Hull-Cleaning Robot Monitoring for Damage-Risk Pause Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antifouling coatings for vessel hulls have limitations, particularly in dynamic commercial operations where trade routes change, and the use of biocides is regulated, leading to inefficiencies and risks in fouling prevention and robot-based cleaning methods can cause damage to the robot or environment.
Innovation Solution
A robot-controlled monitoring module that continuously cleans the vessel hull while traveling, pausing and restarting cleaning operations based on geographical, environmental, and operational data to ensure safety and avoid detachment, allowing for untethered operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous cleaning is performed by the robot, then fouling reduction is improved, but robot safety deteriorates due to potential damage from undetected environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring module performs preliminary detection of environmental conditions (currents, waves, temperature, geographical location) before the robot commences cleaning operations. This advance assessment allows the system to identify potentially dangerous conditions and prevent cleaning operations under unsafe conditions, thereby protecting the robot while maintaining productivity when conditions are favorable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors environmental conditions and provides feedback to control cleaning operations. The monitoring module receives real-time data about currents, waves, temperature, and location, and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust or pause cleaning operations, ensuring robot safety while maximizing cleaning efficiency when conditions permit.
2Ease of operation
If the robot operates without tethering, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to risk of detachment and loss
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring module performs preliminary detection of environmental conditions (currents, waves, temperature, geographical location) before the robot commences cleaning operations. This advance assessment allows the system to identify potentially dangerous conditions and prevent cleaning operations under unsafe conditions, thereby protecting the robot while maintaining productivity when conditions are favorable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors environmental conditions and provides feedback to control cleaning operations. The monitoring module receives real-time data about currents, waves, temperature, and location, and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust or pause cleaning operations, ensuring robot safety while maximizing cleaning efficiency when conditions permit.
3Reliability
If cleaning is paused based on environmental conditions, then robot safety is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to interrupted cleaning operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic cleaning operations interrupted by safety assessments. The monitoring module continuously evaluates environmental conditions and periodically pauses cleaning operations to reassess safety parameters. This periodic action pattern allows the system to maintain high productivity during safe periods while ensuring robot safety through regular condition assessments, optimizing the balance between cleaning continuity and safety.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A method of controlling a robot configured to clean a hull of a vessel whilst traveling over said hull, the method comprising: receiving input data; during cleaning being performed by the robot, detecting that said cleaning being performed by the robot is to be paused based on determining, from the input data, that the robot is at risk of damage; and in response to said detecting that cleaning being performed by the robot is to be paused, outputting a pause cleaning signal indicating that said cleaning is to be paused.