Robot equipped with a flexible arm that can be deployed by eversion, and its use in confined areas

Abstract

A robot equipped with an arm in the form of a tubular body comprising a sleeve (12) formed of a flexible membrane capable of being inflated and deployed by eversion at the distal end of the arm, from said storage chamber (4) under the action of a first fluid flow. This tubular sleeve (12), in its deployed state, forms a central inner sheath serving as a housing and passageway for a flexible tubular element carrying a payload, such as a camera, a sensor, or an actuator. According to the invention, a second fluid flow is injected between the sheath and the tubular element, allowing the latter to move independently of the sheath. Cables (22a, 22c), arranged in peripheral sheaths of the sleeve (12), guide and orient the movement of said arm.Use for inspecting straight or angled pipelines, such as pipelines in confined spaces or for transporting payloads in pipelines, particularly in industrial, sanitary, nuclear, marine, corrosive, or hazardous environments. Figure for abbreviation: Fig. 2.

Description

Title of the invention: Robot equipped with a flexible arm deployable by eversion and its use in confined areas Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot comprising an arm deployable from a storage chamber and a control station for said arm, the arm being a flexible pneumatic arm, in particular an arm intended to be introduced into a confined area. The present invention also relates to the use of the robot for introducing the deployable arm into pipes, more particularly into confined areas. State of the art

[0002] For interventions in confined areas, it is necessary to transport a payload, such as a camera, sensors, or actuators in communication with the operator controlling the robot.

[0003] Robot arms are known in the form of flexible pneumatic arms that can be deployed from a storage chamber under the action of a gas flow, such as air. Such robot arms are in the form of a tubular body comprising a sleeve, formed from a flexible membrane capable of being inflated and deployed by eversion. The eversion phenomenon occurs at the distal end of the arm, and is supplied with a membrane from said storage chamber under the action of the gas flow. This tubular sleeve provides, in the deployed state, a central inner sheath serving as a housing and passage for a longitudinal element, often tubular and flexible, carrying a payload (camera or sensor for example).

[0004] Such a robot arm, deploying by eversion, that is to say by deployment of the membrane from the inside of the sleeve towards the outside, has the advantage of not moving the pollution, or not damaging the environment in which it moves.

[0005] However, when the tubular body is deployed by eversion, the inflated sleeve grips, at the central sheath, the longitudinal element, which, if it is not retained on the side of the storage chamber, then advances twice as fast as the distal end of the tubular body.

[0006] This poses in particular difficulties in controlling the positioning of said payload and its movement and therefore in maintaining the payload in place relative to the distal end of the robot arm.

[0007] Purpose of the invention

[0008] A first aim of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the above robots by proposing a flexible, eversion-deployable robot arm allowing control the movement and / or positioning of the payload.

[0009] Another aim of the invention is to propose a flexible, eversion-deployable robot arm capable of moving forward in a pipeline, particularly in a confined environment, such as in an ATEX environment (explosive atmospheres).

[0010] These and other aims are achieved by the robot according to the present invention, which proposes a robot comprising an arm deployable from a base including a storage chamber, a control station for said arm and an operator interface, said arm being a flexible pneumatic arm, in particular intended to be introduced into a confined area, comprising: - a tubular body mounted on said base, said tubular body comprising a sleeve formed of an inverted inflatable flexible membrane, the two ends of which are fixed to said base including the membrane storage chamber of the sleeve, - the storage chamber comprising at least a first inlet for a fluid, called the first fluid flow, said sleeve being, in the non-deployed state, at least partially folded into the storage chamber and capable of being inflated and deployed by eversion at the distal end of the tubular body of the arm, called the apex, from said storage chamber under the action of the first fluid flow, and providing, in the deployed state (advantageously in tubular form), a central inner sheath along the axis of the tubular body, said sheath being capable of serving as a housing and passage for a flexible tubular element, - the distal end of the tubular body of the arm, called the apex, having a head equipped with at least one payload carried by said tubular element and pushed during deployment of the tubular body (capable of pulling said flexible tubular element passing through the tubular body as well as the base and thus providing a communication channel between the base and the head), - and an operator interface controlling the fluid supply in order to apply a deployment flow by eversion of the sleeve from the storage chamber and thus the advancement of the distal end of the tubular body of the robot arm.

[0011] According to the invention, said robot is characterized in that it comprises a second fluid supply inlet, called second fluid flow, connected to said sheath arranged along the central axis of the tubular body, said second fluid flow being capable of creating and maintaining a film of fluid around the tubular element in order to facilitate the introduction and / or movement of said tubular element within the sheath and thus the advancement of the payload.

[0012] In a particular embodiment, the robot according to the present invention is a robot for inspection in a confined environment.

[0013] The presence of this film of fluid creates a layer separating the sheath from the ex walls of the tubular element, the movement of which is then "disconnected" from that of the sleeve. The movement of the tubular element carrying at least one payload is thus independent of the deployment by eversion, and can therefore in particular be carried out at the same speed as the latter, and no longer twice as fast as the distal end of the tubular body.

[0014] Advantageously, said arm comprises means for driving the sleeve out of and into the storage chamber, said drive means preferably being winding means allowing respectively the deployment or the folding of said sleeve. The sleeve can for example be folded, at least partially, in an accordion, in the storage chamber.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the robot equipped with a pneumatic flexible arm of the present invention, said arm comprises cables or ropes, housed in peripheral longitudinal sheaths of the sleeve and connected to at least one traction mechanism, in order to direct / orient the apex of the tubular body (which is also the apex of the robot arm).

[0016] Each of said cables or ropes advantageously has a first end of cable or rope fixed to the storage chamber of the sleeve, extends along the sheath of the tubular body and is housed, along the entire length of said tubular body, in a peripheral longitudinal sheath of the sleeve, a second end of the cable or rope being connected to at least one traction mechanism.

[0017] Preferably, the external peripheral longitudinal sheaths housing the cables or ropes are arranged along generatrices of said tubular body.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the fluid supply comes from a single source divided into two flows, a first flow for the deployment by eversion of the sleeve forming the body of the robot and a second flow for supplying fluid to the sheath to create and maintain a layer of fluid around the tubular element.

[0019] At least one of the first and second fluids may be a gas, preferably air or a neutral gas, such as nitrogen. Alternatively, said first fluid may be a fluid present within the pipeline to be explored, for example methane.

[0020] It is also possible that at least one of the first and second fluids is a liquid, preferably water. Alternatively, said second fluid may be a fluid present within the pipeline to be explored, for example water.

[0021] The payload may comprise a (connected) camera, or at least one sensor or suction device, or fluid propulsion device, or photogrammetry device, or one or more actuators thereof.

[0022] The robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm according to the present invention can be characterized in that the head of the tubular body carries a device for location in space, such as an inertial unit comprising at least one accelerometer and / or at least a gyrometer.

[0023] The membrane of the sleeve is made of an eversible and preferably impermeable material or having a permeability rate allowing the eversion of said sleeve under the action of the first fluid flow. Advantageously, the membrane of the sleeve is made of a material chosen from a polymer material, such as polyvinyl chloride, or polyethylene, preferably low density polyethylene, or a chlorosulfonated polyethylene, or a fabric impregnated with polymer, such as canvas or traction sail (for example a fabric such as canvas or kitesurfing wing sail).

[0024] By "eversible material" is meant in the context of the present invention a material capable of constituting a membrane sufficiently flexible to allow it to turn from the inside to the outside and vice versa.

[0025] The present invention also relates to any use of the robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm as described above: and more particularly for the inspection of pipes, straight or bent, such as pipes in a confined environment, or for the transport of payloads in pipes.

[0026] The use of such a robot can find an application in industrial, health, nuclear, marine, corrosive environments, or in accident-prone environments, for example for archaeology or rescue. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0028] [Fig. 1] represents an overall perspective view of the robot according to the invention

[0029] [Fig.2] is a sectional diagram of the entire robot of [Fig.l]

[0030] [Fig.3] is an enlargement of the end B of the robot arm shown schematically on the [Fig.2]

[0031] [Fig.4] is a sectional diagram of the tubular body showing the peripheral cable housing sheaths

[0032] [Fig.5] is a perspective view of a portion of the sleeve showing the peripheral sheaths housing the directional cables

[0033] [Fig.6] is a perspective view of the end of the curved sleeve

[0034] [Fig.7] is a side perspective view of the part of the sleeve shown diagrammatically in [Fig.6]

[0035] [Fig.8] is a sectional view along AA of [Fig.7]

[0036] [Fig.9] is an enlargement of area D of [Fig.8] showing the positioning of a cable in a peripheral sheath.

[0037] Detailed description of an example

[0038] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, diagrammatically showing the entire operational part of the robot according to the present invention, the flexible arm 2 of the robot is mounted on a base 1 in the form of a box. This base 1 is arranged in an open environment while the flexible arm 2 is intended to move in a confined environment. For this purpose, said arm 2 carries a payload 3 which may include any detection or intervention device embedded at the distal end of this arm 2, hereinafter referred to as apex 14.

[0039] The arm 2 of the robot according to the invention is a flexible pneumatic arm comprising a tubular body consisting of a sleeve 12 formed from an inverted membrane 13, the two ends of which are fixed to the base 1, as will be described later.

[0040] The base 1 is a housing composed of two chambers: a main chamber and a secondary chamber 5. The main chamber constitutes the storage chamber 4 of the membrane 13 of the sleeve 12 and is supplied with a first fluid via the first fluid inlet (also called the main inlet) 8. This first fluid is intended to inflate the membrane 13 of the sleeve 12 allowing its deployment by eversion. This main chamber contains a storage zone 7 for the membrane 13, folded at least partially in an accordion, as well as winders 6 (here drive rollers) allowing the deployment or folding of said sleeve.

[0041] The secondary chamber 5 is supplied with a second fluid through the second inlet (also called secondary intake) 9 and is provided with a sealed interface 10 between the secondary chamber and the open environment where the robot operator is located. The base 1 therefore comprises the members for inflating, storing, rolling up and controlling (by means of the operator interface not shown in the diagrams) the arm 2 of the robot.

[0042] The arm + base assembly is crossed by a longitudinal tubular element 17 having a central channel 18 creating a direct communication axis between its storage zone 11 and the distal end 14 (also called apex) of the arm 2.

[0043] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the tubular body of the arm is composed of a central sheath 20 formed by the flexible membrane 13 which is impervious, or almost impervious, to the fluid, around which peripheral sheaths 21 are arranged (here four in number: 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d) along the generatrices of the tubular body forming the sleeve. Each of these peripheral sheaths houses a cable or rope 22 (referenced 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d see [Fig.6]). This central sheath, folded back on itself, as visible in figures 6, 7 and 8, and these peripheral sheaths constitute the sleeve 12. The membrane 13 turned over from said sleeve is fixed by its two ends to the storage chamber 4, the first end being fixed to the outer wall of the storage chamber 4, the second end being fixed inside said storage chamber 4 upstream of the storage zone 7 of said membrane.

[0044] Regardless of its condition, the sleeve 12 provides, in its central part or core 15, a free space forming a longitudinal sheath 16 serving as a housing and passage for the tubular element 17. This flexible tubular element 17 passes right through the core of the tubular body forming the sleeve, and carries at the apex 14 a cap 19 serving as support for at least one payload 3.

[0045] As seen in [Fig.2], the cap 19 is ovoid in shape and wider than the sheath, allowing the distal end of the sleeve to rest on said cap during its deployment by eversion and to push the payload forward.

[0046] The operation of this robot arm will now be described in more detail:

[0047] To convey the payload 3 into a difficult-to-access area, the tubular body forming the arm 2 of the robot can: move forward, backward, branch off while leaving a channel 18 open between the apex 14 and the storage area 11 of the tubular element 17.

[0048] Operating principle of the advance:

[0049] The sleeve 12 advances by eversion: thanks to the imposition, via the main inlet 8, of a pressure and a flow rate of the first fluid (for example a gas, advantageously air) in said sleeve, the latter unfolds from the inside to the outside. Thus, a point located on the wall of the sheath 16 moves (advantageously at constant speed) to the apex 14 where its speed gradually decreases to become zero at the level of the outer wall of the sleeve. The speed of progression of the apex 14, defining the speed of advance of the tubular body of the arm 2 of the robot in the medium to be explored, is equal to half the speed of movement of the sheath 16 within the sleeve 12.

[0050] The use of eversion makes it possible to have a free space in the center of the tubular body: the core which is delimited by the sheath 16. A tubular element 17 can then be placed in this sheath 16 to create a communicating channel 18.

[0051] The pressure of the first fluid in the sleeve 12 applies a force from the sheath 16 to the tubular element 17, forcing the latter to move at the speed of the walls of the sheath 16, i.e. twice as fast as the apex 14. To overcome this, a flow of fluid (second fluid, which can also be a gas, or a liquid, such as water) coming from the secondary inlet 9 is imposed, which separates the sheath from the tubular element and thus breaks the adhesion between said tubular element 17 and the sheath 16.

[0052] It is then possible to let the cap 19 drive the tubular element 17 forward at the speed of the apex 14 by pressing the apex 14 on the cap 19. As a variant, it is also possible to desynchronize the speeds by imposing a speed on the tubular element 17 from its storage zone 11, which makes it possible, for example, to advance the payload 3 into an area where the tubular body could no longer advance.

[0053] Principle of operation of the recoil:

[0054] To move the tubular body back, membrane winders 6 are arranged in the storage chamber 4. They allow the membrane of the sleeve 12 to be rethreaded into its storage zone 7 and therefore to bring the sheath and the apex back towards the base 1.

[0055] The storage zone 7 of the membrane of the sleeve is composed of a hollow cylinder allowing the channel 18 to communicate between the apex 14 and the storage zone 11 of the flexible tubular element.

[0056] Principle of operation of the bifurcation:

[0057] The ropes 22 (22a, 22b, 22c and 22d) located in the peripheral sheaths 21 (21a, 21b, 21c and 21d) along the entire length of the sleeve allow the apex 14 to be directed. The ropes are fixed with the membrane of the sleeve at the end of the storage zone 7 of the membrane but free at the other end of the sheath where a traction mechanism 23 (23a, 23b, 23c and 23d: see [Fig.l]) is installed for each rope. Then, by actuating the traction of a rope 22, the distance between the apex 14 and the base 1 decreases along the peripheral sheath 21 housing this rope. In [Fig.6], the sleeve is shown after the actuation of the traction mechanism 23d which has generated the traction of the rope 22d. This has the effect of modifying the direction of the apex 14 and therefore of causing a change in the trajectory of the arm 2. By combining tractions of several ropes it is then possible to orient the apex in any direction.The tubular body of arm 2 is then able to move in any straight direction in an open environment. In a confined environment the body can change direction at each intersection it encounters.

Claims

Claims

1. Robot comprising an arm (2) deployable from a base (1) including a storage chamber, a control station for said arm (2) and an operator interface, said arm (2) being a flexible pneumatic arm (2), in particular intended to be introduced into a confined area, comprising - a tubular body mounted on said base (1), said tubular body comprising a sleeve (12) formed of an inverted inflatable flexible membrane, the two ends of which are fixed to said base (1) including the storage chamber (4) of the membrane of the sleeve (12), - the storage chamber (4) comprising at least a first inlet (8) for a fluid, called the first fluid flow, said sleeve (12) being, in the non-deployed state, at least partially folded into the storage chamber (4) and capable of being inflated and of deploying by eversion at the distal end of the tubular body of the arm (2), called the apex (14),from said storage chamber (4) under the action of the first flow of fluid, and providing, in the deployed state, a central interior sheath (16) along the axis of the tubular body, said sheath (16) being capable of serving as a housing and passage for a flexible tubular element (17), - the distal end of the tubular body of the arm (2), called apex (14), having a head equipped with at least one payload (3) carried by said tubular element (17) and pushed during deployment of the tubular body, - and an operator interface controlling the fluid supply in order to apply a deployment flow by eversion of the sleeve (12) from the storage chamber (4) and thus the advancement of the distal end of the tubular body of the arm (2) of the robot, characterized in that said robot comprises a second fluid supply inlet, called second fluid flow, connected to said sheath (16) arranged along the central axis of the tubular body, said second fluid flow being capable of creating and maintaining a film of fluid around the tubular element (17) in order to facilitate the introduction and / or movement of said tubular element (17) within the sheath (16) and thus the advancement of the payload (3); and said arm (2) comprises cables or ropes (22), housed in sheaths peripheral longitudinal members (21) of the sleeve (12) and connected to at least one traction mechanism (23), in order to direct and / or orient the apex (14) of the tubular body.

2. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that said arm (2) comprises means for driving the sleeve (12) out of and towards the storage chamber (4), said drive means preferably being winding means (6) allowing respectively the deployment or the folding of said sleeve (12).

3. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve is folded, at least partially, in an accordion, in the storage chamber.

4. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that each of said cables or ropes (22) has a first end of cable or rope (22) fixed to the storage chamber (4) of the sleeve (12), extends along the sheath (16) of the tubular body and is housed, along the entire length of said tubular body, in a peripheral longitudinal sheath of the sleeve (12), a second end of the cable or rope (22) being connected to at least one traction mechanism (23).

5. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to claim 4, characterized in that the external peripheral longitudinal sheaths (21) for housing the cables or ropes (22) are arranged along generatrices of said tubular body.

6. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fluid supply comes from a single source divided into two flows, a first flow for the deployment by eversion of the sleeve (12) forming the body of the robot and a second flow for supplying fluid to the sheath (16) to create and maintain a layer of fluid around the tubular element.

7. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the first and second fluids is a gas, preferably air or a neutral gas, such as nitrogen.

8. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one of the first and second fluids is a liquid, preferably water.

9. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the payload (3) comprises a camera, or at least one sensor or a suction device, or a fluid propulsion device, or a photogrammetry device, or an actuator or several of these.

10. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the head of the tubular body carries a spatial location device, such as an inertial unit comprising at least one accelerometer and / or at least one gyrometer.

11. Robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the membrane of the sleeve (12) is made of an eversible and preferably impermeable material or having a permeability rate allowing the eversion of said sleeve under the action of the first flow of fluid, said material being chosen from a polymer material, such as polyvinyl chloride, or polyethylene, preferably low density polyethylene, or a chlorosulfonated polyethylene, or a fabric impregnated with polymer, such as canvas or traction sail.

12. Use of the robot equipped with a flexible pneumatic arm (2) according to one of the preceding claims for the inspection of straight or bent pipes, such as pipes in a confined environment.

13. Use of the robot according to claim 12 for transporting payloads in pipelines.

14. Use of the robot according to any one of claims 12 or 13, in an industrial, health, nuclear, marine, corrosive environment, or in an accident-prone environment.

Images