A rechargeable power source in an autonomous vehicle (AV) adapted to traverse within a pipe network is charged, the charging using mechanical power derived from a flow of material within the pipe network. A sensor in the AV is powered from the charged rechargeable power source. Using power from the rechargeable power source, the AV is caused to traverse within the pipe network.

Apparatus 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.

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for scarifying the interior surface of pipes, such as a sewer pipe. The apparatus comprises a chassis, a carriage coupled to the chassis to reciprocate along a longitudinal axis of the chassis, a shaft capable of indexing rotation coupled to the carriage, and arms extending radially from the indexing shaft and tipped in high-pressure nozzle assemblies. The method comprises positioning the apparatus in a pipe and alternately reciprocating the carriage and indexing the shaft so as to scarify successive longitudinal swathes of the pipe surface until the desired circumference of the pipe section is scarified. The apparatus is then repositioned in the next section of pipe and the method is repeated until the desired length of pipe is scarified. The invention may further comprise a separable propulsion unit.

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for scarifying the interior surface of pipes, such as a sewer pipe. The apparatus comprises a chassis, a carriage coupled to the chassis to reciprocate along a longitudinal axis of the chassis, a shaft capable of indexing rotation coupled to the carriage, and arms extending radially from the indexing shaft and tipped in high-pressure nozzle assemblies. The method comprises positioning the apparatus in a pipe and alternately reciprocating the carriage and indexing the shaft so as to scarify successive longitudinal swathes of the pipe surface until the desired circumference of the pipe section is scarified. The apparatus is then repositioned in the next section of pipe and the method is repeated until the desired length of pipe is scarified. The invention may further comprise a separable propulsion unit.

The present invention discloses a single-drive bidirectional-crawling pipe-cleaning robot, including a front body assembly, a transmission assembly, and a rear body assembly. The transmission assembly is driven by a single power source, and a transmission effect of a connecting rod mechanism, a gear mechanism, and an equal-dwell cam mechanism is used to implement alternate retraction and support of the front body assembly and the rear body assembly in a radial direction and a telescopic motion in an axial direction between the front body assembly and the rear body assembly and at the same time implement synchronous rotation of a dredging cutter head, so as to implement bidirectional crawling and pipe cleaning work of the robot along a pipe. The present invention is stable, reliable, compact, and practical, and implements single-drive bidirectional crawling and pipe cleaning in a pipe having a greatly changing pipe diameter, so that the obstacle negotiation performance and adaptability to pipe diameter changes of an in-pipe robot are effectively improved, the endurance of the in-pipe robot is improved, and practical engineering significance in cleaning of a horizontal pipe having a greatly changing pipe diameter is provided.

A remediation pig for cleaning a pipeline of wax or paraffin mechanically, with heating, and/or with jetting, comprising a body having an axis, an impeller mounted in the body to receive power from the flowing fluid within the pipeline, wheels mounted on the body for contacting the internal bore of the pipeline, the wheels being powered by the power received from the impeller and being mounted in a skewed position relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis such that as the wheels roll on the internal bore the remediation pig will move along the pipeline.

A remediation pig for cleaning a pipeline of wax or paraffin mechanically, with heating, and/or with jetting, comprising a body having an axis, an impeller mounted in the body to receive power from the flowing fluid within the pipeline, wheels mounted on the body for contacting the internal bore of the pipeline, the wheels being powered by the power received from the impeller and being mounted in a skewed position relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis such that as the wheels roll on the internal bore the remediation pig will move along the pipeline.

An apparatus for cleaning waste collection systems of solid materials. The apparatus is capable of cleaning waste systems in two known ways. First, a pumping method uses normal and injected water flow to suspend the solids in a slurry. A submersible pump moves the slurry from a collection point up to a pressurized container where the water content of the slurry is decanted and reused as injection water while the particulate material settles to the bottom of the pressurized container. Second, a vacuum system may be used to move the slurry from the waste system to the waste container. The vacuum system creates a negative pressure differential, causing material to be pulled through a vacuum tube and into the waste container. When the container becomes substantially full of solid particles, it may be emptied at a dumpsite.

Pipe inspection systems including a push-cable, jetter, and camera assembly are disclosed. A jetter nozzle may be configured to spin and/or propel the camera head within a pipe or other cavity. A cutter line may be attached to the camera head to clean obstructions. A sonde may be coupled to a camera head to generate magnetic field signals for use with a buried utility locator to locate a pipe or other cavity into which the camera head is deployed.

A system includes an apparatus for performing an inspection on an inspection surface with an inspection robot, the apparatus comprising: a controller configured to: interpret inspection data comprising sensed information from a location on an inspection surface; determine a feature of interest is present at the location of the inspection surface in response to the inspection data, and in response to determining the feature of interest is present at the location of the inspection surface, capture image information from the location on the inspection surface, and correlate the captured image information with the inspection data corresponding to the location of the inspection surface.