Robotic vehicles and inspection equipment

Abstract

To improve convenience. [Solution] The robot vehicle is equipped with a suction part 223 that can adhere to the wall surface to be worked on, a robot vehicle body 22 that can travel on the wall surface, and a release device 26 that allows the robot vehicle body 22 that has adhered to the wall surface to be detached from the wall surface. The release device 26 is provided on the bottom surface of the robot vehicle body 22 and is equipped with a first bag 261 that expands when fluid is injected, and the expansion of the first bag 261 allows the robot vehicle body 22 that has adhered to the wall surface to be detached from the wall surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot vehicle and an inspection device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, robot vehicles that perform various tasks by traveling on the wall surface of a large structure while adsorbing to the wall surface are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the robot vehicle described in Patent Document 1, by operating a fan, the air pressure in the space between the robot vehicle and the wall surface is reduced, so that the robot vehicle is adsorbed to the wall surface.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, as an adsorption method to a wall surface, in addition to the adsorption method using a fan described in Patent Document 1, there are adsorption methods that do not require control, for example, an adsorption method using a permanent magnet. In the case of such an adsorption method that does not require control, when the robot vehicle becomes unable to travel, the adsorbed state of the robot vehicle to the wall surface is maintained, so that the robot vehicle is left behind on the wall surface. Therefore, there is a demand for a technology that can recover a robot vehicle that has become unable to travel and can improve convenience.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a robot vehicle and an inspection device that can improve convenience.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the robot vehicle according to the present invention comprises a robot vehicle body equipped with an adsorption part that can adhere to a wall surface to be worked on, and capable of traveling on the wall surface, and a detachment device that allows the robot vehicle body, which has been adsorbed to the wall surface, to detach from the wall surface.

[0007] Furthermore, in the robot vehicle according to the present invention, the detachment device is provided on the bottom surface of the robot vehicle body and includes a first bag that expands when fluid is injected, and the expansion of the first bag allows the robot vehicle body, which is adsorbed to the wall surface, to detach from the wall surface.

[0008] Furthermore, the robot vehicle according to the present invention further includes a shock-absorbing device provided on the robot vehicle body to mitigate impacts applied to the robot vehicle body.

[0009] Furthermore, in the robot vehicle according to the present invention, the shock absorber comprises a second bag provided on the outer surface of the robot vehicle body, which expands when fluid is injected, and the expansion of the second bag reduces the impact applied to the robot vehicle body.

[0010] Furthermore, the inspection device according to the present invention comprises a robot vehicle according to the above invention and an operating device that is wirelessly connected to the robot vehicle and outputs an operating signal for operating the robot vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the robotic vehicle and inspection device can improve convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the inspection target of the inspection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inspection device. [Figure 3]Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a robot vehicle body. [Figure 4] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a robot vehicle body. [Figure 5] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a robot vehicle body. [Figure 6] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a robot vehicle body. [Figure 7] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a recovery method for a robot vehicle. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, in the description of the drawings, the same portions are denoted by the same reference symbols.

[0014] [Inspection Object] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an inspection object of an inspection apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. In Fig. 1, the vertical axis is defined as the Z axis, and two axes orthogonal to the Z axis are defined as the X axis and the Y axis, respectively. First, before describing the configuration of the inspection apparatus 1, the inspection object will be described. Fig. 1 shows a wind power generation facility 100. This wind power generation facility 100 includes a main tower 101, a nacelle 102, a hub 103, and wind turbine blades 104.

[0015] The main tower 101 is a columnar structure with a substantially circular cross-section that extends upward from the ground surface.

[0016] The nacelle 102 is attached to the upper portion of the main tower 101 so as to be rotatable about the Z axis (rotatable in a horizontal plane).

[0017] The hub 103 is pivotally supported by the nacelle 102 via a main shaft (not shown) extending along a horizontal plane (XY plane). A plurality of wind turbine blades 104 are provided, each extending radially from the hub 103 and being portions that receive wind.

[0018] Further, although not specifically illustrated, the nacelle 102 houses the above-mentioned main shaft, a step-up gear that increases the rotational speed of the main shaft to the rotational speed required for a generator, a generator that generates electric power using the rotational force increased by the step-up gear, and the like. Electricity generated by the generator is transmitted to a power transmission system through a conducting wire in the main tower 101.

[0019] The inspection targets of the inspection device 1 according to the present embodiment are the main tower 101 and the wind turbine blade 104 in the wind power generation facility 100 described above.

[0020] [Configuration of Inspection Device] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inspection device 1. The inspection device 1 is a device that inspects the main tower 101 and the wind turbine blade 104 that are inspection targets. As shown in FIG. 2, this inspection device 1 includes a robot vehicle 2 and an operating device 3.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the robot vehicle 2 includes a first power source 21, a robot vehicle main body 22, an inspection tool 23, a first control device 24, a second power source 25, a detachment device 26, a shock absorber 27, and a second control device 28.

[0022] The first power source 21 is mounted on the robot vehicle main body 22, and is a power source that supplies electric power required for operations of the robot vehicle main body 22, the inspection tool 23, and the first control device 24.

[0023] Figures 3 to 6 illustrate the configuration of the robot vehicle body 22. Specifically, Figure 3 is a bottom view of the robot vehicle body 22. Figure 4 is a front view of the robot vehicle body 22 (viewed from the direction along the Z-axis). Figure 5 is a side view of the robot vehicle body 22. Figure 6 is a top view of the robot vehicle body 22. For the sake of explanation, Figures 3 to 6 show the first bag 261 constituting the release device 26 and the second bag 271 constituting the cushioning device 27 in an inflated state.

[0024] The robot vehicle body 22 is a robot vehicle in which crawlers 222 (Figure 3), driven by a drive unit 221 (Figure 2) such as a motor, are provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle. Furthermore, permanent magnets 223 (Figure 3) are provided on the bottom surface of the robot vehicle body 22 that are attracted to the wall surface of the main tower 101 by magnetic force. These permanent magnets 223 correspond to the attraction part according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the permanent magnets 223 are composed of ring magnets that rotate around a central axis extending in the left-right direction in Figure 3. Also in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, a pair of permanent magnets 223 facing each other on either side of the crawler 222 are provided at the four corners of the bottom surface. The robot vehicle body 22 is attracted to the wall surface of the main tower 101 by the permanent magnets 223 and is able to travel along the wall surface along the extending direction (Z-axis direction) of the main tower 101 by the drive of the pair of crawlers 222. Furthermore, the robot vehicle body 22 can also turn left or right on the wall surface of the main tower 101 by setting the rotation speeds of the pair of crawlers 222 to be different.

[0025] The inspection tool 23 is mounted on the robot vehicle body 22 and is a tool for inspecting the main tower 101 and the wind turbine blades 104. In this embodiment, the inspection tool 23 consists of two cameras: a first camera for photographing the wall surface of the main tower 101 and a second camera for photographing the wind turbine blades 104. However, the inspection tool 23 may be composed of a single camera if the field of view can be changed. Furthermore, the inspection tool 23 is not limited to cameras; other components, such as ultrasonic sensors, may also be used.

[0026] The first control device 24 is mounted on the robot vehicle body 22 and controls the operation of the robot vehicle body 22 and the inspection tool 23. As shown in Figure 2, the first control device 24 includes a first communication unit 241, a first storage unit 242, and a first processor 243.

[0027] The first communication unit 241, under the control of the first processor 243, is wirelessly connected to the operating device 3 and receives the first operating signal, which will be described later, transmitted from the operating device 3.

[0028] The first memory unit 242 stores various programs executed by the first processor 243, as well as data necessary for the first processor 243 to perform processing.

[0029] The first processor 243 is implemented by a controller such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs stored in the first memory unit 242, thereby controlling the operation of the robot vehicle body 22 and the inspection tool 23. The first processor 243 is not limited to a CPU or MPU; it may also be composed of integrated circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0030] The second power supply 25 is mounted on the robot vehicle body 22 and supplies the power necessary for the operation of the release device 26, the shock absorber 27, and the second control device 28.

[0031] The detachment device 26 is mounted on the robot vehicle body 22 and, under the control of the second control device 28, is a device that detaches the robot vehicle body 22, which is adsorbed to the wall surface of the main tower 101, from the wall surface. This detachment device 26 comprises a first bag 261 (Figures 3 to 5), a first cylinder 262 (Figures 4 and 5), and a drive unit 263 (Figure 2).

[0032] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the first bag 261 is provided on the bottom surface of the robot vehicle body 22 and expands when a fluid (gas in this embodiment) is injected. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the first bag 261 is positioned on the bottom surface of the robot vehicle body 22, between a pair of crawlers 222, and extends in the front-rear direction (up-down direction in Figure 3) of the robot vehicle body 22. Although not specifically shown in the illustration, in a compressed state without gas injection, the first bag 261 does not protrude from the pair of crawlers 222 or the permanent magnet 223; that is, it does not come into contact with the wall surface of the main tower 101 when the robot vehicle body 22 is attracted to the wall surface. On the other hand, in an expanded state with gas injection, the first bag 261 protrudes from the pair of crawlers 222 and the permanent magnet 223. In other words, when the first bag 261 expands while the robot vehicle body 22 is attached to the wall surface of the main tower 101, the robot vehicle body 22 will detach from the wall surface due to the expansion of the first bag 261. Note that the shape of the first bag 261 in the expanded state is not limited to the rectangular parallelepiped shape shown in Figures 3 to 5, but may be configured to be any other shape.

[0033] The first cylinder 262 is a cylinder containing the gas to be injected into the first bag 261. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, this first cylinder 262 is in communication with the first bag 261 via a flow path 2621.

[0034] The drive unit 263 is composed of a motor or the like and operates an on-off valve (not shown) provided in the flow path 2621 under the control of the second control device 28. The on-off valve is a valve that switches between a closed state and an open state. The closed state is a state in which the flow path 2621 is closed and the injection of gas from the first cylinder 262 to the first bag 261 via the flow path 2621 is prohibited. The open state is a state in which the flow path 2621 is opened and the injection of gas from the first cylinder 262 to the first bag 261 via the flow path 2621 is permitted.

[0035] The shock absorber 27 is mounted on the robot vehicle body 22 and, under the control of the second control device 28, is a device that mitigates the impact applied to the robot vehicle body 22. This shock absorber 27 comprises a second bag 271 (Figures 3 to 6), a second cylinder 272 (Figures 4 and 5), and a drive unit 273 (Figure 2).

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the second bag 271 is provided to cover the entire outer surface of the robot vehicle body 22 except for the bottom surface, and expands when a fluid (gas in this embodiment) is injected. When the second bag 271 is in an expanded state due to the injection of gas, it works together with the expanded first bag 261 to mitigate the impact when the robot vehicle body 22 falls after detaching from the wall surface of the main tower 101. The placement of the second bag 271 is not limited to the position that covers the entire outer surface of the robot vehicle body 22 except for the bottom surface as shown in Figures 3 to 6, but may be placed at any other position on the outer surface of the robot vehicle body 22.

[0037] The second cylinder 272 is a cylinder containing gas to be injected into the second bag 271. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, this second cylinder 272 is in communication with the second bag 271 via a flow path 2721.

[0038] The drive unit 273 is composed of a motor or the like and operates an on-off valve (not shown) provided in the flow path 2721 under the control of the second control device 28. The on-off valve is a valve that switches between a closed state and an open state. The closed state is a state in which the flow path 2721 is closed and the injection of gas from the second cylinder 272 to the second bag 271 via the flow path 2721 is prohibited. The open state is a state in which the flow path 2721 is opened and the injection of gas from the second cylinder 272 to the second bag 271 via the flow path 2721 is permitted.

[0039] The second control device 28 is mounted on the robot vehicle body 22 and controls the operation of the release device 26 and the shock absorber 27. As shown in Figure 2, the second control device 28 includes a second communication unit 281, a second storage unit 282, and a second processor 283.

[0040] The second communication unit 281, under the control of the second processor 283, is wirelessly connected to the operating device 3 and receives the second operating signal, which will be described later, transmitted from the operating device 3.

[0041] The second memory unit 282 stores various programs executed by the second processor 283, as well as data necessary for the second processor 283 to perform processing.

[0042] The second processor 283 is implemented by a controller such as a CPU or MPU executing various programs stored in the second memory unit 282, and controls the operation of the release device 26 and the buffer device 27. The second processor 283 is not limited to a CPU or MPU; it may also be composed of integrated circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0043] The operating device 3 is an operating device that receives user input and operates the robot vehicle 2. As shown in Figure 2, the operating device 3 comprises first and second operating units 31 and 32, a communication unit 33, a storage unit 34, and a processor 35.

[0044] The first operation unit 31 is composed of buttons, switches, etc., and receives user operations for driving the robot vehicle body 22, operating the inspection tool 23, and restarting the robot vehicle 2. The first operation unit 31 then outputs a first operation signal to the processor 35 in accordance with the user operation.

[0045] The second operating unit 32 is composed of buttons, switches, etc., and receives user input to operate the release device 26 and the buffer device 27. The second operating unit 32 then outputs a second operation signal to the processor 35 in response to the user input.

[0046] The communication unit 33, under the control of the processor 35, wirelessly connects to the robot vehicle 2 (first and second communication units 241, 281) and transmits first and second operation signals to the robot vehicle 2.

[0047] The memory unit 34 stores various programs executed by the processor 35, as well as data necessary for the processor 35 to perform processing.

[0048] The processor 35 is realized by a controller such as a CPU or MPU executing various programs stored in the memory unit 34. The processor 35 then controls the operation of the communication unit 33 in response to user input to the first operation unit 31, causing the first operation signal output from the first operation unit 31 to be transmitted to the robot vehicle 2 (first communication unit 241). The processor 35 also controls the operation of the communication unit 33 in response to user input to the second operation unit 32, causing the second operation signal output from the second operation unit 32 to be transmitted to the robot vehicle 2 (second communication unit 281). Note that the processor 35 is not limited to a CPU or MPU, but may also be composed of integrated circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0049] [Method for recovering robotic vehicles] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the method for recovering the robot vehicle 2. First, the operator operates the first control unit 31 to move the robot vehicle body 22 along the wall surface of the main tower 101 (step S1).

[0050] After step S1, the operator determines whether the robot vehicle body 22 is in a state where it will not move even when the first operating unit 31 is operated (hereinafter referred to as the "immobile state") (step S2).

[0051] If the decision in process S2 is "No", the operator proceeds to process S1 and continues moving the robot vehicle body 22.

[0052] On the other hand, if the decision in step S2 is "Yes", the operator restarts the robot vehicle 2 by operating the first control unit 31 (step S3).

[0053] After step S3, the operator determines whether or not they were able to resume the movement of the robot vehicle body 22 in response to the operation of the first control unit 31 (step S4).

[0054] If the operator determines "Yes" in process S4, the operator proceeds to process S1 and continues moving the robot vehicle body 22.

[0055] On the other hand, if the decision in step S4 is "No", the worker will inform people around the main tower 101 that the robot vehicle 2 will be dropped (step S5).

[0056] After step S5, the operator operates the second operating unit 32 (step S6). This activates the release device 26, causing the first bag 261 to inflate and the robot vehicle body 22, which was adhering to the wall surface of the main tower 101, to detach from the wall surface (step S7). After step S7, the cushioning device 27 is activated, causing the second bag 271 to inflate, and the impact of the robot vehicle body 22 falling is mitigated by the inflated first and second bags 261 and 271 (step S8). Through the above process, robot vehicle 2 is recovered.

[0057] According to the embodiment described above, the following effects are achieved. The robot vehicle 2 according to this embodiment includes a robot vehicle body 22 that can travel on the wall surface of the main tower 101 while adhering to the wall surface, and a detachment device 26 that allows the robot vehicle body 22, which is adhering to the wall surface, to detach from the wall surface. Therefore, according to the robot vehicle 2 of this embodiment, the robot vehicle body 22, which has become immobile, can be detached from the wall surface of the main tower 101 by the detachment device 26, and the robot vehicle 2 can be recovered, thereby improving convenience.

[0058] Furthermore, in the robot vehicle 2 according to this embodiment, the detachment device 26 is provided on the bottom surface of the robot vehicle body 22 and includes a first bag 261 that expands when fluid is injected. The detachment device 26 allows the robot vehicle body 22, which is adsorbed to the wall surface of the main tower 101, to detach from the wall surface by the expansion of the first bag 261. Therefore, the robot vehicle body 22 can be detached from the wall surface of the main tower 101 with a simple configuration, and the first bag body 261 can be given a function to mitigate the impact when the robot vehicle body 22 falls.

[0059] Furthermore, the robot vehicle 2 according to this embodiment is further equipped with a shock absorber 27 provided on the robot vehicle body 22 to mitigate impacts applied to the robot vehicle body 22. The shock absorber 27 is provided on the outer surface of the robot vehicle body 22 and includes a second bag 271 that expands when fluid is injected, and the expansion of the second bag 271 mitigates the impact when the robot vehicle body 22 falls. Therefore, the shock absorber 27 can mitigate the impact of the fall after the robot vehicle body 22 has detached, allowing the robot vehicle body 22 to be reused and improving convenience.

[0060] (Other embodiments) While embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described so far, the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above. In the embodiment described above, a gas was used as the fluid injected into the first and second bags 261 and 271, but it is not limited to a gas; a liquid may also be used. Furthermore, the liquid may include a gel.

[0061] In the embodiment described above, a suction method using a permanent magnet 223 was adopted as the suction method (suction part according to the present invention) for the robot vehicle body 22 to the main tower 101. However, other suction methods that do not require control may be adopted, such as a suction method using an adhesive (see, for example, "Journal of the Robotics Society of Japan Vol. 14 No. 1 pp. 150~153, 1996").

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the release device 26 and the cushioning device 27 are not limited to the configuration described in the above-described embodiment; configurations using springs or the like may also be adopted.

[0063] In the embodiment described above, the inspection target of the inspection device 1 is not limited to the main tower 101 or the wind turbine blades 104, but may also be large structures such as bridges, buildings, tunnels, large tanks, or ships. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1. Inspection device 2 Robot Vehicles 3 Operating device 21. First power supply 22 Robot vehicle body 23 Inspection Tools 24 First control device 25. Second power supply 26 Detachable device 27 Shock absorber 28 Second control device 31 First operating section 32 Second operating section 33 Communications Department 34 Storage section 35 processors 100 Wind power generation facilities 101 Main tower 102 Nacer 103 Hub 104 Wind turbine blades 221 Drive unit 222 Crawler 223 Permanent Magnet 241 First Communications Department 242 First Memory Unit 243 First processor 261 First sac 262 First cylinder 263 Drive unit 271 Second sac 272 Second cylinder 273 Drive unit 281 Second Communications Department 282 Second Memory Unit 283 Second processor 2621,2721 channels

Claims

1. A robot vehicle body equipped with a suction part that can adhere to the wall surface to be worked on, and capable of traveling on the wall surface, A robot vehicle comprising a detachment device that allows the robot vehicle body, which is adsorbed to the wall surface, to detach from the wall surface.

2. The aforementioned detachment device is The robot vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a first bag provided on the bottom surface of the robot vehicle body which expands by the injection of fluid, wherein the robot vehicle body which is adsorbed to the wall surface can be detached from the wall surface by the expansion of the first bag.

3. The robot vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a shock absorber provided on the robot vehicle body for mitigating impacts applied to the robot vehicle body.

4. The aforementioned buffer device, The robot vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a second bag provided on the outer surface of the robot vehicle body, which expands upon injection of fluid, and the expansion of the second bag mitigates the impact applied to the robot vehicle body.

5. A robot vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, An inspection device comprising an operating device that is wirelessly connected to the robot vehicle and outputs operation signals for operating the robot vehicle.

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