Inspection Plan Feedback for Robot Measurement Failures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing inspection robot systems experience measurement failures, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for repeated measurements, as current technologies rely on manual skills and lack automated correction mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

An inspection management device and method that includes a data analysis unit to determine measurement success or failure and an inspection planning unit to correct the inspection plan based on the cause of failure, reducing the number of measurement failures by adjusting measurement parameters and routes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual inspection work is performed by skilled workers, then inspection accuracy can be maintained through individual skills, but inspection efficiency is reduced and worker shortage becomes a problem

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinspection accuracyVSAvoidinspection efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection work with an automated inspection robot system that includes measurement devices, image acquisition devices, and calculation devices. The robot autonomously performs measurements and the calculation device automatically analyzes the data to determine structural abnormalities, eliminating dependency on individual worker skills while maintaining inspection accuracy and significantly improving efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The inspection robot system performs self-service by autonomously navigating to measurement positions, acquiring measurement data and images, and the calculation device automatically analyzing the data to determine abnormalities. The system serves itself without requiring continuous human intervention, thereby improving inspection efficiency while maintaining accuracy through automated processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If automated measurement is performed by inspection robot, then inspection efficiency is improved, but measurement failures occur increasing rework and costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinspection efficiencyVSAvoidmeasurement reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the calculation device analyzes measurement data to determine not only structural abnormalities but also the reliability of the measurement data itself. When measurement failure is detected, the system feeds back this information to automatically correct the inspection plan, thereby improving measurement reliability while maintaining high inspection efficiency through automated correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of measurement data reliability before final determination of structural abnormalities. By预先 detecting potential measurement failures and correcting inspection plans in advance, the system prevents rework and improves overall measurement reliability while maintaining efficient automated inspection processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If comprehensive measurement data is collected to ensure correct determination, then measurement reliability is improved, but inspection time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement reliabilityVSAvoidinspection time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual evaluation of measurement data with an automated calculation device that efficiently analyzes comprehensive measurement data and image data to determine both structural abnormalities and measurement reliability. This automated analysis process handles comprehensive data collection without proportionally increasing inspection time, maintaining high measurement reliability while preserving inspection efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts inspection parameters based on real-time analysis of measurement data quality. When measurement reliability is sufficient, the system can reduce the amount of additional data collection needed, thereby maintaining high measurement reliability while minimizing inspection time through adaptive parameter changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11913789B2Inspection management device, inspection management method, and recording medium to store program

Publication Date: 2024.02.27 NEC CORP

AI summary

Provided is an inspection management device and the like capable of reducing, by an inspection robot, the number of pieces of measurement data indicating measurement failure. The inspection management device includes: a data analysis unit that determines success or failure in measurement at a measurement position of a structure based on measurement data output from an inspection robot that inspects the structure in accordance with an inspection plan, the measurement data being output each time when the inspection robot performs measurement, and estimates a cause of measurement failure in accordance with a determination result; and an inspection planning unit that corrects the inspection plan based on the estimated cause and outputs the corrected inspection plan.