping unit sets the current pose as the origin (x=0, y=0, heading angle=0°). The camera captures images of the manhole opening as the starting landmark, and the LiDAR scans the circular outline of the manhole bottom. The odometer and IMU are fused to output the robot's pose. Every 0.2m of forward movement, the LiDAR fits the pipe cross-section and extracts the axial direction. Since the pipe is straight, the deviation between the axial direction and the initial heading angle is <1°. One pipe joint seam is detected every 2.5m. After successful camera image matching, the 3D coordinates of the seam are recorded as "seam landmarks." For example, the 10th seam is recorded at K0+025.0. At K0+035, the visual model identifies a longitudinal crack (15cm in length), and the localization and mapping unit marks this point as a "crack anomaly" with coordinates (x=35.02m, y=0.12m). The slight y-axis offset is due to the robot not being strictly centered. At K0+112, another crack is marked. At this point, the cumulative pose error (using only odometry and IMU) is approximately 0.35m (due to slight slippage of the tracks in the muddy section from K0+080 to K0+100). Entering the branch pipe (BranchX), at K0+120, the LiDAR point cloud shows a circular branch opening with a diameter of 400mm on the right side of the main pipe. Simultaneously, the odometry / IMU push mode indicates that the robot needs to turn right to enter the branch. The control and communication module marks point K0+120 as "Node Branch_X" and records the point cloud features (T-shaped cross-section) and the abrupt change in pipe diameter (from 600mm to 400mm) at the branch opening. The robot turns and enters the branch pipe, changing its heading angle from 0° to +90° (to the right). The localization and mapping unit reinitializes the local coordinate system (while maintaining global coordinate association). The pipe diameter inside the branch pipe is 400mm, and the joint spacing is 2.0m. The robot travels 80m to the end of the branch pipe (Manhole B, but in this example there is no B, so it needs to return along the same route). At the end of the branch pipe, the robot turns around (heading angle -90°) and returns to the Branch_X node along the same route. At this point, the odometer + IMU cumulative error is approximately 0.2m (the branch pipe is relatively short). The robot returns from the Branch_X node to Manhole A, traveling in the opposite direction along the straight pipe section. When approaching Manhole A, the camera recognizes the initial wellhead image (matching the initial entry image), and the lidar point cloud matches the well bottom contour.The loop closure detection unit calculates the deviation between the current position and the initial pose. The actual return point coordinates are (x=0.28m, y=0.15m, heading angle=2°), while the initial pose is (0,0,0°). The cumulative error is a displacement of 0.32m and an angle of 2°. This error is distributed across the entire inspection trajectory. After correction, the crack coordinates at K0+035 are adjusted from (35.02, 0.12) to (34.98, 0.03), and those at K0+112 are adjusted from (112.15, -0.08) to (111.98, -0.02). The position of the Branch_X node is corrected from (120.10, 0.05) to (120.00, 0.00). The corrected topology map includes: Manhole A (starting point), a straight pipe section (DN600, 120m long, containing the precise locations of two cracks), Branch_X node (branching point, located at K0+120), and a branch pipe (DN400, 80m long). The remote monitoring platform marks the cracks on the electronic map with red icons. Clicking on the icon displays "Type: Longitudinal crack, Size: 15cm × 2mm, Level: Medium, Confidence 0.94, Coordinates: K0+034.98". Through this positioning and mapping unit, maintenance personnel can accurately locate cracks, blockages, and other anomalies on the electronic map (error <0.1m), directly arranging for excavation or trenchless repair by construction teams. This avoids the awkward situation of "knowing there is a crack but not being able to find its exact location" in traditional inspections, saving several hours of manual pit-finding time for subsequent repairs with a single inspection. According to the solution provided by the present invention, the system includes a telescopic detection module, a control communication module, and a sensing detection module. The driving chassis module includes two sets of tracked wheels arranged symmetrically on the left and right, a central auxiliary wheel installed below the middle of the chassis frame, and a hoisting rope for lowering the robot into the well. The lifting adjustment module adopts an X-shaped lifting bracket structure and is installed on the chassis frame of the driving chassis module. The top of the X-shaped lifting bracket structure is provided with a lifting platform for installing the telescopic detection module. The sensing detection module includes at least one set of ultrasonic distance sensors for real-time detection of the measured distance information between the robot and the pipe walls on both sides within the drainage pipe network branch, and transmits the measured distance to the control communication module. The control communication module communicates via a main... The control chip compares the measured distance with a preset safe distance threshold. When the measured distance deviates from the preset safe distance threshold, it generates a differential steering control command and a center auxiliary wheel height adjustment command. The differential steering control command controls the speed difference between the left and right track wheels, allowing the robot to automatically adjust its direction of travel to restore a safe distance from the side walls. The center auxiliary wheel height adjustment command controls the center auxiliary wheel height adjustment device to adjust the robot's overall posture to avoid tilting or collision. Once the robot's posture is adjusted to a stable traveling state, the main control chip sends a lifting adjustment command to the lifting adjustment module. The lifting adjustment module then drives the lifting drive electric push rod to extend and retract according to the lifting adjustment command, thereby driving the X... The telescopic detection module on the lifting platform can be raised or lowered to a target detection height matching the current pipe diameter by extending or retracting the lifting support. Once the telescopic detection module reaches the target detection height, the main control chip sends a side-scan start command to the module. The telescopic detection module then drives its onboard camera and side-scan lidar to perform a 360-degree continuous rotational side-scan along the pipe axis, acquiring real-time panoramic image data and three-dimensional contour point cloud data of the pipe's inner wall. The panoramic image data and the three-dimensional contour point cloud data are input into an image anomaly recognition model to identify and mark first anomalies including silt accumulation, debris blockage, pipe wall damage, cracks, and interface leakage, as well as second anomalies including pipe cross-sectional deformation, pipe settlement, and excessive thickness of inner wall deposits. The first and second anomalies are uploaded to a remote monitoring platform. The remote monitoring platform generates a branch pipeline inspection report including anomaly location coordinates, anomaly type, anomaly level, anomaly size, and anomaly confidence level, and marks it on an electronic map. This invention significantly improves inspection efficiency and accuracy, reducing pipe blockage and damage.

[0046] Figure 8 The diagram shows a structural schematic of an embodiment of the computing device of the present invention. The specific embodiments of the present invention do not limit the specific implementation of the computing device.

[0047] like Figure 8As shown, the computing device may include: a processor 802, a communications interface 504, a memory 806, and a communications bus 808.

[0048] The processor 802, communication interface 804, and memory 806 communicate with each other via communication bus 808. Communication interface 804 is used to communicate with other network elements such as clients or other servers. Processor 802 executes program 810, specifically performing the relevant steps in the aforementioned embodiment of the adaptive side-sweeping inspection robot and system for drainage pipe networks.

[0049] Specifically, program 810 may include program code that includes computer operation instructions.

[0050] Processor 802 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement embodiments of the present invention. The computing device includes one or more processors, which may be processors of the same type, such as one or more CPUs; or processors of different types, such as one or more CPUs and one or more ASICs.

[0051] Memory 806 is used to store program 810. Memory 806 may include high-speed RAM memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device.

[0052] According to the solution provided by the present invention, xxx.

[0053] Those skilled in the art will understand that modules in the device of the embodiments can be adaptively changed and placed in one or more devices different from that embodiment. Modules, units, or components in the embodiments can be combined into a single module, unit, or component, and further, they can be divided into multiple sub-modules, sub-units, or sub-components. Except where at least some of such features and / or processes or units are mutually exclusive, any combination of all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device so disclosed can be employed. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that serves the same, equivalent, or similar purpose. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the unit claims listing several devices, several of these devices may be embodied by the same hardware item. Unless otherwise specified, the steps in the above embodiments should not be construed as limiting the order of execution.

Claims

1. An adaptive side-scanning inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches, comprising a telescopic detection module, a control and communication module, and a sensing and detection module, characterized in that: The sensing and detection module includes at least one set of ultrasonic distance sensors, which are used to detect the measured distance information between the robot and the pipe walls on both sides in the drainage pipe network branch in real time, and transmit the measured distance to the control and communication module. The control and communication module compares the measured distance with a preset safe distance threshold through the main control chip. When the measured distance deviates from the preset safe distance threshold, it generates a differential steering control command and a center auxiliary wheel height adjustment command. The differential steering control command is used to control the speed difference between the left and right track wheels so that the robot can automatically adjust its direction of travel to restore a safe distance from the pipe walls on both sides. The center auxiliary wheel height adjustment command is used to stabilize the side sweeping posture of the branch road. When the robot's posture is adjusted to a stable traveling state, the lifting drive electric push rod is driven to extend and retract according to the lifting adjustment command, which drives the X-shaped lifting bracket to expand or retract, so that the extension detection module reaches the branch side scanning target detection height that matches the current pipe diameter. After the telescopic detection module reaches the target detection height, the main control chip sends a branch side scan start command to the telescopic detection module. The telescopic detection module drives the onboard camera and side scan lidar to perform a 360-degree continuous rotation side scan along the pipeline axis, and collects panoramic image data of the pipeline inner wall and three-dimensional contour point cloud data of the pipeline inner wall in real time. The panoramic image data and the three-dimensional contour point cloud data are input into the image anomaly recognition model to identify and mark the first anomaly information, including silt accumulation, debris blockage, pipe wall damage, cracks and interface leakage, and the second anomaly information, including pipe cross-sectional deformation, pipe settlement and excessive thickness of inner wall attachments. The branch pipeline side scan inspection report, including anomaly location coordinates, anomaly type, anomaly level, anomaly size and anomaly confidence level, is generated through the remote monitoring platform and marked on the electronic map.

2. The adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes track tensioning devices and shock absorption devices; The buffer and shock absorption device adopts a combination structure of rubber shock absorption pad and spring; the track tensioning device has an adjustment range of 5-10mm; and the central auxiliary wheel and the two side track wheels together constitute a support posture maintenance mechanism. The robot is hoisted, lowered, and retrieved using the support posture maintenance mechanism in conjunction with the lowering rope sling.

3. The adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes the AH34 Hall effect travel limit sensor and linear guide rail; The travel limit sensor is installed at the lifting limit position to prevent overtravel, and the linear guide rail provides vertical guidance support for the lifting platform.

4. The adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches according to claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic detection module includes a main lens push rod, a front-view lens, a side-scan illumination assembly, and a rotary drive mechanism. The camera rotates 360 degrees along the pipe axis to achieve full-section blind-spot-free side-scan detection; the main lens push rod, in conjunction with the lifting platform, achieves front-to-back extension compensation to eliminate dead angles in the pipe wall and image distortion.

5. The adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: When the ultrasonic distance sensor detects that the robot's travel resistance or the slip rate of the track wheels exceeds a preset threshold, the micro hydraulic pump is controlled to pump shear-thickening fluid into the flexible deformable bladder, causing the flexible deformable bladder to expand and protrude from the surface of the rigid support claw. When the deposit at the bottom of the pipe is detected to be hard, compacted silt or gravel, the micro hydraulic pump is controlled to reverse and draw out shear-thickening fluid, causing the flexible deformable bladder to contract into the interior of the rigid support claw.

6. The adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: When the real-time current of the lifting drive electric push rod exceeds the preset current and the duration exceeds the preset time, the first-level unblocking program is started to apply a sinusoidal AC voltage to the piezoelectric ceramic ring, causing the piezoelectric ceramic ring to generate radial expansion and contraction vibration to push the stuck mud and sand particles to both ends of the gap. If the current does not decrease after the first-stage card unlocking program has run for a preset time, the second-stage card unlocking program will be started to increase the driving voltage to 110-120V and switch the frequency to a square wave pulse of 2-3Hz, so that the piezoelectric ceramic ring will generate a quasi-static radial expansion and contraction cycle, which, together with the slight reciprocating advance and retreat of the electric push rod, will break up the hard plated mud and sand.

7. The adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating drive mechanism of the telescopic detection module is connected in series with the mounting base of the camera and the side-scanning lidar. The electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid dynamic balancing device includes: an annular electromagnetic suspension bearing, three sets of piezoelectric ceramic micro displacement devices distributed in a 120-degree annular pattern, and a six-axis inertial measurement unit installed at the end of the rotating shaft. The stator coil of the electromagnetic levitation bearing is fixed to the outer shell of the rotary drive mechanism, and its rotor core is rigidly connected to the mounting base. One end of the piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement device abuts against the stator end face of the electromagnetic levitation bearing, and the other end is connected to the mounting flange of the housing via a flexible hinge. When the six-axis inertial measurement unit detects that the radial runout or axial sway generated by the rotating shaft during rotation exceeds a preset threshold, the control and communication module activates the electromagnetic levitation bearing for coarse balancing. By adjusting the current of each phase coil, an electromagnetic force opposite to the centrifugal force is generated to suppress the radial runout to within a preset range. Additionally, the piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement device is activated for fine balancing. Based on the residual vibration spectrum fed back by the inertial measurement unit, the three sets of piezoelectric ceramic micro-displacement devices are driven at a preset response frequency to generate compensating displacement to eliminate the unbalanced torque caused by the elliptical deformation of the pipe or the tilting of the robot posture.

8. The adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches according to claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic detection module's camera and side-scanning lidar share the same optical window. An ultrasonic standing wave suspension self-cleaning component is provided on the outside of the optical window. The ultrasonic standing wave suspension self-cleaning component includes an annular piezoelectric transducer, a reflective end cap coaxially mounted with the piezoelectric transducer, and a water quality sensor. The annular piezoelectric transducer and the reflective end cap form a standing wave acoustic field region, which covers the outer surface of the optical window. When the micro water quality sensor detects a liquid film or suspended particulate matter concentration exceeding a threshold on the surface of the optical window, the control and communication module activates the piezoelectric transducer to generate ultrasonic vibration, forming an ultrasonic standing wave field between the transducer and the reflective end cap. This suspends the liquid film and particulate matter on the surface of the optical window to a position 0.1-0.3 mm away from the window surface. Furthermore, an axial fan set by the telescopic detection module blows the suspended droplets and particulate matter away along the tangential direction of the optical window.

9. The adaptive side-scan inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control and communication module is equipped with a positioning and map building unit. The sensor data fused by the positioning and map building unit includes the three-dimensional point cloud of the side-scan lidar, the texture image of the inner wall of the pipe collected by the camera, the measurement data of the inertial measurement unit, and the magnetic coded odometer installed on the wheel axles of the two track wheels. Among them, when the robot moves along the branch of the drainage network, the pipe axis direction and cross-sectional ellipse features in the lidar point cloud are extracted in real time as geometric constraints, and the pipe joints, manhole interfaces and pipe wall cracks in the camera image are extracted as visual feature points. When the robot enters a branch pipe or a turning section, the inertial measurement unit, the odometer's push mode, and the pipe diameter change characteristics at the branch opening are used as natural landmarks for loop closure detection. When the robot completes an inspection cycle and returns to the starting inspection well, the accumulated pose error is corrected as a whole, and the corrected branch pipe network topology map is uploaded to the remote monitoring platform.

10. A computing device, comprising: The processor, memory, communication interface, and communication bus are provided, wherein the processor, memory, and communication interface communicate with each other via the communication bus. The memory is used to store at least one executable instruction, which causes the processor to perform the corresponding operations of the aforementioned adaptive side-sweeping inspection robot and system for drainage pipe network branches.

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