Method and robotic vehicle for automatically mapping radiation in parts of a building

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for automatically mapping radiation in part of a building (7) and / or part of a transport using a robotic vehicle (1), wherein part of the building and / or transport includes a plurality of surfaces (9, 10), and the method is as follows: to obtain a 3D map (42) (1010) of part of the building (7) and / or part of the transport, wherein the 3D map (42) includes a plurality of segments (44), each representing a surface (9, 10) of the building and / or transport. Applying multiple sectors that form a sector grid to each segment, Each sector has a boundary; the robot vehicle physically marks at least a portion of the boundary of each sector (46) with paint on the corresponding surface (9, 10); and measures the radiation within a sector by mapping the radiation for one or more sectors (46) by scanning each sector of one or more sectors with a radiation sensor (28) on the robot vehicle. The method further includes: rendering at least one 3D image based on at least a portion of the 3D map; transmitting at least one rendered 3D image to at least one screen (62, 66) of a remotely located virtual reality system from the robot vehicle; detecting a command from a command device (64) of the virtual reality system (60); transmitting the command to the robot vehicle; and operating the robot vehicle in response to the command.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for automatically mapping radiation in a part of a building using a robotic vehicle.

[0002] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a robotic vehicle for automatically mapping radiation in a part of a building.

Background Art

[0003] When decommissioning a nuclear power plant, it is necessary to measure and map the radiation of walls and equipment in all rooms. In some cases, it may even be necessary to measure the walls and equipment multiple times. Conventionally, humans have performed this task. However, in such tasks, the risk of radiation exposure and contamination may increase.

[0004] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 110231642 discloses a method for constructing a radiation field map. For that purpose, a video image of radiation is taken. Furthermore, positioning mapping is performed. This information is fused to obtain a radiation field map.

[0005] U.S. Patent No. 5936240 discloses a mobile robot system for performing a radiation survey for mapping alpha rays, beta rays, and gamma rays on a surface. For that purpose, the robot includes a LIDAR system for navigation. Radiation data is collected and mapped, and real-time printing of a floor contamination map is provided.

[0006] European Patent Application Publication No. 542561 discloses a radiation mapping system using a mobile robotic vehicle. The radiation mapping system includes a radiation detection system attached to an L-shaped structure that can be moved using a motor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 110231642 Specification [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 5936240 [Patent Document 3] European Patent Application Publication No. 542561 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to improve existing systems, and in particular to provide a system and method that can provide reliable and verifiable results. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one embodiment, a method for automatically mapping radiation in part of a building and / or part of a transport using a robotic vehicle, wherein part of the building and / or transport includes multiple surfaces, and the method is Obtaining a 3D map of part of a building and / or part of a transport, wherein the 3D map includes multiple segments, each representing the surface of the building and / or transport, Applying multiple sectors that form a sector grid to each segment, where each sector has a boundary, The robotic vehicle will physically mark at least a portion of the boundaries of each sector with paint on the corresponding surface, and To measure radiation within a sector, a robotic vehicle maps the radiation for one or more sectors by scanning each sector using radiation sensors. Includes, The method is further, Rendering at least one 3D image based on at least a portion of the 3D map. Sending at least one rendered 3D image from the robotic vehicle to at least one screen of a remotely positioned virtual reality system. Detecting commands from the command device of a virtual reality system. Transmitting commands to the robot vehicle, and Operating a robotic vehicle in response to commands. Includes.

[0010] Further embodiments may relate to one or more of the following features, which can be combined in any technically feasible combination: • At least one screen is either inside the goggles or projected onto the goggles; The robotic vehicle is equipped with radiation sensors for measuring radiation and multiple cameras and / or second sensors, one or more of which are adapted to provide data that enables the robotic vehicle to locate its position within the building and / or determine the distance to objects within the building, and to acquire a 3D map of parts of the building. Acquiring data from multiple cameras and / or a second sensor, This includes generating a 3D map of a part of the building from the acquired data, Images acquired by at least one camera are integrated into a 3D map, in particular by using visible light information or color information from images acquired by at least one camera to color each point in the point cloud used for segmentation and / or segment generation of the 3D map; The robot vehicle includes a manipulator arm having a proximal end and a distal end fixed to the main body of the robot vehicle, a sensor support device fixed to the distal end of the manipulator arm, and a radiation sensor for measuring radiation fixed to the sensor support device; The method further includes operating the manipulator arm of a robotic vehicle in response to commands; • Multiple cameras and / or second sensors are located on the main unit and / or sensor support device; The method further includes acquiring at least one image of a surface by a robotic vehicle, determining the boundaries of sectors on the surface based on the acquired image, and moving the robotic vehicle and / or the manipulator arm of the robotic vehicle based on the determined boundaries during scanning with radiation sensors; The method further includes scanning each sector with radiation sensors using a robotic vehicle for one or more sectors and measuring the radiation within that sector; • Radiation for one or more sectors is automatically mapped; The method further includes physically marking with paint the points on the surface within each scanned sector that have the highest measured radiation levels within that sector; The method further includes digitally marking the sector grid on a 3D map; The method further includes determining whether the radiation exceeds a predetermined radiation dose, and if the radiation exceeds the predetermined radiation dose, physically marking the sector on the surface by applying paint thereon; Each sector is marked with an identifier using paint applied to its surface by a robotic vehicle; The method further includes displaying the measured radiation on a 3D map; The method further includes using a robotic vehicle to collect surface samples within at least one sector, particularly at the point within that sector where the measured radiation dose is highest; • Physical marking is performed by spraying paint onto the surface.

[0011] In another embodiment, a system for a robotic vehicle is provided for automatically mapping radiation in part of a building and / or part of a transport, wherein part of the building and / or transport includes multiple surfaces, and the robotic vehicle Main unit, A movement mechanism adapted to move a robotic vehicle on a rough surface including a step difference, A radiation sensor for measuring radiation, A spray nozzle, including, The system further includes a remote controller and a command device disposed remotely from the robotic vehicle, and the remote controller and / or the robotic vehicle are adapted to obtain a 3D map of a part of a building, the 3D map including a plurality of segments, each representing a surface of the building and / or a conveyance, The system is adapted to apply a plurality of sectors forming a grid of sectors to each segment, each sector having a boundary, The robotic vehicle is adapted to physically mark at least a part of the boundary of each sector with paint on the corresponding surface, In this system, The remote controller is adapted to render a 3D image to be displayed on at least one screen based on a part of the 3D map and transmit the rendered 3D image to at least one screen, The command device is adapted to transmit a command to the remote controller, the remote controller is adapted to transmit the command to the robotic vehicle, and the robotic vehicle is adapted to operate in response to the command.

[0012] Further embodiments may relate to one or more of the following features, and these features can be combined in any technically feasible combination: The robotic vehicle is further equipped with multiple cameras and / or second sensors, one or more of which are adapted to provide data that enables the robotic vehicle to locate its position within the building and / or determine the distance to objects within the building; the robotic vehicle's remote controller and / or internal controller is adapted to acquire data from the multiple cameras and / or second sensors and generate a 3D map of parts of the building based on the acquired data; The robotic vehicle further comprises at least one manipulator arm having multiple parts, the parts being connected to adjacent parts by rotatable joints having one or more joint motors, the manipulator arm having a proximal end and a distal end, a sensor support device fixed to the distal end of the manipulator arm, and a radiation sensor and a spray nozzle for measuring radiation fixed to the sensor support device; • Multiple cameras and / or second sensors are located on the main unit and / or sensor support device; The robotic vehicle is adapted to move its manipulator arm in response to commands; • The control device is either a handheld device or an operator; The locomotion mechanism has at least two legs and / or wheels; • The distal end of the manipulator arm has 6 or more degrees of freedom; • The spray nozzle is connected to the pressurized paint tank and fluid; The robotic vehicle is equipped with a radiation sensor and at least one distance control device adapted to control the distance between the radiation sensor and the surface to be measured, in particular the surface of buildings and / or transported goods; The distance control device comprises at least three stoppers fixed to the radiation sensor and / or spray nozzle, the distal ends of the at least three stoppers extending into a plane at a predetermined distance from the radiation sensor, in particular the sensor measurement direction being perpendicular to the plane, and each stopper having a roller or caster wheel at its distal end; • The distance control device includes at least one distance sensor and / or at least one internal controller in the sensor support device, the internal controller being adapted to associate the distance determined between the robot vehicle and the surface using multiple cameras and / or sensors, and to estimate the distance between the radiation sensor and the surface based on data from one or more sensors and / or joint motors of the manipulator arm; and / or The robotic vehicle is adapted to acquire at least one image of a surface using multiple cameras and / or sensors, determine the boundaries of sectors on the surface based on the acquired image, and move the robotic vehicle and / or the robotic vehicle's manipulator arm based on the determined boundaries during scanning with radiation sensors.

[0013] Further advantages, features, embodiments, and details are evident from the dependent claims, specification, and drawings.

[0014] The attached drawings relate to embodiments of the present invention, which are described below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This shows a robotic vehicle according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram outlines a system according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This shows the manipulator arm of a robotic vehicle. [Figure 4] This diagram schematically shows the distal end of the manipulator arm of a robotic vehicle. [Figure 5] This shows a front view of the distal end of the manipulator arm of a robotic vehicle. [Figure 6] This provides a schematic overview of the marking system used by robotic vehicles. [Figure 7] This shows a schematic representation of the created virtual map. [Figure 8] The image shows walls and floors with a grid applied. [Figure 9] A flowchart of the method according to one embodiment is shown. [Figure 10] This diagram schematically illustrates a system for automatically mapping radiation levels in parts of a building using a robotic vehicle. [Figure 11] This provides a schematic overview of the virtual reality system. [Figure 12] A schematic flowchart of one embodiment of the method according to the present invention is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Figure 1 shows a robotic vehicle 1. The robotic vehicle 1 comprises a body 3. Multiple cameras and / or sensors 5 are positioned on the body 3. The cameras and sensors 5 are used to acquire a 3D map of a portion of a building 7. For example, multiple cameras and / or sensors 5 are scanning the environment of the robotic vehicle 1. The portion of the building 7 includes building surfaces 9, 10, in particular substantially flat surfaces. The building surfaces 9, 10 may include floors 9 and / or one or more walls 10.

[0017] Multiple cameras and / or sensors 5 are positioned on the main body 3 to acquire information about the near and far environments of the robot vehicle 1.

[0018] In some embodiments, building 7 is a building of a nuclear power plant.

[0019] In some embodiments, instead of, or in addition to, a portion of the building 7, a transport (not shown) is mapped by a robotic vehicle and a 3D map is obtained. A transport is an object in which contaminants can be transported. For example, a transport has a transport capacity of several cubic meters, e.g., at least 15 cubic meters, and especially at least 30 cubic meters. An example of a transport is a 20-foot container. For example, a transport has multiple substantially flat surfaces. Therefore, the following description applies not only to the portion of the building and each surface of the building, but also to the transport and each surface of the transport.

[0020] Multiple cameras and / or sensors 5 are used to determine the position of the robot vehicle within the building 7 and / or the distance to objects within the building 7, or within or around the transported object. According to the embodiment, the cameras and / or sensors 5 are adapted to provide data that enables the determination of the position of the robot vehicle 1, particularly within the building 7, in relation to, for example, the building surface, the transported object surface, or objects within the building 7.

[0021] For example, at least one of the multiple cameras and / or sensors 5 is a LIDAR (Light amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation detection and ranging) sensor. The output of the LIDAR sensor can be used to calculate the distance between itself (the robot vehicle 1) and the surrounding building surfaces 9, 10, particularly the wall 10 and / or the surface of the transported object. In some embodiments, another camera among the multiple cameras and / or sensors 5 takes pictures of the environment near the robot vehicle 1. The camera may also be used to determine distances, for example, taking into account the distance traveled by the robot vehicle 1.

[0022] Furthermore, the robot vehicle 1 includes a mobility mechanism 12. The mobility mechanism 12 is provided for moving the robot vehicle within the building 7 and / or transported object. The mobility mechanism 12 is adapted to move the robot vehicle 1 into an area that includes a step. The step may have a height of at least 10 cm, and in particular at least 15 cm.

[0023] The moving mechanism 12 has at least two legs and / or wheels. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the moving mechanism has four legs. In some embodiments, each leg may have at least one wheel, in particular two wheels. The wheels can be moved forward.

[0024] However, other configurations are also possible. For example, the mobility mechanism 12 may have front legs and rear legs, each with two wheels.

[0025] The mobility mechanism may enable the robot vehicle 1 to move autonomously within a portion of the building 7. In some embodiments, the movement of the robot vehicle 1 is controlled using a remote controller.

[0026] Furthermore, a manipulator arm 14 is connected to the main body 3. The manipulator arm 14 comprises several parts, particularly elongated. Each part is connected to an adjacent part by a rotatable joint having one or more articulated motors. Each part may also have at least one end that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the respective part. Furthermore, the manipulator arm 14 may include one or more sensors for detecting the movement and / or positioning of different parts, particularly relative to each other.

[0027] The manipulator arm 14 has a proximal end 16 and a distal end 18. The proximal end 16 is rotatably fixed to the main body 3, particularly around an axis perpendicular to the upper surface of the main body 3. For example, the proximal end is rotatable from -150 degrees to 180 degrees relative to the main body.

[0028] In other words, the manipulator arm 14 can rotate its distal end 18 with six or more degrees of freedom.

[0029] Figure 2 shows a system including a remote controller 20 and a robot vehicle 1. The robot vehicle 1 includes at least one internal controller 22 and a wireless communication device 24. At least one internal controller 22 is adapted to control the movement of the robot vehicle 1 and the manipulator arm 14.

[0030] The remote controller 20 is, for example, a computer with a wireless communication device. The remote controller 20 may have a display for showing the environment of the robot vehicle 1. For example, at least one internal controller 22 is adapted to transmit information acquired by multiple cameras and / or sensors 5 to the remote controller 20.

[0031] Furthermore, at least one internal controller 22 and / or remote controller 20 are adapted to create a 3D (three-dimensional) map of the building 7 and / or at least a portion of the transported objects, using data particularly from the moving mechanism 12 provided by multiple cameras and / or sensors 5.

[0032] For example, as will be explained later, parts of building 7 (or all of building 7) and / or transported goods are scanned using multiple cameras and / or sensors 5 while the robotic vehicle 1 moves within the building or part of building 7.

[0033] As can be seen in Figures 1 and 3, the sensor support device 26 is fixed to the distal end 18 of the manipulator arm 14. The sensor support device 26 is adapted by the manipulator arm 14 to move toward and toward the building surfaces 9, 10, in particular the walls 10 and / or floor 9 of the building 7, and / or the surface of the transported object.

[0034] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, a radiation sensor 28 and a spray nozzle 30 for measuring radiation are fixed to a sensor support device 26. The radiation measured by the radiation sensor 28 is, for example, alpha rays, beta rays, and gamma rays.

[0035] In some embodiments, the radiation sensor 28 is connected to a signal processing circuit (not shown) fixed to the body 3 of the robot vehicle. The signal processing circuit is adapted to provide the measured signal to at least one internal controller 22 and / or remote controller 20.

[0036] According to embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, a plurality of stoppers 32 are fixed to a sensor support device 26. The stoppers 32 are fixed to the radiation sensor 28 and / or spray nozzle 30. In some embodiments, the stoppers 32 may be equipped with rollers or caster wheels at their distal ends. Figure 5 shows four stoppers 32. However, it is also possible to use three or more stoppers 32. The stoppers 32, in particular the distal ends of the stoppers, extend into a plane at a predetermined distance from the radiation sensor 28. For example, the sensor measurement direction X of the radiation sensor 28 is perpendicular to the plane from which the stoppers extend.

[0037] The stoppers 32 are provided on each side of the sensor support device 26 in relation to the measurement direction X of the radiation sensor 28. In some embodiments, the stoppers 32 are at least 5 cm, and in particular at least 10 cm, apart from each other.

[0038] When the sensor support device 26 is pressed by the manipulator arm 14 against the building surface and / or the transported object surface, such as the wall 10 or floor 9, the stopper 32 leans against each of the surfaces 9, 10, thereby ensuring that the radiation sensor 28 is within a defined relationship, in particular a predetermined distance, to each of the surfaces 9, 10 to be measured.

[0039] Therefore, the stopper 32 forms a distance control device that enables the robot vehicle to position the radiation sensor 28 at a predetermined distance from the building surfaces 9 and 10.

[0040] Alternatively or additionally, at least one distance sensor, particularly non-contact or mechanical, can be used. The distance sensor may be inductive, capacitive, laser, microwave, or other types, capable of measuring distances of several centimeters with sub-millimeter accuracy. For example, each distance sensor provides its measurement result to at least one internal controller 22. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, two, three, or more distance sensors are used. For example, in such a case, the distance sensors are at least 5 cm, particularly at least 10 cm, between them.

[0041] In addition to or alternative to at least one distance sensor, at least one internal controller 22 may use information provided from the sensors and / or motors of the manipulator arm 14, particularly one or more joint motors, for example, calculations and / or movements of the manipulator arm, in particular in relation to the distance determined between the robot vehicle 1 and the building surface using multiple cameras and / or sensors 5, in order to estimate the precise distance between the radiation sensor 28 and each surface, for example, the building surfaces 9, 10 and / or transport surface, in addition to or alternative to at least one distance sensor, such as calculations and / or movements of the manipulator arm.

[0042] During operation, the manipulator arm 14 is controlled to maintain a predetermined distance between the radiation sensor 28 and the surface to be measured, such as the wall 10 and / or the floor 9. In such a case, at least one distance sensor and / or at least one internal controller 22 form a distance control device.

[0043] Therefore, the distance control device 32 enables the robot vehicle 1 to position the radiation sensor 28 at a predetermined distance from each surface, for example, the building surface 9, 10 and / or the transported object surface.

[0044] Figure 6 illustrates the spraying system of the robotic vehicle 1 in detail. The spray nozzle 30 is connected to a pressurized paint tank 34. The pressurized paint tank 34 is pressurized using compressed air from a compressed air tank 36. The spray system further includes a spray controller 38 that controls a valve in the spray nozzle 30, and a pressure reducing valve 40 located in the fluid connection between the compressed air tank 36 and the pressurized paint tank 34. The controllable pressure reducing valve 40 allows control of the pressure of the paint coming out of the nozzle.

[0045] In other words, the spray system is adapted to spray droplets of paint onto surfaces, particularly building surfaces 9, 10 and / or transport surfaces, such as walls 10 and / or floors 9. The number and speed of the droplets can be controlled using a spray controller 38. For example, the speed of the droplets is controlled by the pressure in the paint tank 34 and adapted to the distance between the building surfaces 9, 10 and the spray nozzles 30 and / or sensor support devices 26. The number of droplets depends on the speed of the spray nozzles 30 and / or sensor support devices 26 relative to the building surfaces 9, 10, and in particular parallel to each surface, such as the building surfaces and / or transport surfaces.

[0046] Therefore, using the manipulator arm 14 equipped with a spray nozzle 30, detailed patterns such as lines, dots, or letters can be sprayed onto a surface, such as a wall 10 and / or floor 9.

[0047] The spray direction of the spray nozzle 30 is preferably parallel to the measurement direction X of the radiation sensor 28.

[0048] At least one internal controller 22 and / or remote controller 20 is adapted to determine the distance between the spray nozzle 30 and the surface or target building surface 9, 10, based in particular on multiple sensors of the robot vehicle 1 and / or the camera 5 and / or sensors in the manipulator arm 14. Depending on the determined distance, the spray controller 38 controls the valve in the spray nozzle and / or the pressure in the paint tank 34.

[0049] According to several embodiments, the paint tank 34, spray controller 38, pressure reducing valve 40, and / or pressurized air tank 36 are fixed to the main body 3 of the robot vehicle 1. Thus, the weight that the manipulator arm 14 must move is reduced.

[0050] In some embodiments, a sample collection device can be fixed to the manipulator arm 14 in addition to or instead of the sensor support device 26. For example, the sample collection device may be a chisel and / or drill bit for creating a scratch sample, and the resulting dust is collected by a collection device, such as a suction device. In some embodiments, the sample collection device may include a gripping section.

[0051] The following describes the progress of the robot vehicle 1 and a method according to one embodiment. The method may be performed using or by the robot vehicle 1. In some embodiments, all steps are performed by at least one internal controller 22 of the robot vehicle, and in other embodiments, some of the steps are performed by at least one internal controller 22 and other parts of the steps are performed by one or more remote controllers 20. In other words, the method according to the embodiments disclosed herein is performed by a computer and, in particular, by one or more controllers which may be remote from one another.

[0052] In the first step 1010, the robotic vehicle 1 explores at least a portion of the building 7, scanning the building surfaces 9, 10, in particular the floor 9 and / or walls 10, using at least one sensor and / or camera 5. Alternatively or additionally, the robotic vehicle 1 explores at least a portion of the transported goods, scanning the surface of the transported goods using at least one sensor and / or camera 5. For example, data obtained by multiple sensors and / or cameras 5 is then used to generate a 3D map 42 of the building 7 and / or the transported goods. The 3D map 42 includes multiple segments 44. Each segment represents a flat section of the building surface and / or the transported goods surface. For example, each segment represents a flat section of the building surfaces 9, 10, in particular the walls 10 and / or floor 9. Figure 7 shows such an example of a virtual 3D map 42. In other words, in the first step 1010, a 3D map 42 of a portion of the building 7 is obtained. For example, SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) or CML (concurrent mapping and localization) algorithms may be used for this purpose.

[0053] In some embodiments, the robotic vehicle 1 can automatically explore the building 7 and / or at least part of the transported goods. In other embodiments, an operator guides the robotic vehicle 1 within the building 7 and / or at least part of the transported goods, for example, by using a remote controller 20. For example, a 3D map 42 of one or more rooms is obtained.

[0054] According to the embodiment, parts of buildings and / or transported goods are explored at least twice. This makes it possible to create a more accurate 3D map.

[0055] In step 1020, one or more segments 44 of the building 7 and / or transport are divided to form a grid of sectors, preferably of the same size. In other words, a grid of sectors 46 is applied to each segment 44. The multiple sectors 46 are adjacent to one another. In other words, each sector has at least one adjacent sector 46. The division is performed by a system according to the embodiments disclosed herein, particularly by an internal controller 22 and / or a remote controller 20.

[0056] For example, at least two sectors, particularly at least 50% of sector 46, have a predetermined size. For example, the predetermined size is 0.75m 2 ~1.5m 2 This corresponds to the wall surface and / or floor surface. In some embodiments, only the sectors at the boundaries of segment 44 have a size smaller than a given size. Typically, sectors 46 have a regular or rectangular shape. In some embodiments, a sector 46 of a given size has a square shape. In one embodiment, the square has a size corresponding to 1m x 1m on the building surface, here on the wall 10 and / or floor 9. In another embodiment, sectors 46 may have a hexagon or triangle. Figure 8 shows an example of a building 7 in which a grid of sectors 46 is applied to each segment, here on the wall 10 and floor 9.

[0057] Sector 46 is also stored in the 3D map 42 of the building 7 and / or the transport. For example, sector 46 may be stored in at least one internal controller 22 or remote controller 20. In one example, sector 46 may be digitally or virtually marked on the 3D map 42.

[0058] Next, the robotic vehicle 1 moves through the building 7 and / or the transported goods and physically marks the boundaries 48 of each sector 46 on their respective surfaces using paint. For example, the robotic vehicle 1 approaches the surfaces, e.g., the building surfaces 9, 10 and / or the transported goods surface, and uses a spray nozzle attached to the distal end of the manipulator arm 14 to mark at least the corners 50 of each sector 46 with paint. In one example, a "T", "+", or "L" symbol can be used, depending on the presence or absence of adjacent sectors. In other words, these symbols are used to physically mark the boundaries of sector 46. In other words, at least a portion of the boundary is physically marked. The physical marking is done in such a way that the entire boundary can be extrapolated from the physical marking.

[0059] In some embodiments, the entire boundary 48 of sector 46 is marked with paint on each surface, for example, the building surfaces 9, 10 and / or the transport surface. In other words, a continuous line of paint surrounds each sector 46 and forms the boundary 48.

[0060] The paint is applied to the building surfaces 9, 10 and / or transport surfaces, for example, at least one wall 10 and / or floor 9, so that the boundaries 48 marked on the building surfaces 9, 10 and / or transport surfaces correspond to the boundaries of sector 46 in the 3D map 42.

[0061] The marked boundaries 48 of sector 46 enable the robotic vehicle 1 to identify and locate each sector 46 with high precision in a later step. For example, the movement of the manipulator arm 14, particularly the sensor support device 26, is controlled based on the recognition of the marked boundaries 48 of sector 46 on the building surface and / or the transport surface.

[0062] According to some embodiments, each segment 46 is associated with a unique identifier 52, which is also stored in a 3D map and / or associated with each sector 46 of the 3D map 42. The identifier 52 may have one or more characters. In one embodiment, the robotic vehicle 1 also uses paint and a spray nozzle 30 to physically mark each sector 46 with its identifier 52.

[0063] In step 1030, the robot vehicle 1, the remote controller 20, or the operator selects one or more sectors 46 to map the radiation of one or more sectors 46. In some embodiments, all sectors 46 are automatically selected. The robot vehicle 1 moves its manipulator arm 14 to approach one of the selected sectors 46 so that the radiation sensor 28 maintains a predetermined distance from the surface of the sector 46.

[0064] For example, when using stoppers 32, the manipulator arm 14 is moved toward the building surfaces 9, 10 and / or the transport surfaces of the sector until each stopper 32 makes contact with its surface. This can be detected, for example, by determining the force applied to each joint motor of the manipulator arm 14.

[0065] According to the embodiment, the robot vehicle 1 uses the marked boundary 48 of sector 46 to precisely maneuver within a portion of the building 7 and / or to precisely move the manipulator arm 14, particularly for radiation measurement using the radiation sensor 28, as described below. Thus, the robot vehicle 1 can precisely maneuver within a portion of the transported goods.

[0066] Next, in step 1040, the manipulator arm 14 moves the radiation sensor 28 along the entire surface of each sector 46, and the measured radiation values ​​are recorded by at least one internal controller 22 and / or remote controller 20. In other words, the entire surface of each sector 46 is scanned using the radiation sensor 28. During this time, the stopper 32 remains on the surface of each sector 46, so that the radiation sensor 28 always maintains the same distance from the surface of the sector 46 being inspected. When using a distance sensor, the movement of the manipulator arm 14 is controlled so that the distance between the radiation sensor 38 and the surface of the sector 46 remains substantially constant.

[0067] For example, the robot vehicle 1 is configured to acquire at least one image of a surface 9, 10, such as a building surface or a transported object surface, determine the boundaries 48 of a sector 46 on the surfaces 9, 10 based on the acquired image, and move the robot vehicle 1 and / or the manipulator arm 14 of the robot vehicle 1 based on the determined boundaries 48 during scanning with the radiation sensor 28. For example, multiple sensors and / or cameras 5 may be used to acquire at least one image of each surface, such as a building surface or a transported object surface. The image may be an image containing depth information, such as an RGB-D image. At least one internal controller 22 and / or remote controller 20 can then use one or more image recognition algorithms to determine the sector boundaries 48 and their positions on the surfaces 9, 10, such as a building surface or a transported object surface and / or in relation to the robot vehicle 1.

[0068] In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, the measured radiation is displayed on a 3D map 42, for example, using a color code.

[0069] In step 1050, after the entire sector 46 has been scanned using the radiation sensor 28, the point 54 with the highest measured radiation dose within the sector 46 is determined. The robotic vehicle 1 is then instructed to mark the point 54 with paint, particularly by using the spray controller 38 and the spray nozzle 30. For example, the point 54 may be marked with dots or rectangles, particularly defining the border of the radiation measurements from the radiation sensor 28. In other words, for each sector 46, the point 54 with the highest measured radiation dose is physically marked. Optionally, in some embodiments, the point 54 is virtually marked on a 3D map 42.

[0070] If the manipulator arm 14 is equipped with a sample collection device at any step, a sample is collected, for example, at the point 54 with the highest radiation dose.

[0071] In some embodiments, once radiation measurements in sector 46 are completed, the robotic vehicle 1 can indicate that the sector has been completed. This can facilitate subsequent control by a human and / or collaborative work between humans and machines.

[0072] According to the present invention, radiation measurements of the robotic vehicle 1 can be manually verified. Therefore, radiation measurements performed by the robotic vehicle can be used for clearance measurements of parts of the building 7 and / or transported goods. In other words, radiation measurements can be used to verify that residual radiation does not exceed a predetermined level, especially before the building and / or transported goods are destroyed or otherwise used.

[0073] According to the present invention, the radiation dose to the person performing the measurement is reduced. Furthermore, by using the robotic vehicle 1, the time required to perform the measurement can be shortened. In addition, accuracy is increased because the robotic vehicle can utilize markings on the building surface for orientation.

[0074] According to some embodiments, a 3D map linked to radiation measurement results can be used for predicting radioactive contamination.

[0075] Figure 10 discloses a system for automatically mapping radiation in a building and / or a portion of a transported object using a robotic vehicle 1. The robotic vehicle is adapted to transmit 3D maps and / or sensor data to a remote controller 20. For example, sensor data is obtained from multiple cameras and / or sensors 5. For example, in the case of LiDAR, the sensor data corresponds to a point cloud, also known as a point cloud (PC). In one embodiment, the point cloud does not include visible light, such as color or texture information. A 3D map of at least a portion of the building 7 and / or transported object is generated in the robotic vehicle, for example, in an internal controller 22, or by the remote controller 20.

[0076] According to one embodiment, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, the remote controller 20 is located in an uncontaminated location, for example, in another part of a building or within another building.

[0077] As described above, a 3D map 42 is generated, which includes multiple segments 44, each representing a substantially flat section of the building surface 9, 10 and / or transport surface. For example, a point cloud is used to generate the flat segments 44 of the 3D map 42. If the 3D map 42 is generated by the internal controller 22 or the robotic vehicle, it is sent to the remote controller 20. If the 3D map 42 is generated by the remote controller 20, it may be sent to the robotic vehicle. In other words, the 3D map 42 is obtained.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the 3D map 42 is enhanced in quality using images acquired by the camera 5. The images are captured, for example, using wavelengths visible to humans. In other words, the images are integrated or combined into the 3D map 42 to improve human visible perception. For example, each point in the point cloud and / or segment 44 of the 3D map is colored using visible light information or color information from the images acquired by the camera 5. For example, the point cloud and / or segment 44 consequently have the correct visible light information within the 3D map. In one embodiment, the segment 44 of the 3D map 42 is visualized in a transparent manner. In such a case, the point cloud still represents the entire 3D map.

[0079] The remote controller 20 is further adapted to render a 3D image based on a portion of the 3D map 42. Rendering is the process of generating an image by extracting information from the 3D map and using geometry, lighting, and texture or other information to create a visual representation of the 3D map. For example, a virtual camera in the 3D map defines the position, orientation, and field of view of the viewpoint from which the scene to be created is rendered. The rendered 3D image may have its quality improved using further information, such as measured radiation and room size and / or images taken by camera 5. Alternatively or additionally, the rendered 3D image may have its quality improved using restricted areas for people / operators, information about recognized objects (e.g., those recognized by machine learning algorithms), object tags and annotations, and / or data from existing BIM (Building Information Modeling). The virtual camera of the rendered 3D image can be positioned at a desired point in the 3D map 42. For example, the virtual camera can be positioned above the robot vehicle, on the manipulator arm, on the body of the robot vehicle, or similar. According to the embodiment, the rendered 3D image is a stereo image.

[0080] The remote controller 20 is adapted to transmit the rendered 3D image to at least one virtual reality system 60. The virtual reality system 60 is adapted to show the 3D image to at least one person, for example, an operator.

[0081] According to one embodiment, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, the virtual reality system 60 is located in an uncontaminated location, for example, another part of a building or inside another building, while the robotic vehicle 1 is located in a potentially contaminated part of a building. Contaminated means that the part of the building is contaminated with radioactivity.

[0082] In particular, the virtual reality system 60 is located remotely from the robot vehicle 1.

[0083] Figure 11 shows one embodiment of the virtual reality system 60. The virtual reality system includes goggles 62 or glasses on which a 3D image is displayed on at least one screen. Thus, a person can obtain a 3D impression of the room in which the robot vehicle 1 is located. Alternatively or additionally, the (rendered) 3D image may be displayed on at least one monitor or at least one screen 66. Or, a video projector may be used.

[0084] In some embodiments, the 3D image shown to a person may depend on the orientation of the goggles and / or the person's movement, particularly head movement. Thus, a person wearing the goggles 62 will have the perception of being inside the building section where the robot vehicle is located. Furthermore, the person will be adapted to virtually walk through the building section where the robot is located. For this purpose, the goggles or glasses may include sensors for detecting the position of the goggles. Furthermore, the location or room where the virtual reality system 60 is installed may include sensors for detecting the person's movement. In other words, the position and orientation of the virtual camera for rendering the 3D image depends on the orientation and position of the goggles and / or the person.

[0085] The virtual reality system 60 further comprises at least one command device 64. Therefore, the command device is also located remotely from the robot vehicle. The command device 64 is located in an uncontaminated location, for example, another part of a building or inside another building, while the robot vehicle 1 is located in a potentially contaminated part of the building.

[0086] For example, the command device 64 may be a handheld device. The command device 64 may sense its orientation and / or position within a room. In another embodiment, the position or orientation of the command device 64 is sensed by a fixed sensing device.

[0087] In some embodiments, the command device 64 may include buttons. The command device is located in the same place as at least one screen 62, 66. For example, a person can use the command device 64 to give commands to the manipulator arm 14. In one embodiment, a person can control the robot vehicle 1 and the manipulator arm 14 using the sensor support device 28 and / or another device or tool attached to the manipulator arm 14, such as a sample collection device, to perform a special task (e.g., handling a complex object, performing a special observation not in the autonomy stack of the robot vehicle 1). In some embodiments, the measurement task for radiation measurement is fully autonomous, and only the initial visit by the robot vehicle to an unknown building or transport equipment section may be guided by a person or operator, and / or the definition of the work or task may be done by a person or operator. In one embodiment, the creation of the work or task must be initialized by a person or operator.

[0088] In other embodiments that can be combined with any embodiment disclosed herein, the fixed sensing device may sense the position and gestures of a person, or parts of a person, such as the head and / or hands. Thus, the person or operator corresponds to the control device.

[0089] The command device 64 is adapted to transmit commands to the remote controller 20 in response to the movement of the command device and / or the activation of buttons, commands. The remote controller 20 then transmits the commands received from the command device 64 to the robot vehicle 1. Upon receiving a command, the robot vehicle 1 operates in response to the received command. For example, in response to the received command, the manipulator arm and / or sensor support device 28 can be moved.

[0090] Figure 12 shows a flowchart of one embodiment of the method according to the present invention. In the first step 1100, a 3D map 42 of part of the building 7 and / or part of the transported goods is provided, in which the 3D map 42 includes a plurality of segments 44, each representing a substantially flat building surface.

[0091] In the next step 1110, multiple sectors are applied to each segment to form a sector grid. Each sector has a boundary 48. Furthermore, the robotic vehicle 1 physically marks the boundary of each sector on the corresponding building surface and / or transport surface using paint.

[0092] Next, in step 1120, the robotic vehicle scans each sector using radiation sensors to map the radiation for one or more sectors, particularly automatically, and measures the radiation within that sector.

[0093] Next, in step 1130, at least one 3D image is rendered based on at least a portion of the 3D map and transmitted from the robot vehicle 1 to at least one screen located remotely. Remote means that the robot vehicle 1 is located in a potentially contaminated part of the building, while the screen, for example, the screen of the virtual reality system 60, is located in a non-contaminated location, for example, another part of the building or inside another building.

[0094] In step 1140, for example, the remote controller 20 detects commands from the command device 64 of the virtual reality system 60 and transmits them to the robot vehicle 1. For example, the command device is adapted to transmit its position, orientation, or button activation to the remote controller 20. Alternatively or additionally, a fixed sensing device transmits the position and / or orientation of the command device 64 to the remote controller 20. The robot vehicle 1, in particular the manipulator arm 14, then operates in response to the commands. This makes it easier to control the robot vehicle when necessary, as it is controlled by the movement of its body.

[0095] The disclosure of the present invention relates to a robot configured to automatically map radiation inside a building, particularly inside a nuclear power plant building and / or transported goods. The robot comprises a plurality of sensors and cameras configured to acquire a 3D map of an area, a radiation sensor configured to measure radiation within the area under consideration, and a computing device configured to display the radiation measurements on the 3D map to obtain a 3D map of radiation levels within the area under consideration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1. Robot Vehicle 3 Main unit 5. Camera and / or sensor 7 Buildings 9. Building surface, floor 10. Building surface, walls 12 Moving mechanism 14 Manipulator Arms 16 Proximal end 18 Distal end 20 Remote Controllers 22 Internal Controllers 24 Communication equipment 26 Sensor support device 28 Radiation sensors 30 spray nozzles 32 Stopper 34 Paint Tanks 36 Air Tank 38 Spray Controller 40 Pressure Reducing Valve 42 3D maps 44 segments 46 sectors 48 Boundary 50 corners 52 Identifiers 54 points 60 Virtual Reality Systems 62 Goggles 64 Command device 66 screens X measurement direction

Claims

1. A method for automatically mapping radiation in part of a building (7) and / or part of a transport using a robotic vehicle (1), wherein part of the building and / or transport includes a plurality of surfaces (9, 10), and the method is Obtaining (1010) a 3D map (42) of part of the building (7) and / or part of the transport, wherein the 3D map (42) includes a plurality of segments (44), each representing a surface (9, 10) of the building and / or the transport, Applying multiple sectors that form a sector grid to each segment, where each sector has a boundary, The robotic vehicle physically marks at least a portion of the boundary of each sector (46) with paint on the corresponding surfaces (9, 10), and To measure radiation within that sector, a robotic vehicle maps the radiation for one or more sectors (46) by scanning each sector using a radiation sensor (28). A method including, Furthermore, Rendering at least one 3D image based on at least a portion of a 3D map. To transmit at least one rendered 3D image from the robotic vehicle to at least one screen (62, 66) of a remotely located virtual reality system. To detect commands from the command device (64) of the virtual reality system (60), Transmitting commands to the robot vehicle, and Operating a robotic vehicle in response to commands. A method characterized by including the following.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one screen is located inside the goggles or is projected into the goggles.

3. The robotic vehicle is equipped with a radiation sensor (28) for measuring radiation and a plurality of cameras and / or second sensors (5), one or more of the second sensors being adapted to provide data that enables the location of the robotic vehicle (1) within the building and / or the distance to objects within the building, and the acquisition of a 3D map of a part of the building, Acquiring data from multiple cameras and / or a second sensor (5), To generate a 3D map of a part of the building from the acquired data. The method according to claim 1 or 2, including the method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein images acquired by at least one camera are integrated into a 3D map by coloring each point in a point cloud used for generating segments (44) of a 3D map and / or segments (44) using visible light information or color information from images acquired by at least one camera (5).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the robot vehicle comprises a manipulator arm (14) having a proximal end (16) and a distal end (18) fixed to the body of the robot vehicle, a sensor support device (26) fixed to the distal end of the manipulator arm (14), and a radiation sensor (28) for measuring radiation fixed to the sensor support device.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising operating the manipulator arm of a robotic vehicle in response to a command.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a plurality of cameras and / or second sensors (5) are arranged on the main body and / or sensor support device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: acquiring at least one image of a surface (9, 10) by a robotic vehicle (1); determining the boundary (48) of a sector (46) on the surface (9, 10) based on the acquired image; and moving the robotic vehicle (1) and / or the manipulator arm (14) of the robotic vehicle (1) based on the determined boundary (48) during scanning with a radiation sensor (28).

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising scanning each sector (46) with a radiation sensor using a robotic vehicle for one or more sectors and measuring the radiation within that sector.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein radiation is automatically mapped for one or more sectors.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising physically marking with paint a point (54) on the surface within each scanned sector (46) that has the highest measured radiation within that sector (46).

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising digitally marking a grid of sectors (46) in a 3D map (42).

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising determining whether the radiation exceeds a predetermined radiation dose, and if the radiation exceeds the predetermined radiation dose, physically marking a sector (46) on the surface by applying paint thereon.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein each sector (46) is marked by a robotic vehicle (1) using paint on its surface (9, 10) with an identifier (52).

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising displaying the measured radiation on a 3D map (42).

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising using a robotic vehicle (1) to take a sample of the surface (9, 10) within at least one sector (46), particularly at the point within at least one sector (46) where the measured radiation dose is highest.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the physical marking is performed by spraying paint onto the surface (9, 10).

18. A system including a robotic vehicle (1) for automatically mapping radiation in part of a building and / or part of a transport, wherein part of the building and / or transport includes a plurality of surfaces (9, 10), and the robotic vehicle Main body (3), A moving mechanism (12) adapted for moving a robot vehicle over a rough surface including steps, Radiation sensor (28) for measuring radiation, Spray nozzle (30), Includes, The system further includes a remote controller (20) and a command device (64) located remotely from the robot vehicle, and the remote controller (20) and / or the robot vehicle (1) are adapted to acquire a 3D map of a portion of the building (7), the 3D map comprising multiple segments, each representing the surface of the building and / or the transported object. The system is adapted to apply multiple sectors that form a sector grid to each segment, and each sector has a boundary. A system in which a robotic vehicle (1) is adapted to physically mark at least a portion of the boundaries of each sector with paint on a corresponding surface, The remote controller (20) is adapted to render a 3D image to be displayed on at least one screen based on a portion of a 3D map, and to transmit the rendered 3D image to at least one screen (62, 66). A system characterized in that a command device is adapted to send commands to a remote controller, the remote controller (20) is adapted to transmit commands to a robot vehicle, and the robot vehicle (1) is adapted to operate in response to the commands.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the robotic vehicle further comprises a plurality of cameras and / or second sensors (5), one or more of the second sensors being adapted to provide data that enables the location of the robotic vehicle (1) within a building and / or the distance to an object within the building, and the remote controller (20) and / or internal controller (22) of the robotic vehicle (1) being adapted to acquire data from the plurality of cameras and / or second sensors and to generate a 3D map of a portion of the building based on the acquired data.

20. The system according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the robotic vehicle further comprises at least one manipulator arm having a plurality of parts, the parts being connected to adjacent parts by rotatable joints having one or more joint motors, the manipulator arm having a proximal end and a distal end, a sensor support device (28) fixed to the distal end of the manipulator arm, and a radiation sensor and a spray nozzle (30) for measuring radiation fixed to the sensor support device.

21. The system according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein a plurality of cameras and / or a second sensor are arranged on the main body (3) and / or a sensor support device (28).

22. The system according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the robotic vehicle is adapted to move a manipulator arm in response to a command.

23. The system according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the command device is a handheld device or an operator.

24. The system according to any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the moving mechanism (12) has at least two legs and / or wheels.

25. The system according to any one of claims 20 to 24, wherein the distal end of the manipulator arm (14) has 6 or more degrees of freedom.

26. The system according to any one of claims 18 to 25, wherein a spray nozzle (30) is fluidly connected to a pressurized paint tank (34).

27. The system according to any one of claims 18 to 26, wherein the robotic vehicle comprises at least one distance control device (32) adapted to control the distance between a radiation sensor (28) and a surface to be measured (9, 10), in particular the surface of a building and / or transported goods.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the distance control device comprises at least three stoppers (32) fixed to a radiation sensor (28) and / or a spray nozzle (30), the distal ends of the at least three stoppers (32) extending into a plane at a predetermined distance from the radiation sensor (28), in particular the direction of sensor measurement being perpendicular to the plane, and in particular each stopper (32) having a roller or caster wheel at its distal end.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein the distance control device includes at least one distance sensor and / or at least one internal controller (22) in a sensor support device (26), the internal controller being adapted to associate a distance determined between a robot vehicle (1) and a surface using a plurality of cameras and / or sensors (5), and to estimate the distance between a radiation sensor (28) and a surface (9, 10) based on data from one or more sensors and / or joint motors of a manipulator arm (14).

30. The system according to any one of claims 18 to 29, wherein the robot vehicle (1) is adapted to acquire at least one image of a surface (9, 10) by a plurality of cameras and / or sensors (5), determine the boundary (48) of a sector (46) on the surface (9, 10) based on the acquired image, and move the robot vehicle (1) and / or the manipulator arm (14) of the robot vehicle (1) based on the determined boundary (48) during scanning with a radiation sensor (28).

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