Pipe Inspection Crawler Mapping With Landmark-Based Position Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual labeling of faulty areas in pipe inspections is prone to confusion, and automated scanning using relative position sensors suffers from drifting errors and lacks millimeter-level resolution, making it difficult to accurately pinpoint faults, especially in GPS-denied environments.
Innovation Solution
A crawler equipped with a distance measuring unit, orientation sensor, and processor that generates a map of scan data indexed by distance and orientation relative to static landmarks on the structure, using devices like optical cameras, LIDAR, or IMUs, to provide accurate and precise mapping of pipe surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS sensor is used to find global location, then global positioning capability is provided, but millimeter level resolution and reliability in GPS-denied environments are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces static landmarks on the structure as intermediary reference points between the crawler and global positioning. These landmarks serve as mediators that provide reliable position reference in GPS-denied environments by enabling the crawler to determine its location relative to known fixed points on the structure surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the GPS satellite-based electromagnetic positioning system with a structure-based mechanical reference system using static landmarks. This substitution eliminates dependency on external GPS signals and provides reliable positioning in environments where GPS is unavailable or inaccurate.
2Ease of operation
If relative position sensors such as wheel encoders are used, then positioning capability is provided, but drifting errors and significant deviation from true position occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously measuring the crawler's position relative to static landmarks and using this information to correct accumulated positioning errors. The system periodically references known landmark positions to reset and maintain accurate position tracking throughout the inspection process.
Solution Approach 2:
Static landmarks serve as intermediary reference points that provide absolute position references to correct the relative positioning drift. These landmarks act as mediators between the crawler's relative position sensors and the true global position on the structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual labeling with paint/marker is used to mark faulty areas, then fault locations are marked, but confusion and reference difficulties occur when different inspectors inspect the same area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual paint/marker labeling with an automated digital mapping system that uses the crawler's position data relative to static landmarks. This substitution eliminates human error in marking and ensures consistent, precise fault location identification that can be accurately referenced by different inspectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy or map of the structure surface with precise fault locations indexed by position and orientation relative to static landmarks. This digital representation preserves exact location information without the degradation or confusion associated with physical markers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and precise mapping of pipe surfaces, overcoming drifting errors and providing millimeter-level resolution, even in GPS-denied environments, ensuring reliable identification and documentation of faulty areas for future inspections.
Implementation Method 1
a distance measuring unit measures a distance of the probe from a landmark extending circumferentially around the structure
Implementation Method 2
The distance measuring unit is selected from the group consisting of: an optical camera, a laser scanner, a one-dimensional (1D) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device
Implementation Method 3
The orientation sensor is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) which detects a change in the orientation of the crawler along the structure
Implementation Method 4
The orientation sensor is a tilt sensor which detects a vertical and circumferential change of the orientation of the crawler about the structure
Implementation Method 5
A portion of the structure can be ferromagnetic, and the wheel is magnetic with the wheel configured to retain the crawler on the ferromagnetic portion
Data Source
AI summary
A crawler maps a structure by moving at least longitudinally or circumferentially on the structure. A probe scans the structure to generate scan data corresponding to the structure. A distance measuring unit measures a distance of the probe from a landmark extending circumferentially around the structure. An orientation sensor determines an orientation of the crawler on the structure. A processor generates a map of the scan data of the structure indexed by the distance and orientation.