Pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts and control method thereof

Abstract

A pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts includes a robot main body, crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms symmetrically provided on left and right sides of the robot main body, and crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies provided on the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms. The robot main body is connected to the crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies at the left and right sides thereof by means of the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms. The crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms are adjusted by means of supporting sliding blocks at the bottom of the robot main body. The crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assembly includes a primary traveling crawler belt, an auxiliary traveling crawler belt, and a crisscross structure-changeable sliding block. The primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt are connected by means of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding block.

Claims

1. A pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts, comprising a robot main body, crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms symmetrically provided on left and right sides of the robot main body, and crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies provided on the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanism; wherein the robot main body is connected to the crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies at the left and right sides thereof by means of the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms; the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanism comprises a panel with a rotating shaft, which is connected to the robot main body, and a supporting sliding rail for adjusting a crawler belt tilt angle; a push rod motor is mounted on the supporting sliding rail; a power output shaft of the push rod motor drives a supporting sliding block capable of reciprocating on the supporting sliding rail; a supporting rod is mounted on the supporting sliding block; one end of the supporting rod is connected to the supporting sliding block and the other end thereof is connected to a supporting base on the panel with a rotating shaft; each crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assembly comprises a primary traveling crawler belt, an auxiliary traveling crawler belt, and a crisscross structure-changeable sliding block; each of the primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt comprises a crawler belt supporting plate, a driving wheel, a driven wheel, a driving motor, and a crawler belt; a sliding rail and a lead screw are mounted in the middle of the crawler belt supporting plate and the lead screw is engaged with a gear of a stepping motor mounted on the crawler belt supporting plate to drive the lead screw to rotate; and the crisscross structure-changeable sliding block is composed of two sliding blocks and a torque motor.

2. The pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts according to claim 1, wherein two sets of the supporting sliding rails for adjusting a crawler belt tilt angle are provided, and are centrally symmetrically mounted at the bottom of the robot main body; and the panel with a rotating shaft is provided with two crawler belt assembly supporting rods, which are used for mounting the crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies.

3. The pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts according to claim 2, wherein the two sliding blocks comprised in the crisscross structure-changeable sliding block are mounted on the lead screw in the middle of each of the primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt respectively; the two sliding blocks of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding block are connected by means of the torque motor; and the crisscross structure-changeable sliding block is driven to slide on the lead screw in each of the primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt respectively, under a driving force of the stepping motor mounted in each of the primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt.

4. The pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts according to claim 1, wherein two sets of the crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies are provided, and are symmetrically mounted on the panels with a rotating shaft of the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms at two sides of the robot main body; and a bearing is mounted inside the centers of a driving wheel and a driven wheel comprised in the primary traveling crawler belt, which are mounted and fixed through the bearing and the two crawler belt assembly supporting rods on the panel with a rotating shaft.

5. The pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts according to claim 1, wherein the robot main body comprises a robot main body panel, a depth camera, battery components, a power supply component, a main control component, a radio component, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, and a single line laser radar; the single line laser radar is mounted in front of a bottom surface of the robot main body panel; the depth camera is mounted in front of an upper surface of the robot main body panel; the battery components are mounted on the bottom surface of the robot main body panel and at two sides of the supporting sliding rails for adjusting a crawler belt tilt angle; and the power supply component, the main control component, the radio component and the IMU sensor are mounted on the upper surface of the robot main body, and the IMU sensor is mounted in the center of the robot main body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view of mechanism of a pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts of the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of mechanism of the bottom of a pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts of the present disclosure.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of mechanism of a robot main body.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanism.

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of mechanism of a crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assembly.

(6) FIG. 6 is an internal exploded view of a crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assembly.

(7) FIG. 7 is a state schematic diagram of an inspection robot in a pipeline before adjustment of crawler belt tilt angles.

(8) FIG. 8 is a state schematic diagram of an inspection robot in a pipeline after adjustment of crawler belt tilt angles.

(9) FIG. 9 is distances from a primary traveling crawler belt, an auxiliary traveling crawler belt, and a front end of the primary traveling crawler belt of an inspection robot to an obstacle, an obstacle height measured by a binocular camera, a slope angle of a traveling road surface of the inspection robot, and an included angle between the primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt.

(10) FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram when left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts of an inspection robot contact with an obstacle.

(11) FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram when an inspection robot main body climbs upward until primary traveling crawler belts contact with an obstacle.

(12) FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram when left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts of an inspection robot slide downward to reach the bottom of an inspection robot main body.

(13) FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram when left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts of an inspection robot downward support a robot main body to be on the same horizontal line above an obstacle.

(14) FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram when left and right primary traveling crawler belts and auxiliary traveling crawler belts of an inspection robot travel forward and stop until the bottoms of the left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts reach the bottom of an obstacle.

(15) FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram when auxiliary traveling crawler belts are retracted after an inspection robot climbs upward to be above an obstacle.

(16) FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram when an inspection robot completely crosses over an obstacle.

LIST OF IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IN THE DRAWINGS

(17) 1: robot main body; 11: robot main body panel; 12: depth camera; 13: power supply component 14: main control component; 15: IMU sensor; 16: radio component; 17: single line laser radar; 18: battery component; 2: crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanism; 21: panel with a rotating shaft; 22: supporting rod; 23: supporting sliding block; 24: supporting sliding rail; 25: push rod motor; 211: supporting base; 212: crawler belt assembly supporting rod; 3: crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assembly; 31: primary traveling crawler belt; 32: auxiliary traveling crawler belt; 33: crisscross structure-changeable sliding block; 311: driving wheel; 312: driven wheel; 313: crawler belt supporting plate; 314: crawler belt; 315: driving motor; 331: high-torque motor; 332: small sliding block; 3131: stepping motor; 3132: lead screw.

Detailed Description

(18) The present disclosure will be further described in conjunction with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementations. It should be understood that the following specific implementations are only intended to illustrate the present disclosure and not to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

(19) As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts includes a robot main body 1, crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms 2 symmetrically provided on left and right sides of the robot main body, and crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies 3 provided on the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms. The robot main body is connected to the crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies at the left and right sides thereof by means of the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms. The crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanism includes a panel with a rotating shaft 21, which is connected to the robot main body, and a supporting sliding rail 24 for adjusting a crawler belt tilt angle. A push rod motor 25 is mounted on the supporting sliding rail. A power output shaft of the push rod motor drives a supporting sliding block 23 capable of reciprocating on the supporting sliding rail. A supporting rod 22 is mounted on the supporting sliding block. One end of the supporting rod is connected to the supporting sliding block and the other end thereof is connected to a supporting base 211 on the panel with a rotating shaft. The crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assembly includes a primary traveling crawler belt 31, an auxiliary traveling crawler belt 32, and a crisscross structure-changeable sliding block 33. Each of the primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt includes a crawler belt supporting plate 313, a driving wheel 311, a driven wheel 312, a driving motor 315, and a crawler belt 314. A sliding rail and a lead screw 3132 are mounted in the middle of the crawler belt supporting plate and the lead screw is engaged with a gear of a stepping motor 3131 mounted on the crawler belt supporting plate to drive the lead screw to rotate. The crisscross structure-changeable sliding block is composed of two small sliding blocks 332 and a high-torque motor 331.

(20) Two sets of the supporting sliding rails 24 for adjusting a crawler belt tilt angle are provided, and are centrally symmetrically mounted at the bottom of the robot main body. The panel with a rotating shaft 21 is provided with two crawler belt assembly supporting rods 212, which are used for mounting the crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assembly.

(21) Two sets of the crisscross structure-changeable crawler belt assemblies 3 are provided, and are symmetrically mounted on the panels 21 with a rotating shaft of the crawler belt tilt angle adjustment mechanisms at two sides of the robot main body. A bearing is mounted inside the centers of a driving wheel and a driven wheel included in the primary traveling crawler belt 31, which are mounted and fixed through the bearing and the two crawler belt assembly supporting rods on the panel with a rotating shaft.

(22) The two sliding blocks 332 included in the crisscross structure-changeable sliding block are mounted on the lead screw 3132 in the middle of each of the primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt respectively. These two small sliding blocks 332 are connected by means of the high-torque motor 331. The crisscross structure-changeable sliding block 33 can be driven to slide on the lead screw 3132 in each of the primary traveling crawler belt and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt respectively, under a driving force of the stepping motor mounted in each of the primary traveling crawler belt 31 and the auxiliary traveling crawler belt 32.

(23) The robot main body includes a robot main body panel 11, a depth camera 12, battery components 18, a power supply component 13, a main control component 14, a radio component 16, an IMU sensor 15, and a single line laser radar 17. The single line laser radar is mounted in front of a bottom surface of the robot main body panel. The depth camera is mounted in front of an upper surface of the robot main body panel. The battery components are mounted on the bottom surface of the robot main body panel and at two sides of the supporting sliding rails for adjusting a crawler belt tilt angle. The power supply component, the main control component, the radio component and the IMU sensor are mounted on the upper surface of the robot main body, and the IMU sensor is mounted in the center of the robot main body.

(24) A control method for adjustment of crawler belt tilt angles of a pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts, and the method including the following steps: Step 1: Sample point cloud information outputted by a single line laser radar and calculate an included angle .sub.L,.sub.R between a curvature radius direction of road planes contacting with crawler belts at two sides and an X-axis direction of the robot according to the point cloud information. Step 2: Calculate a distance to be moved l of a supporting sliding rail for adjusting a tilt angle of the crawler belt at the left side;

(25) 0$\begin{array}{cc}l=\{\begin{array}{cc}{l}_{\mathrm{init}}-\left(\sqrt{l_1^2-{\left(l_2\cos \left(\frac{}{2}-{}_L\right)\right)}^2}-l_2\sin \left(\frac{}{2}-{}_L\right)\right)& {}_L<\frac{}{2}\\ l_{\mathrm{init}}-\left(\sqrt{l_1^2-{\left(l_2\cos \left({}_L-\frac{}{2}\right)\right)}^2}-l_2\sin \left({}_L-\frac{}{2}\right)\right)& {}_L>\frac{}{2}\end{array}& \left(1\right)\end{array}$ where l.sub.init is a distance from a panel with a rotating shaft at the left side in a case that the panels with a rotating shaft are vertical to a robot main body panel, i.e., .sub.L=/2, l.sub.1 is a distance from a supporting base to the rotating shaft, and l.sub.2 is a length of a supporting rod. Step 3: Calculate a rotation count k of a push rod motor for adjusting the tilt angle of the crawler belt at the left side.

(26) Calculate the rotation count k of the push rod motor according to l and a distance l.sub.o for which a supporting sliding block can move in a case of rotating the push rod motor for one circle.

(27) $\begin{array}{cc}k=\frac{l}{l_o}& \left(2\right)\end{array}$

(28) .sub.L>/2 indicating that the curvature radius direction of the road planes contacting with the crawler belt at the left side is toward the lower right, at this time, l<0, and the supporting sliding block moves rightward for |l|, the push rod motor rotates clockwise for k circles and the crawler belt retracts inward; and .sub.L</2 indicating that the curvature radius direction of the road planes contacting with the crawler belt at the left side is toward the upper right, at this time, l>0, and the supporting sliding block moves leftward for |l|, the push rod motor rotates anticlockwise for k circles and the crawler belt expands outward. Step 4: Calculate by step 1 to step 3 to obtain a count k to be rotated of the push rod motor, determine whether the direction is clockwise or anticlockwise according to a size relationship between .sub.L and /2, and select a reasonable control algorithm to drive the push rod motor to rotate for a specified count; likewise, for the crawler belt at the right side, calculate by step 1 to step 3 to obtain a movement distance l of the supporting sliding block at the right side and a rotation count k of the push rod motor at the right side, and drive the push rod motor at the right side to rotate for a corresponding count; and the rotation counts of the push rod motors at the left and right sides being also different with respect to different curvature radii of the road planes contacting with the crawler belts at the left and right sides, thus enabling the inspection robot to adapt to a terrain with different plane curvature radii on the same road.

(29) An obstacle-crossing control method of a pipeline inspection robot with crisscross structure-changeable crawler belts, and the method including the following steps: Step 1: Sample a y-axis direction angle outputted by an IMU sensor, with a sampling frequency of 100 Hz. Acquire data of a depth camera and calculate a distance from a front obstacle l and an obstacle height h. Step 2: Before the inspection robot reaches the obstacle: in a case of l>l.sub.s, calculate distances to be moved of crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks on primary traveling crawler belts and auxiliary traveling crawler belts, namely l.sub.f and l.sub.s respectively, and calculate a rotation angle of high-torque motors; and in a case of l<l.sub.s, return back until l>l.sub.s.

(30) $\begin{array}{cc}=\left(\arccos \left(\frac{h}{l_s}\right)+\frac{}{2}\right)-{}_c,l_f=-l_{\mathrm{fc}},l_s=-l_{sc}& \left(3\right)\end{array}$ where the length of the primary traveling crawler belts is l.sub.f and the length of the auxiliary traveling crawler belts is l.sub.s, and l.sub.f=l.sub.s; in a case of l.sub.f>0, the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks slide on the sliding rails of the primary traveling crawler belts in a direction far away from driven wheels on the primary traveling crawler belts; in a case of l.sub.f<0, the structure-changeable sliding blocks slide on the sliding rails of the primary traveling crawler belts in a direction approaching to the driven wheels on the primary traveling crawler belts; in a case of l.sub.s>0, the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks slide on the sliding rails of the auxiliary traveling crawler belts in a direction far away from driving wheels on the auxiliary traveling crawler belts; in a case of l.sub.s<0, the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks slide on the sliding rails of the auxiliary traveling crawler belts in a direction approaching to the driving wheels on the auxiliary traveling crawler belts; and l.sub.fc indicates a distance from current positions of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks on the primary traveling crawler belts to the driven wheels on the primary traveling crawler belts and l.sub.sc indicates a distance from current positions of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks on the auxiliary traveling crawler belts to the driving wheels on the auxiliary traveling crawler belts. Step 3: The left and right primary traveling crawler belts of the inspection robot traveling forward until the left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts contact with the obstacle, and calculate a forward movement distance L.sub.f of the left and right primary traveling crawler belts.

(31) $\begin{array}{cc}{L}_f=l_s-l_f\cos \left(\arcsin \frac{h}{l_f}\right)& \left(4\right)\end{array}$ Step 4: The inspection robot main body climbing upward, and calculate a distance to be moved l.sub.s of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks on the auxiliary traveling crawler belts, a rotation angle of the high-torque motors, and a forward traveling distance L.sub.f of the left and right primary traveling crawler belts of the inspection robot.

(32) $\begin{array}{cc}=\frac{}{2}-\arccos \left(\frac{h}{l_s}\right),l_s=l_s,L_f=l_s& \left(5\right)\end{array}$ Step 5: The left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts of the inspection robot sliding downward to reach the bottom of the inspection robot main body, and calculate a distance to be moved l.sub.f of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks on the sliding rails of the primary traveling crawler belts and a rotation angle of the high-torque motors.

(33) $\begin{array}{cc}=\frac{}{2}-\arccos \left(\frac{h}{l_s}\right),l_f=l_f& \left(6\right)\end{array}$ Step 6: The left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts of the inspection robot downward supporting the robot main body to be on the same horizontal line above the obstacle; at this time, require h<(l.sub.sl.sub.f tan )cos ; and calculate a distance to be moved l.sub.s of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks on the auxiliary traveling crawler belts, a rotation angle of the high-torque motors, and a forward traveling distance L.sub.s of the left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts of the inspection robot.

(34) $\begin{array}{cc}=-\arccos \left(\frac{h}{l_s}\right),& \left(7\right)\end{array}$$l_s=l_f\tan +\frac{h}{\cos }-l_s,$$L_s=\sqrt{l_f^2-h^2}-h\tan +l_s-\frac{l_f}{\cos }$ Step 7: The left and right primary traveling crawler belts and auxiliary traveling crawler belts of the inspection robot traveling forward and stopping until the bottoms of the left and right auxiliary traveling crawler belts reach the bottom of the obstacle, and calculate traveling distances L.sub.f and L.sub.s of the left and right primary traveling crawler belts and auxiliary traveling crawler belts respectively, and a distance to be moved l.sub.s of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks on the auxiliary traveling crawler belts.

(35) $\begin{array}{cc}{L}_f=l_f,L_s=\frac{l_f}{\cos },l_s=\frac{h}{\cos }-\left(l_f\tan +\frac{h}{\cos }\right)& \left(8\right)\end{array}$ Step 8: Retract the auxiliary traveling crawler belts, and calculate a distance to be moved l.sub.f of the crisscross structure-changeable sliding blocks on the sliding rails of the primary traveling crawler belts and a rotation angle of the high-torque motors.

(36) $\begin{array}{cc}{l}_f=l_f,=\frac{}{2}& \left(9\right)\end{array}$ Step 9: Step 1 to step 8 above being all steps for the robot to cross over the obstacle on a ground with a ground gradient of tan(), and select a suitable control algorithm under a specified state to perform the rotation angles of the high-torque motors and the distances, which are calculated in each step.

(37) By adopting the control method for adjustment of crawler belt tilt angles and the obstacle-crossing control method, the pipeline inspection robot can adapt to different types of pipelines and cross over accumulated impurities inside the pipelines, thus effectively improving the efficiency of pipeline inspection.

(38) It should be noted that the content above merely illustrates the concept of the present disclosure, and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. A person of ordinary skill in the art can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present disclosure, and such improvements and modifications should be deemed as falling within the protection scope of the present disclosure.