Inspection robots with removeable interface plates and method for configuring payload interfaces are described. An example robot may include a payload, with at least one sensor, mounted to a housing of the inspection robot. The housing may include a removeable interface plate coupled to the at least one sensor and to an electronic board, the electronic board positioned within the housing. The removeable interface plate may define an electrical coupling interface compatible with the payload, and the electronic board may include an electrical processing configuration compatible with the payload.

Systems for reprogrammable inspection robots are described. An example system may include an inspection robot having a housing, a payload interface, a drive module interface, and a tether interface. The system may further include a first electronic board having a primary functionality circuit communicatively coupled to a base station and a second electronic board operationally coupled to the payload interface, the second electronic board having a payload functionality circuit coupled to a selected payload through the payload interface. The example system may further include a third electronic board operationally coupled to the drive module interface, the third electronic board having a drive module functionality circuit communicatively coupled to a selected drive module through the drive module interface.

Inspection robots with center encoders are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing, and a drive module, where the drive module has a wheel and a motor and is operatively coupled to the housing. The example inspection robot may also have an encoder to provide a movement value, where the encoder is positioned within a footprint of the housing. The example inspection robot may also have a controller with an encoder conversion circuit to calculate a distance value in response to the movement value, a location circuit to determine at least one of a robot location value or a robot speed value, and a position command circuit to provide a position action command in response to the robot location value or the robot speed value. The drive module may be responsive to the position action command to move the inspection robot.

Inspection robots with independent drive module suspension are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with a first connector on a first side of the housing, and a second connector on a second side of the housing. A first drive module, having at least one wheel and a first motor, may be operatively coupled to the first connector, and a second drive module, having at least one wheel and a first motor, may be operatively coupled to the second connector. The first and second drive modules may be coupled by a drive connector.

Inspection robots with swappable drive modules are described. An example inspect robot may include a first removeable interface plate on the side of a robot chassis. The first removable interface plate may couple a first drive module to an electronic board, within the chassis, where the electronic board includes a drive module interface circuit communicatively coupled to the first drive module. The example inspect robot may also include a second removeable interface plate on a side of a robot chassis. The second removable interface plate may couple a second drive module to an electronic board, within the chassis, where the electronic board includes a drive module interface circuit communicatively coupled to the second drive module.

Methods and apparatus for verifiable inspection operations are described. An example apparatus may have an inspection description circuit to interpret an inspection definition value and a payload status circuit to provide a payload identification value in response to at least one of a payload specific configuration or signals from a payload. The example apparatus may also have an inspection integrity circuit to determine an inspection description value in response to the inspection definition value and the payload identification value and an inspection reporting circuit to communicate the inspection description value to an external device.

Inspection robots with a payload engagement device are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing, a drive module, having at least one wheel and a motor, where the drive module is operatively coupled to the housing. The example inspection robot may also have a payload coupled to the drive module, where the payload includes a sensor mounted to the payload, and a payload engagement device operationally coupled to the drive module and the payload, where the payload engagement device applies a selected downward force on the payload.

Inspection robots with a payload engagement device are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing, a drive module, having at least one wheel and a motor, where a sled is coupled to the payload, the sled having a sensor mounted thereon, and a payload engagement device interposed between the drive module and the payload and structured to regulate an engagement of the sled with an inspection surface.

Inspection robot and methods utilizing coolant for temperature management are described. An example inspection robot may include a housing with a couplant retaining chamber, and an electronic board selectively thermally coupled to the couplant retaining chamber. The inspection robot may include a couplant input port coupling a couplant source to a couplant flow path, a drive module coupled to the housing, and a payload with at least one sensor, where the payload is coupled to the housing. The couplant flow path is fluidly coupling the couplant input port to the couplant retaining chamber.

Inspection robots with independent, swappable, drive modules are described. An example inspection robot may have a center body with a plurality of power interfaces, a plurality of communication interfaces, and a plurality of cooling interfaces. The example inspection robot may have a plurality of drive modules, where each drive module is structured to be coupled to a power interface, a communication interface, and a cooling interface.