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 system including an inspection robot having a plurality of sensors, a further sensor, and a controller. The controller having circuitry to receive inspection data with a first resolution from the plurality of sensors, determine a characteristic on the inspection surface based on the inspection data, and provide an inspection operation adjustment in response to the characteristic, wherein the inspection operation adjustment includes a change from the first resolution to a second resolution. The change from the first resolution to the second resolution includes enabling the further sensor where the further sensor is at least one of: horizontally distributed with or vertically displaced from the plurality of sensors relative to a travel path of the plurality of sensors, and at least one of: offset in alignment from the travel path of the plurality of sensors, or operated out of phase with the plurality of sensors.

Inspection robots with a multi-function piston connecting a drive module to a central chassis and systems thereof are disclosed. An example inspection robot may include a center chassis coupled to a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors. The inspection robot may further include a drive module coupled to the center chassis, the drive module having a drive wheel to engage an inspection surface and a drive piston mechanically interposed between the center chassis and the drive module. The example may further include wherein the drive piston in a first position couples the drive module to the center chassis at a minimum distance between and the drive piston in a second position couples the drive module to the center chassis at a maximum distance between. The example may further include wherein the drive module is independently rotatable relative to the center chassis.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for acoustic inspection of a surface are described. An example system may include an inspection robot structured to traverse an inspection surface in a direction of travel. The inspection robot may include a payload having a plurality of arms, connected to the inspection robot, to rotate around respective ones of a plurality of axes while the inspection robot traverses the inspection surface, where each of the plurality of axes is in the direction of travel. A plurality of sleds may be connected to the plurality of arms, and a plurality of inspection sensors connected to the plurality of sleds. The plurality of inspection sensors may be spaced apart from each other at adjustable positions to inspect the inspection surface at an adjustable resolution.

Systems and methods for determining the location of a vehicle are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for localizing a vehicle includes driving over a first road segment, identifying by a first localization system a set of candidate road segments, obtaining vertical motion data while driving over the first road segment, comparing the obtained vertical motion data to reference vertical motion data associated with at least one candidate road segment, and identifying, based on the comparison, a location of the vehicle. The use of such localization methods and systems in coordination with various advanced vehicle systems such as, for example, active suspension systems or autonomous driving features, is contemplated.

Systems and methods for configuring a robot for inspecting an inspection surface are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot having a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors and a controller. The controller may include a route profile processing circuit to interpret route profile data for the inspection robot, a configuration determining circuit to determine one or more configurations for the inspection robot in response to the route profile data; and a configuration processing circuit to provide configuration data in response to the determined one or more configurations, the configuration data defining, at least in part, one or more inspection characteristics for the inspection robot.

Systems, apparatus and methods for providing an interactive inspection map are disclosed. An example apparatus for providing an interactive inspection map of an inspection surface may include an inspection visualization circuit to provide an inspection map to a user device in response to inspection data provided by a plurality of sensors operationally coupled to an inspection robot traversing the inspection surface, wherein the inspection map corresponds to at least a portion of the inspection surface. The apparatus may further include a user interaction circuit to interpret a user focus value from the user device, and an action request circuit to determine an action in response to the user focus value. The inspection visualization circuit may further update the inspection map in response to the determined action.

System and methods for traversing an obstacle with an inspection robot are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot including an obstacle sensor to interrogate an inspection surface. The example may further include an obstacle sensory data circuit to interpret obstacle sensory data provided by the obstacle sensor, 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 example system 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.

Systems, methods and apparatus for rapid development of an inspection scheme for an inspection robot are disclosed. An apparatus may include an inspection definition circuit to interpret an inspection description value, and a robot configuration circuit to determine an inspection robot configuration description in response to the inspection description value. The apparatus may further include a configuration implementation circuit, communicatively coupled to a configuration interface of an inspection robot, to provide at least a portion of the inspection robot configuration description to the configuration interface.

Systems, apparatus and methods for providing an inspection map are disclosed. An apparatus for performing an inspection may include an inspection data circuit to interpret inspection data, a robot positioning circuit to interpret position data, and a processed data circuit to link the inspection data with the position data to determine position-based inspection data. The apparatus may further include a user interaction circuit to interpret an inspection visualization request for an inspection map and an inspection visualization circuit to determine the inspection map based on the position-based inspection data, and a provisioning circuit structured to provide the inspection map to a user device.