Equipment inspection support device and inspection support method

Abstract

To provide an inspection support device and an inspection support method capable of detecting environmental abnormality of a facility.SOLUTION: A facility inspection support device according to the present invention includes a point cloud reading unit 11 that acquires a point cloud of a facility obtained by a laser scanner 50, a facility specifying unit 12 that specifies a type of the facility represented by the point cloud, a facility environment determination unit 13 that detects an environmental abnormality of the facility, and a result display unit 14 that displays the environmental abnormality of the facility detected by the facility environment determination unit 13 on a display device 30. The equipment specifying unit 12 generates a basic shape model representing a basic shape from the point clouds, generates a point cloud group representing the equipment from the point clouds that are not used for generating the basic shape model, determines the basic shape model and the point cloud group that are connected to each other as the equipment, and specifies the type of the equipment based on the shape of the basic shape model or the spread of the distribution of the point cloud group. The facility environment determination unit 13 detects an environment abnormality of the facility by obtaining a separation distance between the facilities obtained by the facility identification unit 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for assisting in the inspection of equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] In various plants and other facilities, it is common to use laser scanners to measure the facilities for monitoring and inspection, process the point clouds obtained from this measurement according to the purpose, and reflect the processing results in monitoring, control, etc.

[0003] For example, at nuclear power plants, on-site inspections are conducted to improve safety and check for any discrepancies between the design and construction of equipment, as well as deterioration. Such work poses the challenge of requiring a large amount of inspection time, including the need for workers to travel to the site and go through entry procedures. To address this issue, from the perspective of plant safety and cybersecurity, there is a proposal to conduct real-time remote inspections using cameras, IoT devices, and wireless technology, but this proposal is currently difficult to implement.

[0004] In this situation, a system that can perform virtual on-site inspections in a VR (Virtual Reality) space by utilizing point clouds and images obtained by measurement using a laser scanner and design CAD models is considered to be effective in reducing inspection man-hours. An example of technology related to such a system is described in Patent Document 1.

[0005] The construction work support system described in Patent Document 1 includes a point cloud data acquisition unit that acquires 3D point cloud data of a construction site using a laser scanner, a data comparison unit that compares the 3D design data of the construction object with the 3D point cloud data, and a caution presentation unit that presents cautions to workers related to the work to be carried out at the construction site based on the results of this comparison. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-156015 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Inspections are conducted in plants and other facilities to detect discrepancies between the design and construction of the facilities, such as environmental abnormalities within the facilities, such as the separation distance between facilities being smaller than a predetermined standard value or a facility being connected to another facility in an unexpected manner.

[0008] The technology described in Patent Document 1 can detect discrepancies between the design and construction of equipment by comparing the equipment's design data with point cloud data, and the detected point cloud can be placed in a VR space to inspect the discrepancies. However, because this technology detects discrepancies between the 3D point cloud obtained from the equipment and the equipment's 3D design data (for example, equipment CAD model data), it is difficult to detect environmental abnormalities in the equipment when 3D design data for the equipment does not exist or when a discrepancy exists between the design data and point cloud data due to equipment modification or repair.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection support device and an inspection support method that can detect environmental abnormalities in equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The equipment inspection support device according to the present invention includes a point cloud reading unit that acquires a point cloud of equipment obtained by a laser scanner, an equipment identification unit that identifies the type of equipment represented by the point cloud, an equipment environment determination unit that detects environmental abnormalities of the equipment, and a result display unit that displays the environmental abnormalities of the equipment detected by the equipment environment determination unit on a display device. The environmental abnormalities include a separation distance between the equipment being smaller than a predetermined reference value. The equipment identification unit generates a basic shape model, which is a 3D model representing a predetermined basic shape, from the point cloud, generates a point cloud group representing the equipment from the point cloud not used to generate the basic shape model, identifies interconnected points from the basic shape model and the point cloud group as a connected entity, determines the connected entity as the equipment, and identifies the type of the equipment based on the shape of the basic shape model or the distribution of the point cloud group. The equipment environment determination unit detects the environmental abnormalities of the equipment by determining the separation distance between the equipment identified by the equipment identification unit.

[0011] The equipment inspection support method according to the present invention includes an equipment identification step in which an inspection support device identifies the type of equipment represented by a point cloud of the equipment obtained by a laser scanner, an equipment environment determination step in which the inspection support device detects an environmental abnormality of the equipment, and a result display step in which the inspection support device displays the environmental abnormality of the equipment detected in the equipment environment determination step on a display device. The environmental abnormality includes a separation distance between the equipment being smaller than a predetermined reference value. In the equipment identification step, the inspection support device generates a basic shape model, which is a 3D model representing a predetermined basic shape, from the point cloud, generates a point cloud group representing the equipment from the point cloud not used to generate the basic shape model, identifies points connected to each other from the basic shape model and the point cloud group as a connected entity, determines the connected entity as the equipment, and identifies the type of the equipment based on the shape of the basic shape model or the distribution of the point cloud group. In the equipment environment determination step, the inspection support device detects the environmental abnormality of the equipment by determining the separation distance between the equipment items determined in the equipment identification step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, an inspection support device and an inspection support method that can detect environmental abnormalities in equipment can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an inspection support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a facility identifying unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process executed by an equipment environment determining unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a process executed by an equipment environment determining unit 13 in the second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of facility identification result data stored in a facility identification result database. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of thresholds stored in a determination threshold database. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a basic shape model. [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a point cloud acquired by a point cloud reading unit. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a basic shape model generated by an equipment identifying unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a model group generated by a facility identifying unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a point cloud group generated by grouping remaining point clouds by the facility identifying unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a facility group generated by a facility identification unit. [Figure 12] 10 is a diagram showing an example of objects for calculating the distance between two pieces of equipment when the equipment environment determination unit calculates the distance between the two pieces of equipment. FIG. [Figure 13A]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an angle θ at which two pieces of equipment, which are pipes, intersect, and is a diagram showing an example where two pieces of equipment, which are pipes, intersect at an angle θ that is not zero. [Figure 13B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the angle θ at which two pieces of equipment, which are pipes, intersect, and is a diagram showing an example in which the angle θ at which the two pieces of equipment, which are pipes, intersect is zero. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a space model. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display device by a result display unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The equipment inspection support device and inspection support method according to the present invention can detect environmental abnormalities in equipment using only point cloud data, even if three-dimensional design data of the equipment (for example, equipment CAD model data) does not exist.By using the present invention, abnormalities in the equipment environment can be displayed in VR space, even if three-dimensional design data of the equipment does not exist.

[0015] Hereinafter, an equipment inspection support device and an inspection support method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The inspection support method according to the embodiment of the present invention can be executed by the inspection support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings referred to in this specification, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description of these components may be omitted. [Example]

[0016] A facility inspection support device and an inspection support method according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the facility is a pipe, a duct, and a cable tray installed in a plant.

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection support device according to this embodiment. The inspection support device 10 according to this embodiment can be configured by a computer.

[0018] The inspection support device 10 includes a point cloud reading unit 11, an equipment identification unit 12, an equipment environment determination unit 13, and a result display unit 14, and is connected to a storage device 40, an input device 20, and a display device 30. The inspection support device 10 inputs a point cloud obtained by measuring the equipment with a laser scanner 50 and information stored in the storage device 40, and detects environmental abnormalities of the equipment, thereby supporting the inspection of the equipment.

[0019] The inspection support device 10 receives instructions and data from an input device 20 in response to a user's operation. The inspection support device 10 outputs the detection result of an environmental abnormality in the facility to a display device 30.

[0020] The laser scanner 50 measures the equipment and acquires a point cloud of the equipment in advance. The point cloud is a collection of point data obtained by the laser scanner 50 measuring the equipment, and is information including the three-dimensional position of each point. The laser scanner 50 is also capable of taking photographs, and can acquire photographed images of the equipment in advance. The laser scanner 50 may be a stationary laser scanner that is installed using a support device such as a tripod, or a handheld laser scanner that the user holds in their hand to perform measurements.

[0021] The storage device 40 includes a point cloud database DB1, an equipment identification result database DB2, a judgment threshold database DB3, and a judgment processing result database DB4. The point cloud database DB1 stores in advance point clouds and images of equipment acquired by the laser scanner 50. The equipment identification result database DB2 stores processing results of the equipment identification unit 12. The judgment threshold database DB3 stores in advance thresholds for detecting abnormalities in the equipment environment. The judgment processing result database DB4 stores processing results of the equipment environment judgment unit 13.

[0022] The point cloud reading unit 11 acquires the point cloud and images of the facility stored in the point cloud database DB1.

[0023] The equipment identification unit 12 identifies the type of equipment represented by the point cloud acquired by the point cloud reading unit 11. The equipment identification unit 12 identifies the type of equipment represented by the point cloud by dividing (grouping) the point cloud into groups using the coordinates of each point included in the point cloud.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the facility identifying unit 12. As shown in FIG.

[0025] Process 121 is a process for estimating a basic shape from a point cloud. In process 121, the point cloud is grouped into partial point clouds that form the basic shape, and a basic shape model is generated from the point cloud, thereby estimating the basic shape from the point cloud. The basic shape is a predetermined basic shape, and includes, for example, a plane, a cylinder, and a sphere. The basic shape model is a three-dimensional model (for example, a CAD model) that represents the basic shape.

[0026] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a basic shape model, in which a cylindrical basic shape model 72 and a planar basic shape model 71 are shown as examples.

[0027] The cylindrical basic shape model 72 represents, for example, that the equipment is a pipe. The planar basic shape model 71 represents, for example, that the equipment is any one of a duct, a cable tray, and a building frame (floor, wall, ceiling, etc.).

[0028] Fig. 8A is a diagram showing an example of a point cloud acquired by the point cloud reading unit 11. Fig. 8A shows three point clouds 81, 82, and 83 as an example.

[0029] In step 121, the facility identifying unit 12 groups the point clouds 81, 82, and 83 into partial point clouds that form a basic shape, and generates a basic shape model.

[0030] Fig. 8B is a diagram showing an example of a basic shape model generated by the facility identifying unit 12. Fig. 8B shows an example in which three cylindrical basic shape models are generated.

[0031] The equipment identifying unit 12 generates a basic shape model CL_001 and a basic shape model CL_002 from the point cloud 81, and generates a basic shape model CL_003 from a portion of the point cloud 82. The equipment identifying unit 12 does not generate a basic shape model from the point cloud 83. For example, the equipment identifying unit 12 may not be able to group the point cloud into partial point clouds due to the influence of noise, and in such cases, may not be able to generate a basic shape model from the point cloud. Note that the point cloud of the point cloud 82 that was not used to generate the basic shape model CL_003 is referred to as point cloud 82a.

[0032] The facility identifying unit 12 can use any method to group the point cloud into partial point clouds and generate a basic shape model. For example, it may use a method called RANSAC (Random Sample Consensus) or a method implemented in commercially available point cloud processing software.

[0033] Process 122 in Figure 2 is a process for determining the connectivity of basic shapes. In order to treat equipment made up of multiple basic shapes as a single piece of equipment, process 122 finds and groups basic shape models that are connected to each other from the basic shape models generated in process 121. The grouped basic shape models are called a model group.

[0034] In process 122, the equipment identifying unit 12 calculates the distance between the generated basic shape models and extracts combinations of basic shape models for which this distance is 0. Basic shape models for which the distance is 0 can be considered to be connected to each other. The equipment identifying unit 12 groups the extracted basic shape models to generate model groups.

[0035] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a model group generated by the facility identifying unit 12. Fig. 9 shows an example in which one model group PIPE_001 is generated.

[0036] The cylindrical basic shape model CL_001 and basic shape model CL_002 shown in FIG. 8B are connected to each other, and are therefore grouped together to generate the model group PIPE_001 shown in FIG.

[0037] Process 123 in Figure 2 is a process for removing the point clouds that make up the basic shape. The equipment identification unit 12 removes the point clouds that were used to generate the basic shape model from the point clouds acquired by the point cloud reading unit 11. Point clouds that were not used to generate the basic shape model remain without being removed. In this embodiment, the equipment identification unit 12 removes the point clouds that generated the basic shape models CL_001, CL_002, and CL_003 shown in Figure 8B from the point clouds shown in Figure 8A.

[0038] Through this process, the facility identifying unit 12 can extract, as a remaining point group, a point group that was not used to generate the basic shape model in process 121. In the examples shown in Fig. 8B and Fig. 9, point groups 82a and 83 are extracted as the remaining point groups.

[0039] 2 is a process of grouping the remaining point clouds. The facility identification unit 12 extracts point clouds that can be inferred to represent facilities from the remaining point clouds, and generates point cloud groups that represent facilities by grouping the extracted point clouds.

[0040] The facility identification unit 12 groups the remaining point cloud by, for example, connecting two adjacent points in the remaining point cloud to generate a point cloud group. Two adjacent points are, for example, two points whose distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold. It can be assumed that two adjacent points represent part of a facility. The facility identification unit 12 can group the point cloud by, for example, using a technique called region growing. By using region growing, if the distance between two points is smaller than a threshold, the two points can be connected and grouped.

[0041] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of point cloud groups generated by grouping the remaining point clouds by the facility identifying unit 12. Fig. 10 shows, as an example, an example in which two point cloud groups PG_001 and PG_002 are generated from the remaining point clouds.

[0042] 2 is a process for determining the type of facility. The facility identification unit 12 determines what facility the basic shape model and the point cloud group represent.

[0043] The facility identification unit 12 identifies basic shape models and point cloud groups that are connected to each other as connected entities, and determines the identified connected entities as facilities. For example, the facility identification unit 12 determines connections between basic shape models, between point cloud groups, and between basic shape models and point cloud groups, and groups the connected entities as facility groups. As in process 122, the facility identification unit 12 considers basic shape models and point cloud groups with a distance of 0 to be connected to each other. Then, the facility identification unit 12 groups the connected entities (those that are connected to each other) as facility groups.

[0044] This connected body is a combination of objects (basic shape models and point cloud groups that make up a facility group, which will be described later). Objects represent elements that make up a facility.

[0045] The facility identification unit 12 identifies a basic shape model and a point cloud group that are not connected to others as a facility group on their own.

[0046] Furthermore, the facility identifying unit 12 sets the model group (grouped basic shape models) generated in the process 122 as a facility group.

[0047] Since a facility group represents a facility, hereinafter, the facility group may also be referred to as a facility.

[0048] Next, the facility identification unit 12 determines the type of facility represented by the facility group. The facility identification unit 12 identifies the type of facility represented by the facility group based on the shape of the basic shape model or the spread of the distribution of the point cloud group.

[0049] For example, if a cylindrical basic shape model exists within an equipment group, the equipment identification unit 12 determines that the equipment represented by this equipment group is a pipe. Furthermore, if a plurality of planar basic shape models whose orientations are orthogonal to each other exists within an equipment group, the equipment identification unit 12 determines that the equipment represented by this equipment group is a duct or a cable tray. Whether an equipment is a duct or a cable tray can be determined based on the width and height of the equipment group. For example, by calculating the lengths of each side of a planar basic shape model parallel to the floor and a planar basic shape model perpendicular to the floor, and comparing the ratio of the side lengths with a predetermined value, it is possible to determine whether the equipment is a duct or a cable tray.

[0050] If a basic shape model does not exist within an equipment group and only a point cloud group exists, the type of equipment represented by the equipment group can be determined by calculating the dimensional feature of the point cloud group. The dimensional feature of the point cloud group is, for example, a value obtained by performing principal component analysis on the point cloud, indicating the spread of the point cloud distribution, and is a value that characterizes whether the point cloud group represents a one-dimensional object or a two-dimensional object. For example, if the dimensional feature value is 1, the equipment represented by the equipment group is a pipe, which is a one-dimensional object, and if the value is 2, the equipment represented by the equipment group is a duct or cable tray, which is a two-dimensional object. Whether the equipment is a duct or a cable tray can be determined by calculating the width and height of the bounding box that indicates the extent of the point cloud group and comparing the ratio of these lengths with a predetermined value.

[0051] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of facility groups generated by the facility identifying unit 12. Fig. 11 shows an example in which three facility groups, PIPE_001, PIPE_002, and PIPE_003, are generated.

[0052] Through processing 125, the equipment identification unit 12 generates an equipment group PIPE_002 from the cylindrical basic shape model CL_003 and the point cloud group PG_001, which are connected to each other, and determines that the equipment represented by the equipment group PIPE_002 is piping. Furthermore, through processing 125, the equipment identification unit 12 classifies the point cloud group PG_002 as equipment group PIPE_003, and determines that the equipment represented by the equipment group PIPE_003 is piping. Furthermore, through processing 125, the equipment identification unit 12 classifies the model group PIPE_001 as equipment group PIPE_001, and determines that the equipment represented by the equipment group PIPE_001 is piping.

[0053] 2 is a process for determining the orientation of the equipment. The orientation of the equipment is obtained as the orientation of the equipment group and is used to detect an environmental anomaly of the equipment.

[0054] The equipment identification unit 12 determines the orientation of the equipment group. For an equipment group that has a cylindrical basic shape model, the orientation of the equipment group is determined to be the orientation of the central axis of this cylinder. For an equipment group that has a planar basic shape model, the orientation of the equipment group is determined to be the orientation of the normal to this plane. For an equipment group that only has a point cloud group, the orientation of the first eigenvector obtained by performing principal component analysis on the point cloud is determined to be the orientation of the equipment group.

[0055] The facility identification unit 12 stores the results obtained by the process shown in FIG. 2 in a facility identification result database DB2.

[0056] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of facility identification result data stored in the facility identification result database DB2. As an example, Fig. 5 shows a facility group DUCT_001, which indicates a duct as a facility type, in addition to the facility groups PIPE_001, PIPE_002, and PIPE_003 described above. The facility groups are identified by facility IDs such as PIPE_001, PIPE_002, PIPE_003, and DUCT_001.

[0057] The basic shape models and point cloud groups that make up an equipment group are included as objects in the equipment identification result data. In FIG. 5, a cylindrical basic shape model is shown as a cylindrical object, and a planar basic shape model is shown as a planar object. Furthermore, the object of a point cloud group is shown as a point cloud group. The objects are identified by object IDs such as CL_001, CL_002, CL_003, PG_001, PG_002, PL_001, and PL_002.

[0058] Equipment and objects are linked to each other by equipment ID and object ID. For example, the equipment ID of PIPE_001 is linked to the object IDs of CL_001 and CL_002. The equipment ID of PIPE_002 is linked to the object IDs of CL_003 and PG_001. The equipment ID of PIPE_003 is linked to the object ID of PG_002.

[0059] The equipment identification result data shown in Fig. 5 has the following configuration as shown in Fig. 11. Equipment group PIPE_001 represents piping as the type of equipment, and is composed of basic shape models CL_001 and CL_002, which are cylindrical objects. Equipment group PIPE_002 represents piping as the type of equipment, and is composed of basic shape model CL_003, which is a cylindrical object, and point cloud group PG_001. Equipment group PIPE_003 represents piping as the type of equipment, and is composed of point cloud group PG_002.

[0060] Furthermore, in the equipment identification result data shown in FIG. 5, the orientation of the equipment group is expressed as an angle from arbitrarily determined coordinate axes (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis).

[0061] The equipment environment determining unit 13 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0062] The equipment environment determination unit 13 acquires the processing results of the equipment identification unit 12 and detects an environmental abnormality of the equipment. In this embodiment, the equipment environment is the separation distance between the equipment, and an environmental abnormality of the equipment is when the separation distance between the equipment is smaller than a predetermined reference value. The equipment environment determination unit 13 determines the separation distance between the equipment identified by the equipment identification unit 12, and if the separation distance between the equipment is smaller than a predetermined reference value (a separation distance threshold value described later), it is determined that an environmental abnormality of the equipment has been detected. This reference value (threshold value) can be determined in advance.

[0063] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the equipment environment determining unit 13. As shown in FIG.

[0064] Process 131 is a process for selecting a combination of two pieces of equipment for which the separation distance is to be calculated. The equipment environment determination unit 13 selects two equipment IDs from the equipment IDs stored in the equipment identification result database DB2 (FIG. 5). For example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 selects PIPE_001 and PIPE_002 as the equipment IDs. The equipment environment determination unit 13 stores the selected combination of equipment IDs and prevents a combination that has been selected from being selected again.

[0065] Process 132 is a process for calculating the separation distance between the two selected pieces of equipment. The equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between the objects (basic shape models and point cloud groups that make up the equipment group) for each of the two selected pieces of equipment. The equipment and objects are linked to each other by data stored in the equipment identification result database DB2 (FIG. 5).

[0066] 5, for example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between an equipment (pipe) with an equipment ID of PIPE_001 and an equipment (pipe) with an equipment ID of PIPE_002. The equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between an object (cylinder) having object IDs (CL_001 and CL_002) linked to the equipment ID PIPE_001, and an object (cylinder and point cloud group) having object IDs (CL_003 and PG_001) linked to the equipment ID PIPE_002.

[0067] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing examples of objects for calculating the separation distance between two pieces of equipment when the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between them. Fig. 12 shows an example in which the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between a piece of equipment with an equipment ID of PIPE_001 and a piece of equipment with an equipment ID of PIPE_002, and an example in which the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between a piece of equipment with an equipment ID of PIPE_002 and a piece of equipment with an equipment ID of PIPE_003.

[0068] First, the equipment environment determination unit 13 acquires object IDs linked to the selected equipment ID from the equipment identification result database DB 2. For example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 acquires CL_001 and CL_002 as object IDs linked to the selected equipment ID PIPE_001, and acquires CL_003 and PG_001 as object IDs linked to PIPE_002.

[0069] Next, the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between each object in one of the two selected pieces of equipment and each object in the other piece of equipment.

[0070] For example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between an object with an object ID of CL_001 and an object with an object ID of CL_003. Next, the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between an object with an object ID of CL_001 and an object with an object ID of PG_001. Next, the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between an object with an object ID of CL_002 and an object with an object ID of CL_003. Next, the equipment environment determination unit 13 calculates the separation distance between the object with an object ID of CL_002 and an object with an object ID of PG_001.

[0071] The separation distance between objects can be calculated using a common method. For example, when calculating the distance between point clouds, the distance between points included in the point clouds is calculated. When calculating the distance between a point cloud and a shape model, the distance between points included in the point cloud and faces included in the shape model is calculated. When calculating the distance between shape models, the distance between faces included in the shape model is calculated.

[0072] Then, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines the smallest distance among the determined separation distances between the objects as the separation distance between the equipment.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 12, the equipment environment determination unit 13 also calculates the separation distance between the equipment with the equipment ID PIPE_002 and the equipment with the equipment ID PIPE_003. Furthermore, although not shown in Fig. 12, the equipment environment determination unit 13 also calculates the separation distance between the equipment with the equipment ID PIPE_001 and the equipment with the equipment ID PIPE_003.

[0074] In this way, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines the separation distance between the pieces of equipment.

[0075] 3 is a process for acquiring a threshold value of the separation distance required for detecting an environmental abnormality of the equipment. The equipment environment determination unit 13 acquires a threshold value for detecting an environmental abnormality of the equipment from the determination threshold database DB3.

[0076] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of thresholds stored in the judgment threshold database DB3. Fig. 6 shows, as an example, a threshold for the separation distance between two pieces of equipment when the two pieces of equipment are pipes. In the example shown in Fig. 6, this threshold is determined according to the angle θ at which the two pieces of equipment intersect.

[0077] The equipment environment determination unit 13 acquires a threshold value using at least one of information on the type of equipment and the angle θ at which the two pieces of equipment intersect.

[0078] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing examples of the angle θ at which two pieces of equipment, which are piping, intersect. FIG. 13A shows an example where two pieces of equipment, which are piping, intersect at a non-zero angle θ. Note that even if the two pieces of equipment do not actually intersect, if they intersect when the piping is extended, the two pieces of equipment are considered to intersect. FIG. 13B shows an example where the angle θ at which the two pieces of equipment, which are piping, intersect is zero, i.e., an example where the two pieces of equipment are parallel.

[0079] The equipment environment determination unit 13 can determine the angle θ at which two pieces of equipment intersect using the orientations of the equipment stored in the equipment identification result database DB2 (FIG. 5). For example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 can calculate the intersecting angle θ by calculating the dot product of the average vector of the orientations of the objects (e.g., basic shape model and point cloud group) that make up one equipment group and the average vector of the orientations of the objects that make up the other equipment group.

[0080] The equipment environment determination unit 13 acquires a threshold value from the determination threshold value database DB3 based on at least one of the type of equipment and the angle θ at which the two pieces of equipment intersect.

[0081] In the above explanation, an example has been described in which the two pieces of equipment are both pipes, but the two pieces of equipment may also be a combination of a pipe and a duct, a duct and a cable tray, etc. The judgment threshold database DB3 stores thresholds (for example, thresholds for the separation distance) for detecting environmental abnormalities of the equipment for any combination of two pieces of equipment.

[0082] 3 is a process for determining the environment of the equipment and detecting an environmental abnormality of the equipment. The equipment environment determination unit 13 detects an environmental abnormality of the equipment using the separation distance between the equipment and the threshold value of the separation distance between the equipment.

[0083] The equipment environment determination unit 13 determines that the equipment environment is abnormal if the separation distance between the equipment is equal to or less than the threshold. The equipment environment determination unit 13 determines that the equipment environment is normal if the separation distance between the equipment exceeds the threshold. In this way, the equipment environment determination unit 13 detects an abnormality in the equipment environment.

[0084] In process 135, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines whether or not all combinations of equipment have been selected in process 131. If there are any combinations that have not been selected, the equipment environment determination unit 13 executes process 131. If all combinations have been selected, the equipment environment determination unit 13 ends the process.

[0085] The equipment environment determination unit 13 stores the results of determining the equipment environment, the results of detecting an environmental abnormality in the equipment, and the processing results such as the calculated separation distance between the equipment in a determination processing result database DB4.

[0086] The result display unit 14 shown in FIG. 1 will now be described.

[0087] The result display unit 14 displays the processing results of the equipment environment determination unit 13, for example, environmental abnormalities of the equipment detected by the equipment environment determination unit 13, on the display device 30. The result display unit 14 can also display the equipment group on the display device 30 together with the objects that make up the equipment group (for example, basic shape models and point cloud groups).

[0088] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that the result display unit 14 displays on the display device 30. Fig. 15 shows, as an example, a list of environmental abnormalities of the equipment detected by the equipment environment determination unit 13 and an example of a screen on which the equipment is displayed.

[0089] Detected environmental anomalies for equipment are assigned identification codes such as R_001. The list of environmental anomalies displayed on the screen (anomaly list) displays the identification codes of the detected environmental anomalies for the equipment. The anomaly list may also display the equipment ID of the equipment in which an environmental anomaly was detected. The equipment (equipment group) displayed on the screen displays the object IDs of the objects that make up the group.

[0090] When the user selects, with a mouse or the like, the identification code of an environmental anomaly for a piece of equipment displayed in the anomaly list, the result display unit 14 can highlight and display the objects that make up the equipment for which the environmental anomaly with the selected identification code has been detected. For example, the result display unit 14 highlights the objects that make up the equipment for which an environmental anomaly has been detected by displaying them in a different color from the objects that make up the equipment for which no environmental anomaly has been detected. In this way, the result display unit 14 can highlight the equipment for which an environmental anomaly has been detected.

[0091] As described above, with the equipment inspection support device and inspection support method according to this embodiment, even if three-dimensional design data of the equipment does not exist, it is possible to detect environmental abnormalities of the equipment using only point cloud data. [Example]

[0092] Second Embodiment A facility inspection support device and an inspection support method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0093] In this embodiment, the environment of the equipment is the distance between the equipment, and the environmental abnormality of the equipment is when the distance between the equipment is smaller than a predetermined reference value. However, whether the distance between the equipment is smaller than the reference value is determined by whether the equipment interferes with the surrounding space.

[0094] In this embodiment, the configuration of the equipment environment determination unit 13 is different from that in embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines whether or not there is interference with the space surrounding the equipment, that is, whether or not other equipment has intruded into the space surrounding the equipment, and detects an environmental abnormality of the equipment.

[0095] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the equipment environment determining unit 13 in this embodiment.

[0096] In process 141, the equipment environment determination unit 13 selects one piece of equipment for which to determine whether or not there is an environmental abnormality. The equipment environment determination unit 13 selects one piece of equipment ID from the equipment IDs stored in the equipment identification result database DB2 (FIG. 5). For example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 selects PIPE_001 as the equipment ID. The equipment environment determination unit 13 stores the selected equipment ID and prevents the equipment ID that has been selected from being selected again.

[0097] In process 142, the equipment environment determination unit 13 generates a space model surrounding the selected equipment. This space model is a bounding box, described below, enlarged by a predetermined size, and represents a virtual space surrounding the equipment. The predetermined size is a value determined in advance according to the reference value of the separation distance between pieces of equipment and the type of equipment. This predetermined size is stored in advance in the determination threshold database DB3, and may be acquired when the equipment environment determination unit 13 executes process 142.

[0098] The equipment environment determination unit 13 references the equipment identification result database DB2 (FIG. 5) and generates a bounding box, which is a rectangular parallelepiped that covers the entire object, for each object that makes up the selected equipment. The equipment environment determination unit 13 can generate the bounding box by determining the point with the maximum coordinate and the point with the minimum coordinate in each of the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction for the positional range in which the object (e.g., basic shape model and point cloud group) exists. The equipment environment determination unit 13 can also generate the bounding box using a method used in commercially available CAD or point cloud processing software.

[0099] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a spatial model. As an example, Fig. 14 shows a spatial model SPACE_CL_001 of an object with an object ID of CL_001 and a spatial model SPACE_PG_002 of an object with an object ID of PG_002. Note that the object with the object ID CL_001 is an object that constitutes equipment with an equipment ID of PIPE_001, and the object with the object ID PG_002 is an object that constitutes equipment with an equipment ID of PIPE_003.

[0100] 4, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines whether or not there is interference with the surrounding space of the selected equipment. If another equipment has entered the interior of the spatial model of the selected equipment, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines that there is interference.

[0101] The equipment environment determination unit 13 performs this determination using an existing method. For example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 obtains the bounding boxes of other equipment, and if the spatial model of the selected equipment intersects with the bounding boxes of the other equipment, it determines that the selected equipment interferes with the surrounding space. Also, for example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 obtains the distance between the spatial model of the selected equipment and the other equipment, and if this distance is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, it determines that the selected equipment interferes with the surrounding space.

[0102] The equipment environment determination unit 13 determines whether or not there is interference with the surrounding space of the selected equipment for all equipment other than the selected equipment.

[0103] In this way, if other equipment has invaded the spatial model of the selected equipment, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines that the separation distance between the equipment is smaller than a predetermined reference value and detects an environmental abnormality in the selected equipment.

[0104] In process 144, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines whether or not all of the equipment has been selected in process 141. If there is equipment that has not been selected, the equipment environment determination unit 13 executes process 141. If all of the equipment has been selected, the equipment environment determination unit 13 ends the process.

[0105] The equipment inspection support device and inspection support method according to this embodiment can determine whether there is interference with the surrounding space of the equipment, determine whether the separation distance between pieces of equipment is small, and detect environmental abnormalities in the equipment. [Example]

[0106] Third Embodiment A facility inspection support device and an inspection support method according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0107] In this embodiment, the environment of the equipment is the connection between the equipment, and the environmental abnormality of the equipment is a discontinuity in the connection between the equipment. A discontinuity in the connection between the equipment means that a certain equipment is connected to another equipment in a way that is different from what was assumed at the time of design.

[0108] In this embodiment, the configuration of the equipment environment determination unit 13 is different from that in embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines whether or not the connections between objects (for example, a basic shape model and a point cloud group) that configure the equipment are discontinuous, and detects an environmental abnormality of the equipment.

[0109] Note that even if the connections between objects are discontinuous, this does not necessarily mean that there is an environmental abnormality. In this embodiment, if there is a discontinuous connection between objects, it is assumed that there is a possibility of an environmental abnormality and an environmental abnormality is detected.

[0110] The connection between objects being discontinuous means that objects that are not recognized as constituting a single piece of equipment are connected to each other, such as the following:

[0111] When objects of basic shape models are connected to each other, and when cylindrical basic shape models are connected to each other, the connection is determined to be discontinuous if the difference in the radius of the cylindrical shapes exceeds a predetermined threshold.When a cylindrical basic shape model is connected to a planar basic shape model, the connection is determined to be discontinuous.

[0112] When objects in a point cloud group are connected to each other, if the difference in the dimensional features of the point cloud group or the difference in the curvature of the shape represented by the point cloud group exceeds a predetermined threshold, the connection is determined to be discontinuous.

[0113] The equipment environment determination unit 13 can also use the color of the equipment (the color of the object) as a criterion for determining whether or not the connection is discontinuous. That is, if the colors of connected objects are different from each other, the equipment environment determination unit 13 can determine that an environmental abnormality of the equipment has been detected. The color of the equipment refers to the color of the exterior of the equipment, that is, the color of the equipment as it appears in a photograph of the equipment taken by the laser scanner 50. By using the color of the object, i.e., the color of the equipment, as a criterion, it is possible to detect, for example, whether the equipment has been modified or repaired, and to recognize that the connections between the equipment differ from those assumed at the time of design.

[0114] The equipment environment determination unit 13 can determine the colors of objects (for example, basic shape models and point cloud groups) that make up the equipment by determining the color of the equipment from the image of the equipment stored in the point cloud database DB1. The equipment environment determination unit 13 can associate the object with the equipment in the image by using the coordinates of each point that makes up the object.

[0115] For example, the equipment environment determination unit 13 determines that the connections are discontinuous when objects of the basic shape model are connected to each other, when an object of the basic shape model is connected to an object of the point cloud group, or when objects of the point cloud group are connected to each other and the objects have different colors. The equipment environment determination unit 13 can detect that the objects have different colors using existing technology.

[0116] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to embodiments including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment. It is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to delete part of the configuration of each embodiment, or to add or replace other configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 10...inspection support device, 11...point cloud reading unit, 12...equipment identification unit, 13...equipment environment judgment unit, 14...result display unit, 20...input device, 30...display device, 40...storage device, 50...laser scanner, 71...basic shape model of planar shape, 72...basic shape model of cylindrical shape, 81, 82, 82a, 83...point cloud, CL_001, CL_002, CL_003...basic shape model, DB1...point cloud database, DB2...equipment identification result database, DB3...judgment threshold database, DB4...judgment processing result database, PG_001, PG_002...point cloud group, PIPE_001...model group, PIPE_001, PIPE_002, PIPE_003...equipment group, SPACE_CL_001, SPACE_PG_002...spatial model.

Claims

1. a point cloud reader that acquires a point cloud of the equipment obtained by a laser scanner; an equipment identification unit that identifies the type of the equipment represented by the point cloud; an equipment environment determination unit that detects an environmental abnormality of the equipment; a result display unit that displays the environmental abnormality of the equipment detected by the equipment environment determination unit on a display device; Equipped with The environmental abnormality includes a situation where a separation distance between the facilities is smaller than a predetermined reference value; The facility identification unit generating a basic shape model, which is a three-dimensional model representing a predetermined basic shape, from the point cloud; generating a point cloud group representing the facility from the point cloud that was not used to generate the basic shape model; The basic shape model and the point cloud group are connected to each other and are determined as a connected body, and the connected body is determined to be the equipment; Identifying the type of the facility based on the shape of the basic shape model or the spread of the distribution of the point cloud group; the equipment environment determination unit detects the environmental abnormality of the equipment by determining a separation distance between the equipment identified by the equipment identification unit. An equipment inspection support device characterized by:

2. The shapes of the basic shape models include planes, cylinders, and spheres. The facility inspection support device according to claim 1.

3. the equipment environment determination unit generates a virtual space surrounding the equipment determined by the equipment identification unit, and if another equipment has invaded the space, determines that the separation distance between the equipment is smaller than the reference value and detects the environmental abnormality of the equipment. The facility inspection support device according to claim 1.

4. In the connection body, objects representing elements constituting the facility are connected to each other, the equipment environment determination unit determines that the environmental abnormality of the equipment has been detected when at least one of the sizes, shapes, and colors of the objects connected to each other is different from each other; The color is the color of the object obtained from an image of the facility captured by the laser scanner. The facility inspection support device according to claim 1.

5. the result display unit displays on the display device the equipment in which the environmental anomaly has been detected in a highlighted manner, in a different color from the equipment in which the environmental anomaly has not been detected. The facility inspection support device according to claim 1.

6. the result display unit displays an identification code of the detected environmental abnormality on the display device, and displays the equipment in which the environmental abnormality has been detected and has the identification code selected by the user in a highlighted manner on the display device. The facility inspection support device according to claim 5.

7. an equipment identification step in which the inspection support device identifies the type of equipment represented by the point cloud of the equipment obtained by the laser scanner; an equipment environment determination step in which the inspection support device detects an environmental abnormality of the equipment; a result display step in which the inspection support device displays the environmental abnormality of the equipment detected in the equipment environment determination step on a display device; Equipped with The environmental abnormality includes a situation where a separation distance between the facilities is smaller than a predetermined reference value; In the facility identification step, the inspection support device generating a basic shape model, which is a three-dimensional model representing a predetermined basic shape, from the point cloud; generating a point cloud group representing the facility from the point cloud that was not used to generate the basic shape model; The basic shape model and the point cloud group are connected to each other and are determined as a connected body, and the connected body is determined to be the equipment; Identifying the type of the facility based on the shape of the basic shape model or the spread of the distribution of the point cloud group; In the equipment environment determination step, the inspection support device detects the environmental abnormality of the equipment by determining a separation distance between the equipment identified in the equipment identification step. A facility inspection support method comprising:

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