A two wheeled throwable robot comprises an elongate chassis with two ends, a motor at each end, drive wheels connected to the motors, and a tail extending from the elongate chassis. A rear portion having a deep recess securing the pair of motors with brackets, and batteries with brackets. The forward part having a shallow recess with a printed circuit board secured therein having control circuitry. The wheels are less than six inches in diameter and the robot weighs less than five pounds.

A two wheeled throwable robot comprises an elongate chassis with two ends, a motor at each end, drive wheels connected to the motors, and a tail extending from the elongate chassis. A rear portion having a deep recess securing the pair of motors with brackets, and batteries with brackets. The forward part having a shallow recess with a printed circuit board secured therein having control circuitry. The wheels are less than six inches in diameter and the robot weighs less than five pounds.

A walking foot for a drilling rig comprising a foot plate attacheable to a drilling rig by an travel plate, capable of functionally bearing a load in excess a quarter of the weight of a drilling rig, comprising a planar roller array wherein a plurality of load rollers with parallel rotational axes are dispersed both laterally and longitudinally within the plane, so as to fractionalize a weight applied perpendicular to the plane, and thereby promote longitudinal motion of the roller array in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of roller rotational axes.

This disclosure provides systems and methods for in situ gap inspection in a machine, such as a generator, an electric motor, or a turbomachine, with an end region. A robotic crawler is configured to navigate an annular gap of the machine. A visual inspection module is connected to the robotic crawler and includes an extension member for extending a camera into the end region to collect visual inspection data.

Relating primarily to the field of transporting are: a device, namely a self-controlled wheel, comprising several parts, admitting of change in the mutual position of individual parts of said self-controlled wheel, which are in contact with a support surface; and a method, namely a method to operate a wheel, comprising several parts, whereby the mutual position of individual parts of that wheel which are in contact with a support surface is changed. The technical outcome is a broader range of technical facilities.

A system for underwater inspection including an inspection crawler are provided. The inspection crawler includes a housing having first and second sides, a power source, a controller, an inspection tool, at least two driving wheels, and a moveable center of gravity. A method for traversing a weld joint with the inspection crawler having a moving mass is also provided. In the method, the crawler is parked proximate to the joint, and the mass is slid along a slide rail to the second end of the crawler distal to the joint. The first end of the crawler is then propelled over the joint and the mass is slid to the center of the crawler. A center portion of the crawler is then propelled over the joint and the mass is slid to the first end of the crawler. The second end of the crawler is then propelled over the joint.

An inspection crawler, and systems and methods for inspecting underwater pipelines are provided. The system includes the inspection crawler having a housing with a first side, an opposing second side, a power source, and a controller. The crawler includes an inspection tool, at least two pairs of latching arms, each latching arm including a rolling element, and at least two pairs of driving wheels. The system also includes at least one communication unit configured to communicate with the inspection crawler and to communicate aerially with one or more remote devices and, and at one sea surface unit. The inspection crawler can further include a connecting structure connecting the front and back portions of the crawler, and configured to elongate and shorten the inspection crawler.

A multidirectional locomotive module with omnidirectional bending that is compliant along multiple axis is provided. The locomotive module includes, (A) a first part that includes (i) a first circular rigid component, a second circular rigid component and a third circular rigid component, wherein the first circular rigid component is coupled to the second circular rigid component using a first two degree of freedom joint, wherein the second circular rigid component is coupled to the third circular rigid component using a second two degree of freedom joint, wherein the first two degree of freedom joint is aligned along the X and Y axes and the second two degree of freedom joint along the Y-axis and the X-axis of the locomotive module; (ii) a first pair of bending actuators that are connected to the first two degree of freedom joint and a second pair of bending actuators that are connected to the second two degree of freedom joint, wherein the first and the second pair bending actuators receive a signal from an external device or a sensing module when the locomotive module is in operation and actuates the first or the second two degree of freedom joint that enables bending of the locomotive module to an angle ranges from 0 to 90 degrees about a Z-axis in a direction to achieve (a) surface compliance with external surface when the locomotive module is in a crawling position along the X-axis or (b) bending to an angle in a range of 0 to 90 degrees in a direction when the locomotive module is in a vertical locomotion position; and (iii) a sprocket wheel; and (B) a second part that is elongated in shape with circular cross-section along a length and hemispherical in shape at a first end and a second end of the locomotive module, wherein the second part includes a sprocket chain that runs over the sprocket wheel and curved components coupled with the sprocket chain, wherein the sprocket chain is compliant along the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis, wherein the curved components includes curvature that in turn, along with the sprocket chain form circular cross-section of the second part along the length and hemispherical shape at the first end and the second end.

A robotic device for providing vertical mobility has a payload is disposed inside a central compartment and supported by a skid. The skid can move up and down through latch and hook pairs to keep intimate contact with the surface and cross over bumps. The apparatus uses a flexible seal to create a reliable vacuum chamber. The flexible seal comprises a foam ring inside fabric pocket. A plurality of rod and spring strips are configured to apply a downward force to the flexible seal to conform with surface curvatures. The fabric pocket fills in the gaps or seams to maintain a vacuum. The air flows inside a manifold and passes through a filter to avoid debris from damaging the vacuum motor assembly.

Apparatus and methods for realigning and re-adhering a hanging tool-equipped crawler vehicle with respect to a non-level surface of a target object. When the cable-suspended crawler vehicle with suction devices is adhered to a non-level surface of a target object, it is possible for the crawler vehicle to detach from the surface and be left hanging from the end of the cable in a state. While hanging from the end of the cable in a misaligned state and not in contact with the target object, the crawler vehicle is unable to carry out a planned maintenance operation. Before the maintenance operation is resumed, the crawler vehicle is realigned with the surface of the target object using a turret, a rotating arm or a cam-shaped roll bar provided as equipment on the crawler vehicle and then re-adhered to the surface by activation of the suction devices.