Underwater robot based on multifunctional detection
By designing a multifunctional underwater robot, the problems of low efficiency and high safety risks in traditional manual inspection of bridges and ship underwater facilities have been solved, automated inspection and cleaning have been achieved, and inspection efficiency and safety have been improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422970054.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-03
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-09
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-03
AI Technical Summary
Traditional manual inspection of bridges and underwater facilities on ships has problems such as high safety risks, low efficiency, high costs, and incomplete inspection, making it difficult to meet large-scale inspection needs.
A multifunctional underwater robot is designed, equipped with a power component, an operating component and a main body structure, including a propeller, a brush plate and a sensor, for underwater inspection of bridges and ships to achieve automated cleaning and inspection.
It realizes the automated inspection and cleaning of underwater facilities of bridges and ships, improves inspection efficiency and safety, reduces labor costs, and adapts to complex underwater environments.
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Figure CN223315211U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model discloses an underwater robot, belongs to the technical field of cleaning / detection robots, and particularly relates to an underwater robot based on multifunctional detection. Background Art
[0002] As bridges age and are eroded by the natural environment, underwater structures such as piers and pile foundations can experience concrete cracks, corrosion, deformation, and settlement. These problems can seriously impact the structural safety and functional performance of bridges, and even pose a threat to road traffic and public safety. Traditional manual inspection methods have numerous drawbacks, including significant safety risks to personnel, limited underwater working time, limited operation in shallow water, significant subjective errors, low efficiency, and high labor costs, making them difficult to meet the needs of large-scale underwater bridge structural inspection.
[0003] In the shipping industry, ships are important means of transportation, and their safe operation is equally crucial. However, during long-term use, underwater parts of ships, such as the bottom, keel, and propeller, are affected by factors such as seawater corrosion, marine organism attachment, and mechanical wear, resulting in various damages and hidden dangers, requiring regular inspection and maintenance. Traditional underwater ship inspections rely mainly on manual operations by divers, but this method has many problems, such as low inspection efficiency, limited underwater working time for divers, and difficulty in conducting comprehensive and detailed inspections of ships; high safety risks, and the complex and changeable underwater environment, where divers face multiple dangerous factors such as high pressure, low temperature, and water flow; high costs, requiring professional diving equipment and support personnel, and high diver training costs.
[0004] Therefore, a technical means is needed to effectively detect the structural condition of underwater facilities and equipment to ensure the safe operation of bridges and ships. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide an underwater robot based on multifunctional detection to solve the above-mentioned problems.
[0006] Technical solution: An underwater robot based on multifunctional detection, comprising: a body structure component, a power component and an operation component;
[0007] The power assembly and the operating assembly are mounted on and connected to the main body structure assembly;
[0008] The main structure assembly is composed of a structural frame, a system cabin, a power cabin, a buoyancy block, a roller, and a cover;
[0009] The power assembly is composed of a plurality of propellers to enable the underwater robot to move horizontally and vertically;
[0010] The operation components include a bridge underwater inspection operation group and a ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group.
[0011] In a further embodiment, the structural frame of the main structural assembly is formed by welding a plurality of metal steels and is divided into two layers, the upper layer is provided with a middle plate and the lower layer is provided with a bottom plate for mounting other equipment or load components;
[0012] The cover is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the structural frame, and a flow resistance reduction grid is provided on the cover;
[0013] The buoyancy block is embedded in the cover and fixed to the frame structure;
[0014] The system cabin is cylindrical in structure and has an integrated control system inside, and is mounted and fixed on the middle plate;
[0015] The power supply compartment is square in structure and is fixed on the base plate;
[0016] The rollers are free roller structures and are arranged on the front and rear sides of the underwater robot.
[0017] In a further embodiment, a network camera is provided at the front end of the interior of the system cabin.
[0018] In a further embodiment, the power assembly includes six thrusters, including four horizontal thrusters and two vertical thrusters to complete the motion driving function of the underwater robot in water;
[0019] The first horizontal thruster and the second horizontal thruster are arranged at the front to drive the underwater robot main body to move forward, backward, turn and push during operation; the third horizontal thruster and the fourth horizontal thruster are arranged on the right side to drive the underwater robot to move sideways and turn; the first vertical thruster and the second vertical thruster are arranged at the top to drive the underwater robot to float up, dive and push along the depth direction during operation.
[0020] In a further embodiment, casters with brake mechanisms are provided on the structural frame.
[0021] In a further embodiment, handles are provided on the left and right sides of the upper portion of the structural frame.
[0022] In a further embodiment, a lifting ring is provided on the structural frame, and the lifting ring is arranged at the upper middle position of the underwater robot.
[0023] In a further embodiment, the bridge underwater inspection operation group and the ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group in the operation assembly both include a brush plate and a sensor;
[0024] The sensors include a sonar sensor and a thickness gauge, which are mounted on the structural frame;
[0025] The brush disc is rotatably mounted on the outside of the structural frame. The brush disc is driven to rotate by a motor. The motor is fixedly mounted in the structural frame and a rotating shaft is connected to the brush disc to drive the brush disc to rotate.
[0026] In a further embodiment, the brush disc in the bridge underwater inspection operation group is provided with one, which is arranged on one side of the structural frame;
[0027] The ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group includes two brush discs, which are arranged on one side and the top of the structural frame.
[0028] Beneficial effects: The utility model can complete the movement function of the underwater robot in the water and complete various required underwater cleaning, detection and other operations. When equipped with a single brush disc and a sonar sensor system, it can be used to complete the detection of piers, abutments, pile foundation diseases below the water surface of the bridge and the investigation and scanning of riverbed scour conditions and other operational tasks. When equipped with a double brush disc + various detection instruments, it can be used to measure, for example, the thickness of the hull and bottom metal plates, so as to facilitate the understanding of the corrosion condition of the ship wall. In the two different operation scenarios mentioned above, the brush disc cleaning operation is completed before the detection operation. In order to clean the dirt, rust and other attachments on the surface of the object to be detected, the utility model provides good operating conditions for subsequent detection operations, so as to achieve better detection results. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] Figure 1 The utility model is a schematic diagram of an underwater robot using a bridge underwater detection operation group.
[0030] Figure 2 It is an axonometric diagram of an underwater robot using a bridge underwater inspection operation group in the utility model.
[0031] Figure 3 It is a left view of the underwater robot of the utility model adopting the underwater bridge detection operation group.
[0032] Figure 4 This is a front view of the underwater robot that adopts the underwater bridge detection operation group of the utility model.
[0033] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structural framework of the present utility model.
[0034] Figure 6 The utility model is a schematic diagram of an underwater robot using a ship underwater detection and cleaning operation group.
[0035] Figure 7 The utility model adopts the underwater robot axle measurement of the ship underwater detection and cleaning operation group Figure 1 .
[0036] Figure 8 The utility model adopts the underwater robot axle measurement of the ship underwater detection and cleaning operation group Figure 2 .
[0037] Figure 9 It is a left view of the underwater robot of the utility model which adopts the underwater detection and cleaning operation group of the ship.
[0038] Figure 10 The utility model is a schematic diagram of a system cabin and a power supply cabin of an underwater robot which adopts a ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group and a bridge underwater inspection operation group.
[0039] Figure numerals: main structure component 1, power component 2, operation component 3, webcam 4, casters 5, handle 6, lifting ring 7, roller 8, structural frame 11, system cabin 12, power cabin 13, buoyancy block 14, flow resistance reduction grid 15, cover 16, middle plate 17, bottom plate 18, first horizontal propeller 21, second horizontal propeller 22, third horizontal propeller 23, fourth horizontal propeller 24, first vertical propeller 25, second vertical propeller 26, brush plate 31, sonar sensor 33, motor 32, thickness gauge 34. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solution of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0041] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating positions or relationships, are based on the positions or relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate the description of this utility model and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0042] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.
[0043] A multifunctional detection-based underwater robot comprises: a body structure component 1, a power component 2, and an operation component 3.
[0044] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the power assembly 2 and the operating assembly 3 are installed on the main structure assembly 1 and connected thereto;
[0045] The main structure assembly 1 is composed of a structural frame 11, a system cabin 12, a power cabin 13, a buoyancy block 14, a roller 8, and a cover 16;
[0046] The power assembly 2 is composed of a plurality of propellers to enable the underwater robot to move horizontally and vertically;
[0047] The operation components 3 include a bridge underwater inspection operation group and a ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group.
[0048] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 10 As shown, the structural frame 11 in the main structural assembly 1 is formed by welding a plurality of metal steels and is divided into two layers, the upper layer is provided with an intermediate plate 17 and the lower layer is provided with a bottom plate 18 for the installation of other equipment or load components;
[0049] The cover 16 is fixedly mounted on the outside of the structural frame 11 , and a flow resistance reduction grid 15 is provided on the cover 16 ;
[0050] The buoyancy block 14 is embedded in the housing 16 and fixed to the frame structure;
[0051] The system cabin 12 is a cylindrical structure with an integrated control system inside, and is mounted and fixed on the middle plate 17;
[0052] The power supply compartment 13 is a square structure and is mounted and fixed on the base plate 18;
[0053] The rollers 8 are free roller structures and are arranged on the front and rear sides of the underwater robot.
[0054] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, a network camera 4 is provided at the front end of the system cabin 12 .
[0055] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the power assembly 2 includes 6 thrusters, including 4 horizontal thrusters and 2 vertical thrusters to complete the motion driving function of the underwater robot in the water;
[0056] The first horizontal thruster 21 and the second horizontal thruster 22 are arranged at the front to drive the underwater robot main body to move forward, backward, turn and push during operation; the third horizontal thruster 23 and the fourth horizontal thruster 24 are arranged on the right side to drive the underwater robot to move sideways and turn; the first vertical thruster 25 and the second vertical thruster 26 are arranged at the top to drive the underwater robot to float up, dive and push along the depth direction during operation.
[0057] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the structural frame 11 is provided with casters 5 with brake mechanisms.
[0058] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, handles 6 are provided on the left and right sides of the upper portion of the structural frame 11 .
[0059] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, a lifting ring 7 is provided on the structural frame 11, and the lifting ring 7 is arranged at the upper middle position of the underwater robot.
[0060] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the bridge underwater inspection operation group and the ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group in the operation component 3 both include a brush plate 31 and a sensor;
[0061] The sensors include a sonar sensor 33 and a thickness gauge 34, which are mounted on the structural frame 11;
[0062] The brush disc 31 is rotatably mounted on the outside of the structural frame 11 . The brush disc 31 is driven to rotate by a motor 32 . The motor 32 is fixedly mounted in the structural frame 11 and has a rotating shaft connected to the brush disc 31 to drive the brush disc 31 to rotate.
[0063] In one embodiment, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the brush plate 31 in the bridge underwater inspection operation group is provided with one, which is arranged on one side of the structural frame 11;
[0064] There are two brush discs 31 in the ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group, and they are arranged on one side and the top of the structural frame 11.
[0065] Specifically, the main body structure assembly 1 is composed of mechanical components such as a structural frame 11, a system cabin 12, a power cabin 13, a buoyancy block 14, and a cover 16. It is an installation and fixing platform for other system components or loads of the underwater robot.
[0066] Structural frame 11 (such as Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the intermediate plate 17 and the bottom plate 18 are made of stainless steel or hard aluminum alloy plates and are fixed on the structural frame 11 for the installation of other equipment or load components.
[0067] Buoyancy block 14 (such as Figure 2 As shown in the figure, an EVA foam board is embedded in an aluminum cover 16 and fixed to the frame structure through the cover 16. The buoyancy block 14 mainly generates buoyancy to match the weight of the underwater robot with the buoyancy to achieve a balance, so that it can float freely on the water surface; a flow-through drag-reducing grid 15 is designed on the cover 16 to effectively reduce its movement resistance in the water, improve its hydrodynamic performance, and make the robot body have better environmental adaptability.
[0068] Roller 8 (such as Figure 1-4 The free roller structure (shown) is located on the front and rear sides of the underwater robot. Its primary function is to support the robot on the pier pile structure during close-up damage exploration operations. It also allows for flexible rolling, allowing the robot to move under the action of the propellers. To ensure the robot's ability to overcome obstacles, rollers 8 are designed with a large axial length.
[0069] Caster 5 (such as Figure 1-4 Four universal wheels (shown) are located on the bottom of the underwater robot and are equipped with brakes. They are primarily used for moving the underwater robot on land. Handles 6 are located on both sides and are fixed to the upper portion of the structural frame 11. A lifting ring 7 is located in the upper center of the underwater robot and is fixed to the structural frame 11. It is used for entering and exiting the water when the underwater robot is lifted by a crane.
[0070] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the system compartment 12 is made of a hard aluminum alloy and is used to integrate and seal the underwater robot's control system. One is a cylindrical structure, mounted and fixed to the middle plate 17. Its front end is also equipped with a network camera 4, which is controlled by the servo to achieve pitch movement and observe the underwater operating environment. The other is a square structure, mounted and fixed to the structural frame 11, which completes the underwater sealing of the control system.
[0071] The underwater robot uses a propeller as a power system in the water. The thrust generated by the propeller is a hydrodynamic force and is composed of a drive motor 32 and a propeller.
[0072] The underwater robot is equipped with 6 thrusters (4 horizontal + 2 vertical, such as Figure 1-9 The system is designed to propel the underwater robot through the water. Thrusters 1 and 2 are located at the front, enabling the robot to move forward, backward, turn, and push during operation. Thrusters 3 and 4 are located on the right side, enabling the robot to move laterally and turn. Thrusters 5 and 6 are located at the top, enabling the robot to ascend, descend, and push along the depth of the water during operation.
[0073] Example 1: Underwater bridge inspection
[0074] When performing bridge inspection, the underwater robot is equipped with a single brush plate (such as Figure 1-4 As shown in the figure, the underwater robot is placed in the water, moved to the bridge pier to be surveyed and dived into the water, and the required scene information data is collected through the payload system; the upper computer system performs data fusion processing in accordance with the requirements of relevant specifications and standards, and outputs a survey and inspection result report for the bridge pier.
[0075] The specific process is as follows:
[0076] (1) Survey the pile foundation of the bridge pier to be inspected at the operation site to determine the site and location for the operation;
[0077] (2) Expand all system equipment, complete system connection, conduct no-load test, and proceed to subsequent operations if the system works normally;
[0078] (3) The underwater robot is put into the water and controlled to move on the water surface to the location of the pier pile foundation to be inspected; the riverbed scouring condition at the pier to be inspected is scanned by a forward-looking sonar scanning detection system or an underwater three-dimensional laser scanning system, and relevant data is recorded;
[0079] (4) Disease inspection steps
[0080] 1) Initial survey: Control the underwater robot so that its sonar and webcam side (front side) and its side rollers are completely against the pier pile foundation. The vertical thrusters are controlled to make the underwater robot float up and dive down, completing the initial survey along the height direction of the pier pile foundation, observing the surface attachments of the pier pile foundation and determining whether cleaning operations are necessary.
[0081] 2) Cleaning and brushing operation (when necessary): Operate the main engine to turn the brush disc side (the rear side of the underwater robot) and ensure that its side rollers are completely against the pier pile foundation. Turn on the brush disc drive motor to start the brush disc to perform the cleaning operation. During the operation, control the vertical thruster to realize the upward / downward movement of the underwater robot to complete the cleaning operation along the height direction of the pier pile foundation.
[0082] 3) Exploration operation: Operate the host to turn its sonar and network camera to the side and ensure that its side rollers are completely against the pier pile foundation. Control the vertical thruster to realize the ascent / dive movement of the underwater robot to realize its disease exploration operation along the height direction of the pier pile foundation and record the exploration and detection data of the pier pile foundation.
[0083] (5) After the operation is completed, follow the reverse steps of the operation process to complete the withdrawal and sorting of the underwater robot and rinse the equipment with clean water to remove any dirt.
[0084] Example 2: Underwater inspection and cleaning of ships
[0085] When performing underwater inspection and cleaning work on ships, the underwater robot is equipped with two brush discs (such as Figure 10 As shown in the figure), the underwater robot host is placed in the water, moved to the ship to be surveyed and dived into the water, and the required scene information data is collected through the payload system.
[0086] The specific process is as follows:
[0087] (1) Visual inspection of the vessel to be inspected at the operation site to determine the site and location for the operation;
[0088] (2) Expand all system equipment, complete system connection, conduct no-load test, and proceed to subsequent operations if the system works normally;
[0089] (3) The underwater robot enters the water and is controlled to move to the location of the ship to be inspected. The hull is observed through a network camera and relevant data is recorded;
[0090] (4) Inspection and cleaning steps
[0091] 1) Preliminary survey: When observing the hull, the lateral thrusters of the underwater robot are controlled to make the side rollers of the webcam completely against the hull, and the vertical and horizontal thrusters are controlled to make the underwater robot ascend / dive and move forward / backward, so as to perform preliminary survey operations along the hull, observe the surface attachments of the hull, and determine whether cleaning operations are required; when observing the bottom of the ship, the vertical thrusters of the underwater robot are controlled to make it dive to the bottom of the ship, so that its top rests on the bottom of the ship, and the lateral and horizontal thrusters are controlled to make the underwater robot move left and right and move forward / backward on the bottom of the ship, so as to perform preliminary survey operations along the bottom of the ship, observe the surface attachments of the ship, and determine whether cleaning operations are required;
[0092] 2) Cleaning and brushing operation (when necessary): The underwater robot is controlled to make the brush disc side rollers completely against the hull or bottom of the ship, and the brush disc drive motor is turned on to start the brush disc to perform cleaning operations. During the operation, the corresponding propellers are controlled to move forward / backward and left / right to achieve the cleaning operation along the hull or bottom of the ship;
[0093] 3) Inspection operation: Control the underwater robot so that its sensor (such as thickness gauge) is completely against the ship wall, control the corresponding thrusters to enable the underwater robot to perform inspection operations along the ship wall, and record the ship inspection data.
[0094] (5) After the operation is completed, the underwater robot is evacuated and cleaned with clean water.
[0095] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clarity of explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations or modifications based on the above descriptions are possible. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation methods here. Obvious variations or modifications arising therefrom remain within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. An underwater robot based on multifunctional detection, characterized in that: include: Main structure components, power components and operating components; The power assembly and the operating assembly are mounted on and connected to the main body structure assembly; The main structure assembly is composed of a structural frame, a system cabin, a power cabin, a buoyancy block, a roller, and a cover; The power assembly is composed of a plurality of propellers to enable the underwater robot to move horizontally and vertically; The operation components include a bridge underwater inspection operation group and a ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group.
2. The underwater robot based on multifunctional detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structural frame of the main structural assembly is formed by welding a number of metal steels and is divided into two layers, the upper layer is provided with an intermediate plate and the lower layer is provided with a bottom plate for the installation of other equipment or load components; The cover is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the structural frame, and a flow resistance reduction grid is provided on the cover; The buoyancy block is embedded in the cover and fixed to the frame structure; The system cabin is cylindrical in structure and has an integrated control system inside, and is mounted and fixed on the middle plate; The power supply compartment is square in structure and is fixed on the base plate; The rollers are free roller structures and are arranged on the front and rear sides of the underwater robot.
3. The underwater robot based on multifunctional detection according to claim 2, characterized in that: A network camera is provided at the front end of the interior of the system cabin.
4. The underwater robot based on multifunctional detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power assembly includes 6 thrusters, including 4 horizontal thrusters and 2 vertical thrusters to complete the movement and driving function of the underwater robot in the water; The first horizontal thruster and the second horizontal thruster are arranged at the front to drive the underwater robot main body to move forward, backward, turn and push during operation; the third horizontal thruster and the fourth horizontal thruster are arranged on the right side to drive the underwater robot to move sideways and turn; the first vertical thruster and the second vertical thruster are arranged at the top to drive the underwater robot to float up, dive and push along the depth direction during operation.
5. The underwater robot based on multifunctional detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structural frame is provided with casters with brake mechanisms.
6. The underwater robot based on multifunctional detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: Handles are provided on the left and right sides of the upper part of the structural frame.
7. The underwater robot based on multifunctional detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structural frame is provided with a lifting ring, which is arranged at the upper middle position of the underwater robot.
8. The underwater robot based on multifunctional detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bridge underwater inspection operation group and the ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group in the operation components both include a brush plate and a sensor; The sensors include a sonar sensor and a thickness gauge, which are mounted on the structural frame; The brush disc is rotatably mounted on the outside of the structural frame. The brush disc is driven to rotate by a motor. The motor is fixedly mounted in the structural frame and a rotating shaft is connected to the brush disc to drive the brush disc to rotate.
9. The underwater robot based on multifunctional detection according to claim 8, characterized in that: The brush disc in the underwater inspection working group of the bridge is provided with one, which is arranged on one side of the structural frame; The ship underwater inspection and cleaning operation group includes two brush discs, which are arranged on one side and the top of the structural frame.
Citation Information
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