Self-leveling inspection system methods and devices for use in inspecting buried pipes or other cavities are disclosed. The system includes a camera head with an image sensor, an orientation sensor, and a signal processing module including a processing programmed to receive an image from the image sensor, and an orientation signal from the orientation sensor, generate a second image based at least in part on information provided from the orientation sensor, and store the second image in a non-transitory memory.

Apparatus and method for detecting flaws in a wall of a metallic pipe containing a fluid are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a plurality of sensors distributed around an inner circumference of the metallic pipe, for sensing magnetic field signals from the metallic pipe; a collapsible supporting structure, including a plurality of supporting petals, at a front side of the plurality of sensors for supporting the apparatus; a sail mounted on and extended from bottom ends of the plurality of supporting petals, when the plurality of supporting petals are in an extended state, the sail is expanded to form a shape capable for containing the fluid; a processing module receiving sensed data from the plurality of sensors; and one or more battery modules for electrically powering the plurality of sensors and the processing module.

An inspection robot incudes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.

Disclosed herein is a rotational roller apparatus for use with a pipeline unit. The pipeline unit is received in a pipeline for welding and/or inspection. The rotational roller is attached to and is able to support at least a portion of the weight of the pipeline unit. The rotational roller unit also includes an extension member and a reduced friction base. The reduced friction base is attached to an end of the extension member so that the rotational roller has a retracted and an extended configuration. In the extended configuration, the reduced friction base contacts an interior of the pipeline and supports at least a portion of the weight of the pipeline unit and thereby allows the unit to be rotated about a longitudinal axis within the pipeline.

A system includes an electromagnetic inspection device, a processing device, and a memory device. The electromagnetic inspection device includes at least one transmitter that can transmit an electromagnetic signal toward a wall of a flexible pipe. The electromagnetic inspection device also includes at least one receiver that can receive at least one scattered electromagnetic signal from the wall of the flexible pipe. The memory device includes instructions executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to transmit an electromagnetic signal using the transmitter, to receive the scattered electromagnetic signal using the receiver, and to identify at least one anomaly in the wall of the flexible pipe using the scattered electromagnetic signal.

A robotic device and method for inspecting a pipeline to assess metal loss, the presence of defects and corrosion effects. The robotic device is an inline inspection tool that can establish a positional address in the pipeline using known positional benchmarks. The robotic device comprises flexible electronic caliper sensors measuring pipe diameter and an elastic foam body to prevent seizing within the pipeline. A removable PCB enables interchangeable operation with in-kind devices of different diameters and/or with the computers, extracting and plotting the data. The method of measurement may use data fusion between different instruments and measurement methodologies.

A system and method for determining orientation of a vehicle is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a vehicle having a hinge joint such that sections of the chassis are capable of rotation with respect to each other. A first and second wheel is mounted to one and the other of the chassis sections, respectively. Vehicle geometric data defining a distance between the hinge joint and the centers of the first and second wheels, respectively, and the diameter of the wheels is provided. Surface geometric data defining the curvature of the surface can be provided. The angle of rotation about the hinge joint is measured. An orientation of the vehicle relative to the surface based on the vehicle geometric date, the surface geometric data, and the measured angle of rotation can be determined. A system and method for determining the orientation of an object is also provided.

A compact subsea pig launcher comprises a tubular magazine for holding a plurality of pipeline pigs in longitudinal succession ready for launching successively into a subsea pipeline. The magazine is shaped to define at least one turn such as a coil around an upright axis. Thus, a series of pigs are stored in longitudinal succession along a path that is curved in plan view around the upright axis. During launching, at least one of the series of pigs is advanced along the path with angular movement around the upright axis.

An inspection camera system includes a camera unit and one or more accessory tools. The camera is mounted in a camera housing. A primary attachment and a secondary attachment act together to provide a reliable attachment of an accessory tool to the camera housing. The accessory tool is removable from the camera housing by disengagement of the secondary and primary attachments. The primary attachment arrangement alone, in an engaged position, resists at least some motion of the accessory tool relative to the camera housing. The secondary attachment arrangement, when engaged, resists motion of the primary attachment arrangement relative to the camera housing out of its engaged position.

Reconfigurable electromagnetic pipe inspection tools are designed and assembled using optimized parameters determined using modeling. The reconfigurable tools include multiple modules connected to one another in a stackable fashion guided by optimized tool parameters customized based on well diagrams.