Cable Trench Robot With Spreading Base And Lifting Camera
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cable trench inspection methods, including manual checks and traditional robots, face inefficiencies due to the need to navigate through firewalls and the inability to inspect cables at varying heights, leading to incomplete monitoring and safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A cable trench inspection robot equipped with a base spreading system and camera lifting system, allowing for through-wall operation and adjustable camera height to inspect bundled cables from multiple angles, while minimizing volume for easy passage through narrow spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robot maintains a constant inspection height, then the structure is simple, but it fails to inspect cables at varying heights, resulting in inspection loopholes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a camera lifting system that enables dynamic height adjustment of the inspection camera. The camera can be raised and lowered along a guide rail to match the height of cables at different positions, transforming the robot from a static-height device to a dynamic-height device that adapts to varying cable arrangements in the cable trench.
2Ease of operation
If the robot is designed with fixed dimensions, then the structure is simple, but it cannot pass through narrow cable trenches and firewall openings
Solution Approach 1:
The robot employs a modular design where the camera lifting system, base platform, and inspection components are segmented into separable units. The camera assembly can be independently raised or lowered, and the overall robot structure can be disassembled for passage through narrow firewall openings, enabling operation in confined spaces while maintaining functional integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes vertical dimension by implementing a camera lifting mechanism that moves the camera along the height axis. This allows the robot to inspect cables at different elevations within the trench without increasing its horizontal footprint, effectively using the third dimension to solve the inspection coverage problem.
3Productivity
If manual inspection methods are used, then no special equipment is needed, but it consumes huge physical labor and time
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is designed with autonomous navigation and self-positioning capabilities, allowing it to move independently through the cable trench and position itself for inspection without requiring human operators to physically enter the trench. The system performs self-inspection, eliminating the need for manual labor while maintaining inspection quality.
4Productivity
If traditional robots are used to inspect through firewalls, then the inspection can be continuous, but the operation becomes extremely complex and consumes huge physical labor
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is designed with separable modules that can be easily assembled and disassembled for passage through firewall openings. The camera lifting system and base platform can be separated, allowing the robot to navigate through narrow openings without requiring complex through-wall mechanisms, thereby maintaining continuous inspection capability while reducing operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable trench inspection robot. The cable trench inspection robot includes a base spreading system, and a camera lifting system disposed on the base spreading system, where the base spreading system includes a base plate, a linear action unit, a cantilever plate, a walking assembly, and a jacking assembly, and the camera lifting system includes a travel block, an imitated four-bar assembly, a support rod, and a camera assembly. Such inspection can realize a through-wall operation by using a cable trench, thereby avoiding many use problems caused by a firewall, and efficiently completing a predetermined inspection task.