Inspection robot

Abstract

To provide an inspection robot capable of smoothly climbing over obstacles even if the obstacles are on the travel route when inspecting buildings or structures, thereby enabling efficient inspection. [Solution] The vehicle comprises a main body 10, a running unit 20 that moves the main body 10 forward, backward or turns by remote control from a remote device 60, a power supply unit 30 mounted on the main body 10, a camera unit 40 provided at the front of the main body 10, and a control unit 50 provided on the main body 10, and the running unit 20 comprises a pair of left and right front wheels 21L, 21R that are supported near the front of the main body 10 and can be driven independently, a pair of left and right middle wheels 22L, 22R that are supported forward of a pair of left and right support arm units 27 that are supported rotatably around a support shaft 27b near the rear of the main body 10 and can be driven independently, and a pair of left and right rear wheels 23L, 23R that are supported rearward of the support arm units 27 and can be driven independently.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection robot for inspecting underfloor spaces, piping, equipment, structures, etc. of buildings. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, when inspecting buildings, for example to check for flood damage or termite damage in the underfloor space, the inside of pipes, equipment, or for leaks in the attic, workers had to enter the underfloor or attic space through narrow inspection hatches and perform the inspection visually, which placed a great burden on the workers.

[0003] Against this background, in order to reduce the burden on workers, there are known inspection robots equipped with cameras that can be moved by remote control from an operator (Patent Documents 1 and 2), an inspection robot with a camera that has a variable zoom magnification (Patent Document 3), an inspection device that can move along rails attached to structural members located under the floor or above the attic (Patent Document 4), and even an inspection robot equipped with sub-crawlers on the front and back (Patent Document 5). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-149309 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-137148 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-55569 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-56504 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-39075 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the inspection robots of Patent Documents 1 to 3 may be unable to perform inspections if pipes or structural materials are installed under the floor or in the ceiling, as these act as obstacles that hinder their movement. The inspection device of Patent Document 4 moves along rails suspended above, but the rails must be installed, and there is a problem that the device cannot move freely. The inspection robot of Patent Document 5 is able to overcome obstacles by operating front and rear sub-crawlers, but it is difficult to say that it can overcome obstacles smoothly, making it difficult to perform efficient inspections.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an inspection robot that can smoothly overcome obstacles in its travel path when inspecting buildings and structures, thereby enabling efficient inspection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the inspection robot according to the present invention comprises: The vehicle comprises a main body, a traveling unit that moves the main body forward, backward, or turns by remote control, a power supply unit mounted on the main body, an inspection camera unit provided at the front of the main body, and a control unit provided at the main body, and the traveling unit comprises a pair of left and right front wheels that are supported near the front of the main body and can be driven independently, a pair of left and right intermediate wheels that are supported forward of a pair of left and right support arm units that are supported rotatably around a support shaft near the rear of the main body and can be driven independently, and Department It has a pair of left and right rear wheels that are supported at the rear and can be driven independently. The pair of left and right support arms each include a stopper portion that contacts the rear surface of the main body when the traveling portion overcomes an obstacle, thereby restricting the main body from tilting backward. The first feature is that

[0009] The inspection robot according to the present invention comprises: A third feature of the vehicle is that the front, middle and rear wheels each have a flexible rubber tire with a hollow structure that has a cavity that is continuous in the circumferential direction inside.

[0011] The inspection robot according to the present invention comprises: A fifth feature is that the control unit is configured to display the video or images captured by the camera unit on a monitor screen of the remote device or transmit them to a remote computer by operation from the remote device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, the inspection robot of the present invention has the advantage that, when inspecting buildings or structures, even if there is an obstacle in its travel path, it can smoothly overcome the obstacle and perform the inspection efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of an inspection robot according to the present invention, seen obliquely from the front. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the inspection robot as seen from diagonally rearward. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the inspection robot, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a bottom view. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] This figure shows the remote device, (A) is a front view, and (B) is a monitor screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an inspection performed by the inspection robot. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an inspection robot in motion, with (A) showing the robot before climbing over an obstacle and (B) showing the robot in the middle of climbing over the obstacle. [Figure 8] The diagram shows an inspection robot in motion, with (A) and (B) illustrating the robot in the process of climbing over an obstacle. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the inspection robot while it is traveling, illustrating the state after it has overcome an obstacle. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another inspection situation using the inspection robot of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 show perspective views of an inspection robot.

[0015] The inspection robot S is a device used for various inspections by being remotely controlled to travel through the underfloor space and ceiling of a building T, the inside of pipes, the inside of a structure K, etc., as shown in Figures 6 and 10. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the inspection robot S is equipped with a main body unit 10, a traveling unit 20, a power supply unit 30, a camera unit 40, and a control unit 50, and can be remotely controlled from a remote device 60 shown in Figure 5, whereby the control unit 50 can control the traveling unit 20, the camera unit 40, and the transmission and storage of video or images from the camera unit 40.

[0016] The main body 10 is made of a lightweight, flat frame made of synthetic resin, aluminum, or the like, and is provided with a power supply mounting section 11 in the center that mounts the power supply section 30, a camera mounting section 12 and a front wheel support section 13 in the front that mounts the camera section 40, and a rear wheel unit support section 14 in the rear. LED lighting sections 15A and 15B that illuminate the front and upper sides of the main body 10 are also provided.

[0017] The running unit 20 is remotely controlled from a remote device 60 to move the main body 10 forward, backward or turn (right or left), and is equipped with a pair of independently drivable left and right front wheels 21L, 21R, a pair of independently drivable left and right middle wheels 22L, 22R, and a pair of independently drivable left and right rear wheels 23L, 23R.

[0018] The front wheels 21L, 21R are supported by drive shafts of drive motors 24, 24 attached to both sides of the front wheel support portion 13 of the main body 20. The middle wheels 22L, 22R are supported by drive shafts of drive motors 25, 25 attached to the front of the left and right support arms 27, 27. The rear wheels 23L, 23R are supported by drive shafts of drive motors 26, 26 attached to the rear of the left and right support arms 27, 27.

[0019] Each support arm portion 27 has a pair of left and right support arms 27a, 27a that extend forward and backward and have a hanger shape when viewed from the side, and these pair of support arms 27a, 27a are connected at the top of their central portions by a support shaft 27b at a predetermined distance apart, and are supported on both side surfaces of the rear wheel side unit support portion 14 of the main body portion 10 via the support shaft 27b so that they can rotate and swing around the support shaft 27b.

[0020] In each support arm section 27, the main bodies of the drive motors 25 and 26 are attached to the front and rear of the inner support arm 27a, and the drive shafts of the drive motors 25 and 26 are supported to the front and rear of the outer support arm 27a, and the intermediate wheels 22L and 22R closer to the front are supported on the drive shafts of the drive motors 25, and the rear wheels 23L and 23R closer to the rear are supported on the drive shafts of the drive motors 26, housed between the inner and outer support arms 27a, 27a.

[0021] A stopper portion 28 is provided on the inner surface of the inner support arm 27a of each support arm portion 27. The stopper portion 28 abuts against the rear of the main body 10, specifically the rear surface of the rear-wheel-side unit support portion 14 of the main body 10, to prevent the main body 10 from tilting rearward when the main body 10 overcomes an obstacle M during travel. The stopper portion 28 is provided on the inner surface of the inner support arm 27a, at a position slightly rearward of the central top of the support arm 27a. The angle at which the tip of the stopper portion 28 abuts against the rear of the main body 10 when the main body 10 overcomes an obstacle M, i.e., the inclination angle of the main body 10 with respect to the ground G when the tip of the stopper portion 28 abuts against the rear of the main body 10, is approximately 25 degrees in this embodiment, and can be up to 45 degrees, but is preferably set to a maximum of 30 degrees.

[0022] The front wheels 21L, 21R, middle wheels 22L, 22R, and rear wheels 23L, 23R each comprise a wheel 29A and a rubber tire 29B, and the drive shafts of the drive motors 24-26 are directly connected to the wheel 29A. The rubber tire 29B has a hollow structure with a continuous cavity inside in the circumferential direction, giving it flexibility and providing excellent adhesion to the ground and excellent adhesion to obstacles when climbing over them (high coefficient of friction). The surface of the tire 29B may have many protrusions formed in the circumferential direction to increase the coefficient of friction.

[0023] The power supply unit 30 is made up of a rechargeable battery and is detachably mounted in a recessed power supply mounting portion 11 on the central upper surface of the main body 10. The power supply unit 30 is used as a power source for driving the drive motors 24 to 26 that independently drive the front wheels 21L and 21R, the middle wheels 22L and 22R, and the rear wheels 23L and 23R, for controlling the image capture and operation of the camera unit 40, for illumination of the lighting units 15A and 15B, and for controlling the control unit 50.

[0024] The camera unit 40 captures video (video) or images (still images) of inspection locations when inspecting areas such as underfloor spaces and ceilings in buildings, inside pipes, and inside structures. Before or during imaging, the camera unit 40 can be operated from the remote device 60 to pan horizontally, tilt vertically, and zoom in and out on the video or image.

[0025] The video or images captured by the camera unit 40 can be sent directly to the remote device 60, or can be sent to a computer at a remote location by operating the remote device 60, and can also be saved in an attached memory or card.

[0026] The control unit 50 controls the drive motors 24 to 26, the camera unit 40, and the lighting units 15A and 15B in accordance with an operation signal from the remote device 60.

[0027] The remote device 60 remotely controls the movement of the inspection robot S, the imaging and operation of the camera unit 40, and the lighting units 15A to 15B, and as shown in Figure 5, it has a monitor 62, an operation stick 63, and switches 64A to 64E on the front of the main body unit 61, and an antenna 65 on the front.

[0028] Next, a method of inspecting the underfloor space of the building shown in FIG. 6 using the inspection robot S configured as described above will be described below.

[0029] First, the inspection robot S is placed at the inspection start position on the ground in the underfloor space 3 through the inspection hatch 2 in the foundation 1 of the building T. To start the inspection, the main power switch 64A of the remote device 60 shown in Figure 5(A) is pressed (ON), which activates the camera unit 40 and monitor 62 (monitor ON), and the image from the camera unit 40 is displayed on the monitor 62. When the front lighting switch 64B and the upper lighting switch 64C are pressed (ON), the two front lighting units 15A and the upper lighting unit 15B are turned on.

[0030] To control the orientation of camera unit 40, as shown in Figure 5(B), touching the screen of monitor 62 of remote device 60 and sliding in the direction of arrow 66A (upward) or arrow 66B (downward) will cause camera unit 40 to tilt upward or downward. Also, touching the screen of monitor 62 and sliding in the direction of arrow 66C (rightward) or arrow 66D (leftward) will cause camera unit 40 to pan right or left. Releasing the touch from the screen of monitor 62 will stop each operation.

[0031] At the start of an inspection, touching the recording button 67A displayed on the monitor 62 of the remote device 60 starts recording video using the camera unit 40, and touching it again during the inspection stops recording. Touching the still image button 67B takes a still image (picture) and saves it in memory or on a card. Touching and holding the zoom-in button 67C enlarges the video or image captured by the camera unit 40, and touching and holding the zoom-out button 67D reduces the video or image captured by the camera unit 40.

[0032] To move the inspection robot S, the operation stick 63 of the remote device 60 is operated. When the operation stick 63 is tilted forward (in the direction of arrow F), the drive motors 24 to 26 are controlled by a signal from the control unit 50, and the six wheels (front wheels, middle wheels, and rear wheels) are independently driven in the forward direction, causing the inspection robot S to move forward. During this time, the image from the camera unit 40 is transmitted to the remote device 60 and displayed on the monitor 62.

[0033] When the operation stick 63 is tilted backward (in the direction of arrow B), the drive motors 24 to 26 are controlled by a signal from the control unit 50, the six wheels (front wheels, middle wheels, and rear wheels) are driven independently in reverse, and the inspection robot S moves backward.

[0034] When making the inspection robot S turn right while traveling, tilting the operation stick 63 to the right relative to the traveling direction (in the direction of arrow R) controls the drive motors 24 to 26 by a signal from the control unit 50, causing the three wheels on the left (front, middle, and rear wheels) to independently rotate forward and the three wheels on the right (front, middle, and rear wheels) to independently rotate in the reverse direction, causing the inspection robot S to turn right clockwise around the main body 10. When making a right turn, return the operation stick 63 to its original position after making a 90-degree right turn.

[0035] When turning left while the inspection robot S is traveling, tilting the operation stick 63 to the left relative to the traveling direction (in the direction of arrow L) controls the drive motors 24 to 26 by a signal from the control unit 50, driving the three wheels on the right side (front, middle, and rear wheels) independently in the forward direction and driving the three wheels on the left side (front, middle, and rear wheels) independently in the reverse direction, causing the inspection robot S to turn left counterclockwise around the main body 10. When turning left, return the operation stick 63 to its original position after turning 90 degrees left.

[0036] When changing the direction of travel diagonally to the right while moving forward, tilting the operating stick 63 diagonally forward and to the right relative to the direction of travel controls the drive motors 24 to 26 by a signal from the control unit 50, causing the rotation speed of the three wheels on the right (front wheels, middle wheels, rear wheels) to become slower than the rotation speed of the three wheels on the left (front wheels, middle wheels, rear wheels), and due to the difference in rotation speed between the left and right, the front of the inspection robot S faces diagonally to the right.

[0037] When the control stick 63 is tilted diagonally to the left front relative to the direction of travel while moving forward, the rotational speed of the three wheels on the left side (front wheel, middle wheel, rear wheel) becomes smaller than the rotational speed of the three wheels on the right side (front wheel, middle wheel, rear wheel), and the difference in rotational speed between the left and right wheels causes the inspection robot S to face diagonally to the left.

[0038] Similarly, when the control stick 63 is tilted diagonally rearward to the right relative to the direction of travel while reversing, the difference in rotation speed between the left and right causes the rear of the inspection robot S to face diagonally rearward to the right, and when the control stick 63 is tilted diagonally rearward to the left relative to the direction of travel while reversing, the difference in rotation speed between the left and right causes the rear of the inspection robot S to face diagonally rearward to the left.

[0039] When the tilt amount of the operation stick 63 is increased while running, the inspection robot S accelerates while running, and when the tilt amount of the operation stick 63 is decreased, the inspection robot S decelerates while running.

[0040] If an obstacle M is encountered in the direction of travel while the inspection robot S is moving, it will use its six independently driven wheels (front wheels, middle wheels, and rear wheels) to overcome the obstacle M and continue the inspection. Figures 7 to 9 show the inspection robot S moving forward, overcoming the obstacle M.

[0041] When the inspection robot S approaches the obstacle M, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the left and right front wheels 21L (21R) first climb over the obstacle M, then the middle wheels 22L (22R) climb over the obstacle M, and finally the rear wheels 23L (23R) climb over the obstacle M.

[0042] When the front wheel 21L (21R) overcomes the obstacle M, as shown in Figure 7(B), forward driving forces are simultaneously generated in the intermediate wheel 22L (22R) and the rear wheel 23L (23R) that are in contact with the ground G, and the front wheel 21L (21R) reliably overcomes the obstacle M by obtaining the driving forces of the intermediate wheel 22L (22R) and the rear wheel 23L (23R).

[0043] When the intermediate wheel 22L (22R) overcomes the obstacle M, as shown in Figure 8 (A), a driving force for overcoming the obstacle M is generated in the front wheel 21L (21R), and a driving force for moving forward on the ground G is generated in the rear wheel 23L (23R) simultaneously, and the intermediate wheel 22L (22R) reliably overcomes the obstacle M by obtaining the driving forces of the front wheel 21L (21R) and the rear wheel 23L (23R).

[0044] When the rear wheel 23L (23R) overcomes the obstacle M, as shown in Figure 8 (B), a driving force to move forward on the ground G is generated in the front wheel 21L (21R), and a driving force to overcome the obstacle M is simultaneously generated in the middle wheel 22L (22R), and the rear wheel 23L (23R) reliably overcomes the obstacle M by obtaining the driving forces of the front wheel 21L (21R) and the middle wheel 22L (23R).

[0045] When climbing over an obstacle M, the tires 29B of each wheel (front wheels, middle wheels, rear wheels) have a hollow structure with a continuous cavity inside in the circumferential direction, giving them flexibility, and they have excellent adhesion to the ground G and to the obstacle M when climbing over the obstacle M (large coefficient of friction), and the cooperative adhesion action of the tires 29B of each wheel to the ground G and the obstacle M allows the obstacle M to be climbed over reliably and smoothly.

[0046] Depending on the height of the obstacle M, when climbing over the obstacle M, in the posture of Fig. 7(B) or Fig. 8(A), momentum may build up and the main body 10 of the inspection robot S may be about to tilt backward, but the stopper portions 28, 28 (see Figs. 3 and 4) attached to the inside of the left and right support arm portions 27 will come into contact with the rear surface of the main body 10 (the rear surface of the rear wheel side unit support portion 14) to support the main body 10 from behind and act to prevent the main body 10 from tilting backward. This allows the inspection robot S to safely and reliably climb over the obstacle M and move forward.

[0047] Even when climbing over an obstacle M at an angle, the six wheels (front wheels, middle wheels, and rear wheels) are driven independently, so when one or more of the wheels climb over the obstacle M at an angle, the remaining wheels place on the ground G and exert a driving force to move forward, allowing the inspection robot S to reliably climb over and move forward even against an obstacle M facing diagonally.

[0048] After the inspection is completed, pressing the main power switch 64A of the remote device 60 (OFF) will stop the camera unit 40 and stop the reception of images from the camera unit 40 to the monitor 62 (monitor OFF). Pressing the light switches 64B and 64C (OFF) will turn off the lighting units 15A and 15B.

[0049] In the illustrated example, the obstacle M may be, but is not limited to, a hot water pipe, water supply and drainage pipes, cables, materials, etc. in the underfloor space 3 of the building T. The cross-sectional shape is also not limited to a round shape, and may be a square or rectangular shape.

[0050] The inspection robot S can inspect a wide range of buildings, including ordinary homes, public facilities such as schools and hospitals, commercial buildings, and infrastructure facilities such as power plants. In addition, the pipes that can be inspected include water and sewage pipes, gas pipes, factory pipes, and pipelines.

[0051] FIG. 10 shows an example in which an inspection robot S is installed inside a waterway structure K and the inspection robot S is moved to inspect the inside of the structure K. The interior can be inspected by temporarily stopping the drainage. As such, the inspection robot S has a flat shape and is low in height (in this embodiment, the height from the ground surface to the top surface of the main body is 23 to 25 cm), so it can also be used to inspect narrow places that workers cannot enter.

[0052] The inspection robot S of the present invention is equipped with six independently driveable wheels, and the rear and middle wheels are supported by support arms that can swing up and down, allowing it to traverse rough terrain such as rubble, and it can be remotely controlled to perform various inspections even in environments where workers cannot approach.

[0053] Thus, the inspection robot according to the present invention can reliably, safely, and efficiently inspect buildings and structures using the camera unit. [Industrial Applicability]

[0054] The inspection robot according to the present invention can be used as a robot for inspecting buildings and structures. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 Basics 2 Inspection hatch 3 Underfloor space 10,61 Main body 11 Power supply mounting section 12 Camera mounting section 13 Front wheel support part 14 Rear wheel side unit support 15A,15B Lighting section 20 Running part 21L,21R front wheel 22L,22R Intermediate wheel 23L,23R rear wheel 24, 25, 26 Drive motor 27 Support arm 27a Support arm 27b Support shaft 28 Stopper part 29A Wheel 29B tires 30 Power supply section 40 Camera Department 50 control section 60 Remote Device 62 monitors 63 Control stick 64A~64E Switches 65 Antenna S Inspection Robot K structure T Building

Claims

1. an inspection robot comprising: a main body; a traveling unit that moves the main body forward, backward, or turns by remote control; a power supply unit mounted on the main body; an inspection camera unit provided at the front of the main body; and a control unit provided on the main body; wherein the traveling unit comprises a pair of left and right front wheels that are supported near the front of the main body and can be driven independently; a pair of left and right middle wheels that are supported forward of a pair of left and right support arms that are supported near the rear of the main body and can be rotated around a support axis, and a pair of left and right rear wheels that are supported rearward of the support arms and can be driven independently; and wherein the pair of left and right support arms each have a stopper unit that abuts against the rear surface of the main body when the traveling unit overcomes an obstacle, thereby preventing the main body from tilting backward.

2. 2. The inspection robot according to claim 1, wherein the front wheels, the middle wheels and the rear wheels each have a flexible rubber tire with a hollow structure having a circumferentially continuous cavity therein.

3. 2. The inspection robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to display the video or images captured by the camera unit on a monitor screen of the remote device or transmit the video or images to a remote computer when operated from the remote device.

Images