Device for inspecting a wastewater pipe

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for inspecting a wastewater pipe, comprising two suspension members (11, 11') each rotatably mounted on one side of the main body, each suspension member (11, 11') each bearing at least one front wheel (10a, 10c) and one rear wheel (10b, 10d) on the same side of the device (1), and the suspension members (11, 11') being coupled such that rotating one suspension member (11) in one direction of rotation causes the other suspension member (11') to rotate in the opposite direction.

Description

Wastewater pipe inspection device

[0001] The present invention relates to a wastewater pipe inspection device.

[0002] In particular, the invention falls within the field of maintenance and inspection of urban infrastructure, and more specifically relates to a robotic system for the inspection of wastewater pipes.

[0003] Context of the invention

[0004] Sewer pipes, essential for the treatment and disposal of wastewater, are critical components of urban infrastructure. They are generally made of robust materials such as concrete, PVC, or ceramic, and vary in diameter from a few centimeters to several meters, thus allowing the passage of residential and / or industrial wastewater to treatment facilities.

[0005] These pipes are usually buried at depths that depend on local topography and construction requirements, but often go several meters below the surface of the ground, which complicates monitoring and maintenance.

[0006] Inspecting these pipes is crucial to preventing failures, such as blockages or ruptures, which can lead to flooding and environmental damage. Inspections not only ensure the proper functioning and safety of the sewer system but also allow for the planning of preventative maintenance, avoiding costly and complex interventions. State of the art

[0007] Prior art methods of sewage pipe inspection include visual inspection involving the use of manually operated cameras for visual inspections, the capabilities of which are limited by the operator's physical reach.

[0008] Other methods include cameras towed through pipes by cables, allowing a greater range but remaining dependent on manual cable handling and often hampered by tight bends or accumulated deposits.

[0009] These prior art solutions show their limitations, particularly in terms of range, effectiveness in complex conditions, and the need for human intervention, so there is a need for a pipeline inspection device that solves these different problems.

[0010] For this purpose the invention relates to a wastewater pipeline inspection device comprising a main body extending in a main direction of longitudinal elongation and having two lateral edges, said device further comprising at least four independent electric wheels and an inertial unit.

[0011] The said device comprises two suspension members mounted for rotation on each side of the main body, each suspension member carrying at least one front wheel and one rear wheel on the same side of the said device, and the said suspension members being coupled so that the rotation of one suspension member in one direction of rotation causes the rotation of the other suspension member in the opposite direction.

[0012] Thus, the device exhibits improved mobility and increased stability, allowing it to circulate more reliably in a wastewater pipe.

[0013] Advantageously, for each wheel, the wheel is mounted to its associated suspension component by a suspension rod, the wheel being free to rotate about the axis of extension of the suspension rod. Thus, the device exhibits increased maneuverability and agility.

[0014] Advantageously, the device includes at least one end at least one piece of equipment from among: headlamps, a telemetry system such as lidar, radar or any other suitable system, a panoramic camera or a 360° camera. Thus, the device is capable of providing effective inspection.

[0015] Advantageously, the device includes, at least at one mounting point on the upper part of the main body, a pole incorporating lighting means and at least one camera, such as a 360° camera. Thus, the device provides a particularly reliable visual representation of the driving.

[0016] In a first embodiment, said device includes radio frequency communication means, said wheels being controlled by radio communication.

[0017] According to one implementation alternative, the said device is an autonomously moving device.

[0018] The invention also relates to a method of controlling a device as described above, comprising: A step of acquiring a lateral inclination value of the main body of said device; and A stabilization step as a function of said acquired lateral inclination value, during which each wheel is controlled so as to restore said main body in a substantially horizontal plane.

[0019] Advantageously, said stabilization step includes a closed-loop control, such as a Proportional-Integral-Derivative control.

[0020] The invention also relates to a method of controlling a device as described above when said wheels are controlled by radio communication, intended to move in a main inspection direction, further comprising: A step of acquiring a remote control signal value; and When said signal can no longer be acquired or when it has a signal / noise ratio greater than a predetermined limit, said method implements a return step 112 of said device, causing said device 1 to move in a direction opposite to said main inspection direction. Detailed description

[0021] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description of several embodiments of the invention, with reference to the following figures:

[0022] is a perspective view of the device according to the main embodiment of the invention;

[0023] is another view of the device; and

[0024] is a flowchart of a control method for the device of the invention.

[0025] With reference to figures 1 and 2, the inspection device 1 comprises a main body 12 in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped extending in a main elongation direction X.

[0026] The main body 12 incorporates a battery of electric accumulators capable of powering the wheels and all the equipment of said device 1.

[0027] This main body 12 has at a front end 121 two lights 13, 13', a telemetry system 15, here a lidar 15 and a camera 14.

[0028] The front camera 14 is notably used by the pilot of device 1 when it is remotely controlled, via transmission of images to the pilot's control unit.

[0029] The invention is not limited to lidar alone as a telemetry system 15, and any other suitable system may be implemented, including radar.

[0030] In this embodiment, the elements present on the front end 121 are duplicated on the rear end 122, so that the rear end 122 also includes a telemetry system and a camera (not shown). However, the invention is not limited to the presence of these elements on the rear part.

[0031] This main body 12 further includes 2 fixing areas 201, 202 on its upper part 122, which can accommodate various removable modules, in particular modules consisting of a pole 161, including lighting means 162 mounted along the pole, at the free end of which is fixed a camera 16 capable of filming in 360° in a plane substantially formed by the axes (Y, Z).

[0032] This camera 16 is particularly useful for making a 360° inspection film of the inspected pipe, and is stored in an internal memory, not shown, installed in said device 1, or alternatively can be teletransmitted via radio frequency means to a remote server.

[0033] The main body 12 of the device 1 has a symmetrical shape with respect to a transverse axis S. In other words, the front and rear of the device are identical.

[0034] Thus, although the figures do not depict it, the principal embodiment of the invention includes, also mounted at the rear on the attachment area 202, a symmetrical pole 161 as described above. However, the invention is not limited to the presence of a pole 161 on the rear part.

[0035] Two suspension members 11 and 11' are mounted freely for rotation each on one longitudinal side of the main body 12.

[0036] These suspension members 11, 11' each comprise a pair of wheels on the same side of the device 10a, 10b and 10c, 10d; each wheel being independent of the other wheels and comprising an independent electric motor, respectively 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d. In other words, the suspension members 11, 11' pair the front wheels 10a, 10c and the rear wheels 10b, 10d on each side of the device, respectively. Thus, the first suspension member 11 pairs the front left wheel 10a with the rear left wheel 10b, and the second suspension member pairs the front right wheel 10c with the rear right wheel 10d.

[0037] In the embodiment of the invention, each wheel is motorized by a stepper motor, but the invention is not limited to this type of motor.

[0038] Each wheel 10a-10d can be controlled by a control element, not shown, mounted in the main body 12, in a direction of rotation and at a speed of rotation independent of the other wheels.

[0039] The wheels 10a-10d are each mounted on a suspension arm 102a-102c (102d not visible in the figures), extending substantially vertically under each suspension member 11, 11'.

[0040] In this main embodiment of the invention, each wheel 10a-10d is free to rotate about the axis of the suspension arm 102a-102c to which it is mounted. This allows for improved control of each wheel independently of the others and enables better stabilization of the device 1.

[0041] The suspension members 11, 11' are articulated in reverse coupling with respect to the main body.

[0042] Thus, for example, when the suspension member 11 forms an angle of 15° with respect to the main body 12, this results, relative to the plane in which the main body 12 lies, in the front wheel 10a being raised relative to the associated rear wheel 10b; the other suspension member 11' then forms an angle of -15°, so that the front wheel 10c is lowered relative to the wheel 10d

[0043] Conversely, when the suspension member 11 forms an angle of -15° with respect to the main body 12, which forms, with respect to the plane in which the main body 12 is located, a lowering of the front wheel 10a with respect to the associated rear wheel 10b; the other suspension member 11' then forms an angle of +15°, so that the front wheel 10c is raised with respect to the wheel 10d.

[0044] Thus, the wheels 10a-10d are coupled via the suspension components 11, 11' so that the raising of the front left wheel 10a is coupled to the raising of the rear right wheel 10d, this coupling also being carried out between the front right wheel 10c and the rear left wheel 10b.

[0045] At rest, the axis of rotation of the four wheels 10a-d extend in the same plane substantially parallel to the elongation plane (xy) of the main body 12.

[0046] However, in a particular embodiment of the invention, an angle between -15° and +15° when the device rests on a flat surface, between the plane in which the four wheels 10a-d are located and the main body 12, which may result in particular from a parameterization of the center of gravity of the device 1 and / or the adjustment of the measuring instruments.

[0047] Device 1 also includes an inertial measurement unit, mounted in the main body 12 and adapted to measure the accelerations and inclinations of device 1.

[0048] Furthermore, in the main embodiment of the invention, the device 1 is remotely controlled by an operator using a remote device, generally a remote control or any electrical device capable of receiving at least one position information from the device 1, for example, a distance value or an image acquired by a camera. Therefore, in the main embodiment of the invention, said device 1 includes a radio frequency receiver adapted to allow control of the wheels and / or all or part of the other equipment of said device 1. In addition, these radio frequency means can be adapted to transmit to the operator supplementary data such as the device's temperature value, an external temperature, or, for example, the battery's state of charge.

[0049] However, the invention is not limited to a remote-controlled implementation of said device 1 and the invention can be carried out with an autonomously moving device.

[0050] Device 1 includes a control unit, here a processor, or any other suitable digital control device.

[0051] With reference to the, this control unit implements a control method 100 of the device 1 comprising an acquisition step 121 of a lateral tilt value of the device, and a stabilization step 122 of the device, during which each wheel 10a-10d is controlled according to the measured tilt value, so as to bring the device 1 back into a substantially horizontal plane.

[0052] Here, the control method 100 allows each wheel to be controlled in terms of torque and / or speed, as well as angular rotation value relative to the axis of the associated suspension rod, as explained previously. This allows for precise and efficient control of said device 1.

[0053] In other words, the control method 100 makes it possible to correct the guiding dynamics of device 1 by ensuring that it is maintained in a substantially horizontal plane.

[0054] Indeed, since device 1 is intended to move in pipes with a circular cross-section, maintaining the device in a horizontal plane ensures a straight movement of the device in the pipe without needing to guide it by image acquisition.

[0055] This straight-line guidance is improved by the inverse coupling of the wheels as previously described, preventing in particular the device from overturning as a result of encountering blocking elements in the inspected conduit.

[0056] In the main embodiment of the invention, the control step is implemented by a closed-loop control system, such as a negative feedback control system for the measured tilt value of the device. This can be implemented, by way of non-limiting example, by a Proportional-Integral-Derivative type control system.

[0057] However, any suitable control method can be implemented. In particular, machine learning methods can be considered to control each wheel according to the inclination of device 1.

[0058] Moreover, although it is capable of maintaining itself in a substantially horizontal plane, device 1 is generally remotely controlled by an operator via a radio frequency control device.

[0059] In the context of this classic operation, by remote guidance, the stabilization process 100 is implemented in addition to the control by the operator, to correct guidance fluctuations related to the difficulty for the operator to properly maintain the device 1 in a horizontal plane, which is in particular related to the fact that the operator does not see the device but only the image of the front camera 16 of the device 1.

[0060] However, the invention is not limited to this mode of guidance, and the device 1 can also move autonomously or pre-programmed along an established route.

[0061] In a particular embodiment of the control of device 1 during remote guidance, a step of acquiring remote control signals 110 is also implemented repeatedly.

[0062] When a loss of the remote control signal is detected, or a decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio greater than a threshold value, a return step 112 of the device 1 is then implemented, returning in the opposite direction of the inspection movement, said device 1 moving autonomously in this reverse direction until the remote control signal is found.

[0063] Thus, as long as the remote control signal is not found or remains too noisy, device 1 performs the reverse path to the inspection path.

[0064] To prevent the device from traveling an excessive distance in the opposite direction, particularly in the event of a failure of the operator's remote control, device 1 may include a timed stop command, based on a time or distance setting. It may also retrace its outward path and stop at the beginning of the inspection, for example, by implementing an odometer, so that when the return distance traveled equals the distance traveled since the start of the inspection, device 1 stops.

[0065] The steps enabling the stabilization 121-122 and enabling the return 110-112 of device 1 are carried out preferably, but not obligatorily, in parallel.

[0066] This method 100 allows for better guidance comfort for the operator, who can simply decide on the longitudinal guidance of device 1, because the device remains in a horizontal plane, and therefore in a curved pipe, in a straight line, and this also allows the operator not to fear losing the device in an inspection that is too far away, because the device will automatically return to a communication distance.

[0067] In other words, this method 100 allows for greater reliability and a simplification of the guiding conditions of the device 1 according to the invention.

Claims

Sewage pipe inspection device (1) comprising a main body (12) extending in a main longitudinal elongation direction (x) and having two lateral edges, said device (1) further comprising at least four independent electric wheels (10a-10d) and an inertial unit, characterized in that it comprises two suspension members (11, 11') mounted for rotation on each side of the main body, each suspension member (11, 11') each carrying at least one front wheel (10a, 10c) and one rear wheel (10b, 10d) on the same side of said device (1), and said suspension members (11, 11') being coupled so that the rotation of one suspension member (11) in one direction of rotation causes the rotation in the opposite direction of the other suspension member (11'). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that for each wheel (10a-10d), the wheel is mounted to its associated suspension member (11, 11') by a suspension rod (102a-102d), said wheel (10a-10d) being mobile in rotation around the axis of elongation of the suspension rod (102a-102d). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one end (121, 123) at least one piece of equipment among: headlamps, a telemetry system, a panoramic camera or a 360° camera. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises on at least one fixing area (201, 202) on the upper part (122) of the main body (12) a pole comprising lighting means (162) and at least one camera (16). Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises radio frequency communication means, said wheels (10a-10d) being controlled by radio communication. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said device is an autonomously moving device. A method for controlling a device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises: A step of acquiring (121) a lateral tilt value of the main body (12) of said device (1); and A stabilization step (122) as a function of said acquired lateral tilt value, during which each wheel is controlled so as to restore said main body (12) in a substantially horizontal plane (xy). Method according to claim 7, characterized in that said stabilization step comprises a closed loop control, such as a Proportional-Integral-Derivative control. A method for controlling a device (1) according to claim 5, intended to move in a main inspection direction, characterized in that it further comprises: A step of acquiring (110) a remote control signal value; and When said signal can no longer be acquired or when it has a signal / noise ratio greater than a predetermined limit, said method implements a return step 112 of said device, causing said device 1 to move in a direction opposite to said main inspection direction.

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