Patent abstracts

Citation

(2010), "Patent abstracts", Industrial Robot, Vol. 37 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2010.04937ead.001

Patent abstracts

Article Type: Patent abstracts From: Industrial Robot: An International Journal, Volume 37, Issue 5

Title: Amphibious bionics robotApplicant: Univ. Beijing (CN)Patent number: CN101337494 (A)Publication date: January 7, 2009

Abstract

The invention relates to an amphibious bionic robot which is characterized in that the amphibious bionic robot includes a sealed main cabin body and four propeller leg complex propelling mechanisms. A control device, a power supply device and a waterway environment detection sensor are arranged in the main cabin body; the four propeller leg complex propelling mechanisms are opposite in pairs and symmetrically arranged on two sides of the main cabin body; each propeller leg complex propelling mechanism includes two driving rods, a driven rod and a swing propeller; one end of each driving rod is, respectively, connected with the output ends of two motors; one driving rod is close to the middle part of the main cabin body, and the other end of the driving rod is connected with one end of the swing propeller through a rotating shaft; the other driving rod is close to the outer side of the main cabin body, the other end of the driving rod is connected with the driven rod through a rotating shaft; the driven rod is connected with the middle position of the swing propeller, the other end of the swing propeller is an execution tail end. The amphibious bionic robot has the advantages of good adaptability to environment, stability and reliability, and flexible movement, thereby the amphibious bionic robot can complete various tasks for prospecting, working, etc. in marshes and offshore water, and play an important role in an offshore landing battle in the future.

Title: Anchoring device for, e.g. supply ship at offshore wind power plant and maintenance platform, has connection devices connecting ship with anchoring rails by upper and lower anchoring ropes, and detached from anchoring railsApplicant: Schopf Walter (DE)Patent number: DE102008029983 (A1)Publication date: December 31, 2009

Abstract

The device has anchoring rails running over a sea bed and laying foundations at the ocean bottom. A ship is assigned for a supply service and/or for evacuation of goods, and comprises anchor rope connections. Connection devices function as a robot in such a manner that the connection devices connect the ship with the anchoring rails by upper and lower anchoring ropes under the inclusion of a location sensor, and the connection devices are detached from the anchoring rails. The rails comprise a form-fit connection of suitable profile form, e.g. T-profile.

Title: Bridge inspection robot capable of climbing obstacleApplicant: Korea Expressway Corp. (KR); Lee Byeong-Ju (KR); Nam Moon-Seok (KR); Park Chang-Ho (KR); Park Young-Ho (KR); Shin Jae-In (KR)Patent number: WO2009131341 (A2)Publication date: October 29, 2009

Abstract

Provided is a bridge inspection robot which is capable of climbing over an obstacle, the bridge inspection robot including: a climbing-over portion which is extended to correspond to a gap distance between a flange of a first girder and a flange of a first girder which are provided at the upper side of a pier of a bridge in which a robot main body climbs up/down or avoids and climbs over an obstacle, when the robot main body moves on the flange, for example, along a bridge inspection path; an obstacle detection portion which detects the obstacle which exists on the flanges; a photographing altitude control portion which detects an altitude change of an image photographing portion according to height of the obstacle when the robot main body climbs up/down or avoids and climbs over the obstacle, and adjusts a photographing height of the image photographing portion so as to correspond to the altitude change, to thus have a z-axis coordinate of an identical height all the time; a position calculation portion which measures a mobile position of the robot main body which corresponds to a consecutive image photographed by the image photographing portion to thus calculate x/y/z-axis coordinates; and an image processing portion which receives the consecutively photographed images and x/y/z-axis coordinates corresponding to the consecutively photographed images, to thus continuously confirms the actual crack elements corresponding to the images and to thus produce a recognizable image of an actual position coordinate of the corresponding image.

Title: Self-propelled inside-of-tube inspection robot for egg-shaped pipeApplicant: Ishikawa Tekkosho (KK)Patent number: JP2009109352 (A)Publication date: May 21, 2009

Problem to be solved: To provide a self-propelled inside-of-tube inspection robot for egg-shaped pipes that can autonomously travel in a sewer pipe formed in an inverse-egg shape stably, dispenses with an exclusive operator and large facilities, has improved handling properties, can travel toward an exit reliably along a pipe even if not only there are irregularities, collapses, positioning deviations of joints, and an opening of branch arm piping in the pipe but also the pipe is inclined or bent, can photograph the surface of an inner wall quickly and efficiently, and is reliable in inspection work and has improved efficiency.

Solution: The self-propelled inside-of-tube inspection robot comprises a frame; right and left endless tracks that are arranged in a truncated chevron shape at a lower portion of the frame and is in contact with the sidewall section of the egg-shaped pipe; a camera arranged at the tip of a side in the traveling direction of the frame; an illumination section for lighting the traveling direction; a storage section for storing an image photographed by the camera; a drive motor for driving the endless tracks; and a battery for supplying power to the drive motor. The battery and/or weight sections are arranged at a lower center between the right and left endless tracks.

Title: Lead obstacle-crossing robot walking deviceApplicant: China Electric Power Res. Inst. (CN)Patent number: CN101574983 (A)Publication date: November 11, 2009

Abstract

The invention provides a lead obstacle-crossing robot walking device, which adopts a dual-arm and three-joint wheeled structure; the two arms alternately hold the line to avoid the obstacle when crossing the obstacle, the device adopts wheels to ensure the running speed during the walking process and comprises a front walking wheel, a rear walking wheel, a front compacting wheel, a rear compacting wheel, a front walking wheel arm, a rear walking wheel arm, a front compacting wheel arm, a rear compacting wheel arm, four front motors, four rear motors, a front joint arm, a rear joint arm and a body. The robot walking device can cross typical lead obstacles such as an anti-vibration hammer, a compression pipe, a spacing rod, a suspension clamp and the like, and can be used as high-voltage transmission line inspection robot walking device or lead deicing robot walking device. The platform has the advantages of simple mechanism, simple control type, low-control precision requirement, fast walking and obstacle-crossing speed and the like.

Title: Articulated robot for laser ultrasonic inspectionInventor: Dubois Marc (USA); Thomas E. Drake, Jr (USA); Yawn Kenneth (USA); Osterkamp Mark (USA)Patent number: US2009010285 (A1)Publication date: January 8, 2009

Abstract

An ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) system operable to inspect target materials is provided. This ultrasonic NDE system includes an articulated robot, an ultrasound inspection head, a processing module, and a control module. The ultrasound inspection head couples to or mounts on the articulated robot. The ultrasound inspection head is operable to deliver a generation laser beam, a detection laser beam, and collect phase-modulated light scattered by the target materials. The processing module processes the phase-modulated light and produces information about the internal structure of the target materials. The control module directs the articulated robot to position the ultrasound inspection head according to a pre-determined scan plan.

Title: Component-measurement and cartography device, has computing unit with dedicated programmable logic circuit that process position of coding device in real time, and converts and formats position into Cartesian coordinates in spaceApplicant: Profile Controles Ind. Soc. Par. (FR)Patent number: FR2919382 (A1)Publication date: January 30, 2009

Abstract

The device has a computing unit transmitting data about position of a test probe, e.g. ultrasonic probe, between a multi-axis hinged robot and a non-destructive testing device and converts data about angular position of a coding device of the robot into Cartesian data. The computing unit has a dedicated programmable logic circuit, e.g. field-programmable gate array, that process the position of the coding device in real time, and converts and formats the position into Cartesian coordinates in space, before transmission of the data to the testing device.

Title: Non-destructive testing, in particular for pipes during manufacture or in the finished stateApplicant: V & M France (FR)Patent number: US2009301202 (A1)Publication date: December 10, 2009

Abstract

Non-destructive testing device for pipes. It extracts information on defects from signals captured by ultrasound receivers following the selective excitation of ultrasound transmitters according to a selected time rule. The receivers form an arrangement with a selected geometry, coupled in an ultrasound fashion, with relative rotation/translation movement, with the pipe. The device comprises a converter that selectively isolates a digital representation of echoes in designated time windows, as a function of the movement, and by extracting an image of defects, a filter which determines the presumed defect zones (Zcur) and the properties of these, a combiner to prepare working digital inputs from an extract of images of a defect zone, properties of these coming from the filter, and contextual data, a neural circuit receiving the working inputs, a digital decision and alarm stage working on the basis of the output of the neural circuit, and a sorting and marking robot for the pipes deemed not to conform by the decision and alarm step.