Systems and methods for an inspection robot having replaceable sensor sled portions are disclosed. An example system may include: an inspection robot including a plurality of payloads; a plurality of arms, each of the plurality of arms pivotally mounted to one of the plurality of payloads; and a plurality of sleds, each sled mounted to one of the plurality of arms. At least one of the plurality of sleds includes an upper portion coupled to a replaceable lower portion, where the replaceable lower portion includes a portion of a delay line for a sensor of the inspection robot.

To specify a trajectory of an eddy current sensor provided on a polishing table of a substrate polishing apparatus, disclosed is a method of identifying a trajectory of an eddy current sensor as seen from a substrate in a substrate polishing apparatus having a polishing table and a polishing head. The method includes: obtaining a sensor output map as three-dimensional data; polishing the substrate; obtaining a profile of the real-time polishing signal as two-dimensional data; and extracting a trajectory having a profile most similar to the profile of the real-time polishing signal as two-dimensional data from the sensor output map as three-dimensional data and identifying the extracted trajectory as a trajectory of the eddy current sensor as seen from the substrate.

Robotic inspection device for tank and pipe inspections includes a housing configured to be positioned on a portion within a flow apparatus. The portion has a wall with a coating on the wall. The coating has a coating thickness. The device has a magnetic transducer mounted to the housing. The magnetic transducer is configured to measure a magnetic flux permeability through the coating on the wall. A computer system is mounted to the housing. The computer system is operatively coupled to the magnetic transducer. The computer system includes one or more processors and a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include receiving magnetic flux permeability measured by the magnetic transducer at a location on the portion and determining a coating thickness at the location based on the magnetic flux permeability measured at the location.

A flaw detection apparatus for use with a tubular has a helixing conveyor adapted to receive the tubular thereon, a frame positioned over a center section of the helixing conveyor, and a plurality of inspection devices retained by the frame so as to detect flaws in the tubular as said helixing conveyor moves the tubular through the frame. The helixing conveyor has a plurality of sets of rollers that are angularly adjustable relative to a longitudinal axis of the helixing conveyor. The plurality of inspection devices include a longitudinal inspection device, a Hall Effect wall thickness inspection device, an oblique inspection device, a transverse inspection device, and a grade verification/comparator device.

A system includes an inspection robot having a plurality of acoustic sensors coupleable to an inspection surface through a couplant chamber defining a delay line therebetween; the plurality of acoustic sensors configured to provide raw acoustic data; a controller, comprising: an acoustic data circuit structured to interpret the raw acoustic data; a thickness processing circuit structured to determine a primary mode value and a primary mode score value in response to the raw acoustic data; and wherein the thickness processing circuit is further structured to determine a thickness value in response to the primary mode value and the primary mode score value.

A system includes an inspection robot comprising a lead inspection sensor providing lead inspection data, and a trailing inspection sensor; a controller, comprising: an inspection data circuit structured to interpret the lead inspection data; a sensor configuration circuit structured to determine a trailing sensor configuration change for the trailing inspection sensor in response to the lead inspection data; and a sensor operation circuit structured to adjust a trailing sensor configuration for the trailing inspection sensor in response to the trailing sensor configuration change.

A device for locating studs on a surface such as a wall is disclosed. The device comprises a housing, a plurality of magnets disposed in the housing, a level placed between the plurality of magnets and line lasers in which one line laser is provided at one end of the housing and another line laser is provided at an opposite end of the housing. A flux density of the plurality of magnets is used to determine a location and a distance between the studs on the surface. The level is used to accurately determine the position of the studs. The line lasers are configured to emit laser beams at each side of the housing to label location of successive studs for remainder of the surface based on the distance calculated using the plurality of magnets and the level.

Controllers for inspection robots traversing an obstacle are described. In an embodiment a controller may include an obstacle sensory data circuit to interpret obstacle sensory data provided by an obstacle sensor of an inspection robot, an obstacle processing circuit to determine refined obstacle data, and an obstacle notification circuit to generate and provide obstacle notification data to a user interface device. The controller may further include a user interface circuit to interpret a user request value from the user interface device, and to determine an obstacle response command value in response to the user request value; and an obstacle configuration circuit to provide the obstacle response command value to the inspection robot during the interrogating of the inspection surface.

A system includes an inspection robot having a plurality of input sensors, the plurality of input sensors distributed horizontally relative to an inspection surface and configured to provide inspection data of the inspection surface at selected horizontal positions; a controller, comprising: a position definition circuit structured to determine an inspection robot position of the inspection robot on the inspection surface; a data positioning circuit structured to interpret the inspection data, and to correlate the inspection data to the inspection robot position on the inspection surface; and wherein the data positioning circuit is further structured to determine position informed inspection data in response to the correlating of the inspection data with the inspection robot position.

A sensor system includes an eddy current sensor including at least one coil with excitation electronics coupled across the coil. An optical displacement sensor is secured to the eddy current sensor so that a vertical distance between the sensors is fixed. The optical displacement sensor is located on top of and concentric with the coil so that a measurement axis of the optical displacement sensor is collinear with an axis of symmetry of the coil. A computing device including a processor and memory is coupled to receive sensor data from the eddy current sensor and the optical displacement sensor that is adapted for analyzing the sensor data obtained from measuring a coated substrate including a coating layer on at least one side of a metal substrate to determine at least a thickness of the coating layer.