KR20150010030A - Robot device for inspecting pipe line by using map matching and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a robot device for inspecting a pipeline and a control method thereof, and, more specifically, to a robot device for inspecting a pipeline by matching the movement of the robot and a map, and a control method thereof. A method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a control method of a robot device for inspecting a pipeline using a map matching method, which comprises a step of controlling the movement of the robot for inspecting a pipeline by using configuration information of a preset pipeline; a step of calibrating errors between the actually moved distance and a moving distance calculated by using the information acquired from the robot for inspecting the pipeline in a curved pipe while the robot for inspecting a pipeline moves; a step of controlling a posture so that an omni-wheel of the robot for inspecting a pipeline has a moving direction when the robot for inspecting a pipeline reaches a curved pipe; and a step of passing the curved pipe by driving mecanum wheels in the state of fixating the omni-wheel after controlling the posture.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a piping inspection robot apparatus using map matching, and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002]

The present invention relates to a robot apparatus for inspecting piping and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a robot apparatus for inspecting piping by matching a movement of a robot with a map and a control method thereof.

Because of the nature of the facility, various pipes used in the industrial field should be dismantled and covered in order to access the work personnel for inspection due to limitations such as being buried beneath the ground or entangling intricately inside the plant.

However, carrying out such work for the simple inspection work not only wastes material but also wastes time, and also wastes cost. In addition, in the case of piping for transporting toxic gas, ventilation is not performed, and therefore there is a risk of gas poisoning during pipeline inspection by manpower. Especially in the case of a small pipe which occupies most of the pipeline, it is impossible for a person to go inside for inspection. Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, a pipeline exploration robot technology for exploring and inspecting the interior of a pipeline using a robot has been attracting attention.

However, most of the currently developed piping inspection robots have disadvantages in that they are not efficient to move in bends and branches. Some of these products have been developed with a snake-like structure in consideration of efficiency when moving in a bending tube or a branching tube. However, these products have a disadvantage in that the movement in the straight pipe is dull and the working time efficiency is lowered. In addition, the snake structure has a complicated pattern because the body is long at the time of backward movement from the curved surface, resulting in inconvenience of not only manufacture but also operation.

Therefore, the present invention provides a pipeline inspection robot and its control method that are efficient in movement in both the straight pipe, the curved pipe, and the branch pipe.

In addition, the present invention provides a piping inspection robot capable of freely selecting directions and a control method thereof.

The present invention also provides a piping inspection robot and a control method thereof that can inspect piping through map matching.

An apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a piping inspection robot,

The pipe inspecting robot includes:

A cylindrical body having a predetermined length and width; Three wheel wheels positioned at an angle of 120 degrees on both sides of the body; And two support shafts for supporting the body by being connected between the outer sides of the wheel wheels and the body for each of the wheel wheels,

The body,

A tilt sensor for detecting a degree of tilting of the wheel wheels; An ultrasonic sensor positioned at the center of the body and measuring a distance from the center of the body to the pipe; A motor for driving the wheels; A communication unit for communicating with equipment for controlling the piping inspection robot; Sensors for detecting a direction of the body from the three wheel wheels; And a control unit for controlling output of information of the motor, the communication unit, and the sensors through the communication unit based on information provided from the communication unit.

A method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method of controlling a piping inspection robot apparatus using map matching, the method comprising: controlling movement of the piping inspection robot using configuration information of a pipeline configured in advance; Correcting an error between an actual movement distance in the curved pipe during movement of the piping inspection robot and a movement distance calculated using information obtained from the piping inspection robot; Controlling a posture such that the omnis wheel of the pipe inspecting robot moves in a moving direction when the pipe inspecting robot reaches the curved pipe; And driving the mecha- nanum wheels in a state where the omni-wheel is fixed after the posture control to pass through the curved pipe.

The piping inspection robot according to the present invention has a body and a wheel of a frame structure, and can increase weight and energy efficiency by applying a three-axis wheel. In addition, since the body frame is designed in a cylindrical shape and the front and rear wheels are fixed to the cylinder of the body respectively, all the shafts have the same elasticity, thereby improving the stability. Further, at the time of redirection, all the axes ahead are contracted at the same time, thereby making it possible to perform more flexible redirection.

In addition, by controlling the wheel speed of each axis of the three-axis robot, it is possible to rotate in a desired direction. It is possible to change the viewpoint of the camera on the basis of the gravity and also to improve the direction conversion efficiency by switching to a certain posture at the time of direction change.

Also, in the control apparatus of the piping inspection robot according to the present invention, the two-dimensional piping drawing can be regenerated as a three-dimensional drawing by only a minimum numerical input, and can be used at the time of pipe inspection. In addition, And ultrasonic sensors and AHRS sensors.

In addition, if there is a broken part during the censoring, you can tag the snapshot at the corresponding location on the 3D drawing, store the data as history information, check the contents of the census afterwards, You can censor your drawings. This has the advantage of being able to carry out post-maintenance work on previously damaged parts.

1 is a functional block diagram of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention;
2A is a view showing a front view of an appearance of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention,
2B is a front view of the piping inspection robot according to the present invention,
2C is a side view of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention,
FIG. 2d is a view showing a shape of a pipe inspecting robot according to the present invention driven by a pipe,
3 is a software architecture of a control equipment for controlling a piping inspection robot according to the present invention,
4 is a view for explaining consideration factors for mechanical sizing of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention,
5 is a view for explaining a case where a pipe inspection robot according to the present invention measures a radius of a pipe inspected by using an ultrasonic sensor,
FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an encoder and an operation for calculating a movement distance of a pipe inspection robot according to the present invention;
7 is an output waveform diagram of an encoder for detecting the rotation amount of a wheel of a pipe inspection robot according to the present invention,
FIG. 8 is an example of a motor driving circuit for moving the inspection robot according to the present invention forward or backward, FIG.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are conceptual diagrams for explaining a case where the piping inspection robot according to the present invention changes the traveling direction during forward or backward movement;
FIG. 9C is a conceptual diagram for explaining the posture control of the pipe inspection robot according to the present invention,
10A and 10B are views for explaining a link structure of a body frame and a wheel of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention,
FIG. 11 is a view for explaining how the shape of a wheel changes when a pipe inspection robot according to the present invention is rotated;
12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an error between the actual position and the calculated position of the pipe inspection robot according to the present invention and correcting the error,
FIG. 13 is a control flow chart for controlling and controlling a robot in a control apparatus for controlling a piping inspection robot according to the present invention. FIG.
14 is an example of a three-dimensional drawing produced by a computer based on a two-dimensional drawing input by a user,
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user inputting a value of a two-dimensional pipe in accordance with the present invention,
16 is a conceptual view for explaining the type of piping,
17 is an exemplary view for explaining the setting of a direction of a pipe required for drawing according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings of the present invention attached hereto are provided for the purpose of helping understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the shape or the arrangement exemplified in the drawings of the present invention. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

1 is a functional block diagram of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention.

The piping inspection robot according to the present invention may include a tilt sensor 101 and an ultrasonic sensor 102. The tilt sensor 101 is a sensor for measuring the distance traveled by the piping inspection robot, and is mounted on the wheel of the inspection robot to check the number of revolutions and the rotation angle of the wheel. The thus-checked values are input to the signal converter 104. The signal converter 104 converts the analog value input from the tilt sensor 101 into a digital value that can be processed by the control unit 111 and provides the digital value to the control unit 111. The operation of measuring the movement distance of the inspector robot in the tilt sensor 101 and the process of processing in the signal converter 104 will be further described in the following drawings.

The ultrasonic sensor 102 generates and transmits a frequency signal of a preset band, and receives the reflected wave to calculate the distance. The ultrasonic sensor 102 is used to calculate the diameter of the pipe through which the piping inspection robot is passing. Thus, the ultrasonic sensor 102 is located at the center or the center of the pipeline inspection robot. When the reflected wave of the signal transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor 102 is received, the transmission information and the reflected wave reception information of the ultrasonic signal are output to the signal converter 104. Accordingly, the signal converter 104 converts the input signal into digital information of a form that can be processed by the controller 111, and provides the converted digital information to the controller 111. The operation of calculating the diameter of the pipe using the ultrasonic sensor 102 will be further described with reference to the drawings described later.

The motor 103 generates a rotational force to move the pipe inspecting robot. The motor 103 generates power for rotating the wheel on the basis of the pulse signal input from the signal converter 104.

The signal converter 104 converts the information inputted from each of the sensors 101 and 102 into a signal when the control signal transmitted from the controller 111 to each of the sensors 101 and 102 and the motor 103 is transmitted, (111) into a form that can be processed. For example, the signal converter 104 converts digital signals and analog signals between the sensors 101 and 102 and the control unit 111, or converts a signal for controlling the motor 103 into pulse widths PWM) signal.

The control unit 111 controls movement of the piping inspection robot, transmission of photographed information, transmission / reception of signals for controlling movement of the piping inspection robot, and the like. The control operation of the controller 111 will be understood with reference to the following drawings. When configuring the control unit 111 using a commercial chip, the DSP 2808 may be used. When the controller 111 is configured using a commercial chip, the controller 111 may be integrated with the signal converter 104.

The control unit 111 configured by commercial chips transmits a value through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of the signal processing unit 104 from the tilt sensor 101 for determining the direction of the robot and the ultrasonic sensor 102 for determining the radius of the pipe Can receive. The motor 103 can be controlled through a pulse width modulation (PWM) method inside the control unit 111. [

The camera module 105 receives light reflected from a subject and acquires a still image or a moving image. The camera module 105 acquires an image when necessary by the control of the controller 111, and the obtained image can be provided to the controller 111. [ In addition, the camera module 105 may include a lamp as the piping inspection robot moves in a dark tube. The camera module 105 preferably uses a module for minimizing image distortion.

The memory 106 may be a semiconductor memory in the form of a ROM or a RAM, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk such as a CD or a DVD. have. The memory 106 stores an area for temporarily storing data generated by the controller 111 during control, a buffer area for temporarily storing information provided from the camera module 105, a control data storage for driving the controller 111, Region. ≪ / RTI > The memory 106 may further include an area for storing other necessary information.

The external communication unit 107 transmits / receives data to / from an external device for controlling the piping inspection robot. The external communication unit 107 may be configured in a serial port format or a universal serial bus (USB) port format, or may perform wireless communication using a wireless communication device. However, it is preferable to use the wired method rather than the wireless communication because the inspection robot inspects the pipes buried in the ground or the pipes inside the complex buildings.

FIG. 2B is a front view of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention, FIG. 2C is a side view of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention, and FIG. 2D Is a view showing a configuration in which a piping inspection robot according to the present invention is driven in a piping.

As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the piping inspection robot 200 supports a body 220 at the center and a body, and connects the wheels 201 for moving the piping inspection robot And has a support shaft 211. The piping inspection robot 200 has three wheels on each of the front and rear sides, and each of the wheels is supported by two support shafts. Referring to FIG. 2B, FIG.

2B, one wheel 201 is connected to both sides of the body 220 and the wheel 201 via supporting axes 211 and 212 while being separated from the body 220 by a predetermined distance State. The supporting axes 211 and 212 will be described in more detail with reference to the following drawings.

In addition, since the pipe inspection robot 200 has three wheels in the front and in the bottom, the three wheels located at the front or the three wheels positioned at the rear are positioned to have an angle of 120 degrees around the body 220 desirable.

As shown in FIG. 2D, the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention is supported by wheels and wheel support shafts, each having three pipes on the front portion and the rear portion of the piping inspection robot 200, .

3 is a software architecture of a control equipment for controlling a piping inspection robot according to the present invention.

3, the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention can check the condition of the piping while moving inside the piping. However, equipment for controlling the piping inspecting robot 200 is required for moving the piping inspection robot 200 and photographing the piping. The form suitable for use as a control device for controlling the piping inspection robot 200 may be a general computer (PC) and / or a notebook computer (NoteBook PC) and / or a tablet computer. Hereinafter, it is assumed that a computer or a notebook computer is used for convenience of explanation.

In this specification, the functional block configuration of the equipment for controlling the piping inspecting robot 200 is not considered. This is because a general computer can be used as a control device for the piping inspection robot 200 as described above, and the block configuration for the computer is well known.

The platform 300 is a general platform for a computer. Accordingly, the platform 300 can be an operating system such as a window, and the control of the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention is based on a Java language. Therefore, the Java virtual machine (JVM) It is possible to operate independently of the hardware. However, it is preferable that the hardware has a serial port and a USB port in order to perform communication with the piping inspection robot 200, and may perform communication through other ports. If another port is used, the pipeline inspection robot 200 must also have the same port and be able to receive an image provided from the piping inspection robot 200 and transmit / receive control information to / from the piping inspection robot 200 Should be able to do.

The Java networking (301) communicates with the piping inspection robot (200) through a serial port and a USB port. That is, the Java networking 301 transmits control data to the piping inspection robot 200, and receives various data transmitted from the control and piping inspection robot 200 for receiving image information.

The cam data processing module 304 receives the cam data received from the camera module 105 of the pipeline inspection robot 200 through the USB port as described above and transmits the received image data to the cam interface 305 . That is, the cam data processing module 304 performs all the processing before the image received from the camera module 105 of the piping inspection robot 200 is processed as an image to be transmitted to the user.

The map matching module 310 directly implements a map of the piping to be inspected by the piping inspecting robot 200 and matches the maps corresponding to the movement of the piping inspecting robot 200. The piping inspecting robot 200 ) Is continuously corrected. Therefore, it is possible to match information on the location of the piping inspecting robot 200 in the piping and / or the state of the place where the piping inspecting robot 200 is located.

The three-dimensional image module 309 can be configured using 'JOGL (Java binding for OpenGL)'. The three-dimensional image module 309 receives data on the input two-dimensional pipeline diagram, and converts the three-dimensional image into a three-dimensional pipeline based on the received data. Thus, using the three-dimensional image module 309, the user can visually confirm the two-dimensional data as three-dimensional data. In addition, the three-dimensional image module 309 can display where the piping inspection robot 200 is located in the current pipeline based on the status information of the piping inspection robot 200 and the map matching module 310.

The Java user interface providing module 303 provides an overall user interface by using a Java Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) and Swing.

The Java Serialization 302 communicates with the platform 300 and hardware, that is, a function specific function block of the computer. Thereby storing or retrieving pipeline data and image information.

Finally, the cam interface 305, the control interface 306, the image interface 307, and other interfaces 308 correspond to a user interface that provides the user with graphics, characters, images, or the like.

The cam interface 305 is an interface for outputting image information input from the camera module 105 of the piping inspection robot 200 in a visual image which can be recognized by the user.

The control interface 306 is an interface for receiving status information from the piping inspection robot 200 or transmitting control signals to the piping inspection robot 200. That is, an interface is provided so that a user can input a specific command, and when a specific event is generated from the piping inspection robot 200, the information is received and provided to the user.

The image interface 307 schematizes the 3D pipeline using the 3D image module 309 and provides it to the user. That is, the operation of converting the two-dimensional data into the three-dimensional data is performed in the three-dimensional image module 309. The data converted into three-dimensional data is provided by the image interface 307 to the user as a three-dimensional image. The image interface 307 displays the current position of the piping inspection robot 200 on the 3D pipeline using the status information of the piping inspection robot 200 and the map matching module 310. Accordingly, the user can visually and intuitively confirm not only the three-dimensional piping type but also the position of the piping inspection robot 200 in the piping.

The other interface (ETC Interface) 308 represents an input / output j box, a list box, and the like, storing a file and / or loading a file into an interface other than the main view interface.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining factors considered for mechanical sizing of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the size of the pipe inspection robot 200 according to the present invention must be considered to be able to rotate in the bending direction of the bending pipe 400 as shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C. Accordingly, the size that can be rotated in the curved tube 400 can be various sizes such as 401, 402, and 403. When the size of the curved pipe for inspecting and inspecting the piping inspection robot 200 is determined in advance, the piping inspection robot 200 can be set to have any one of the shapes 401, 402, and 403.

When the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention is implemented in accordance with other conditions, the hardware can be configured as shown in Table 1 below. Note that this does not limit the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention, but is a table for explaining an implementation example.

Table 1 above is an example of concrete implementation of the piping inspection robot 200, and additional requirements will be described when constructing the piping inspection robot 200 in this form.

The piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention must be able to measure the angle in accordance with the movement since it moves in the piping and accurately recognize the direction in which the piping inspection robot 200 proceeds. For this purpose, when using commercially available products for the angle measurement (AHRS, Attitude Heading Reference System) of the robot, it can be configured to measure in all directions 360 degrees by using 'EBIMU-9DOF'

It also outputs reliable data on roll, pitch, and yaw angles by fusion of 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis acceleration sensor and 3-axis geomagnetic sensor. This module is a miniature module of 15mm * 23.5mm size and it is composed of 32bit MCU. In addition, since compensation and Kalman filter are designed in the internal MCU, it is not necessary to design a separate filter. In addition, since the geomagnetic sensor is fused together, 360 degrees of three axes can be expressed. However, when the piping inspection robot 200 is implemented without using a commercial product, the sensors and filters as described above, as well as the central processing unit, should be implemented to perform the operations described herein.

Next, a case of measuring the radius of a pipe inspected by the piping inspecting robot 200 using the ultrasonic sensor 102 added to the piping inspecting robot 200 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5 is a diagram illustrating a case where the pipe inspection robot according to the present invention measures the radius of a pipe inspected by using an ultrasonic sensor.

The diameter of the pipe can be measured by attaching the ultrasonic sensor 102 to the center of the pipe inspecting robot 200 according to the present invention and measuring the distance to the pipe inner wall 400 and using the distance as a radius.

Next, the movement distance measurement of the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an operation for calculating the moving distance of the piping inspection robot according to the present invention and an operation for performing calculation.

The wheel 601 having a groove with a predetermined interval unit is rotated by a shaft and the amount of rotation of the wheel 601 can be calculated using the sensors 611 and 612 located on both sides of the wheel. For example, assuming that the sensors 611 and 612 are of the photodiode type, for example, the first diode 611 is a light emitting diode and the second diode 612 is a light receiving diode. Although the light-emitting diode and the light-receiving diode are described in this specification as examples for convenience of understanding, it should be noted that any kind of sensor may be used as long as it can perform similar or similar operations.

Hereinafter, it is assumed that a light emitting diode and a light receiving diode are used. Every time the second diode 612 detects the light of the first diode 611, a pulse waveform such as 620 is generated. Such a sensor may be constituted by only one sensor, or may be constituted by two or more sensors in a set A and a sensor B as shown in FIG.

If it is configured to be two sets as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable to configure to output mutually inverted signals or signals having a phase difference of 90 degrees. That is, as shown in the lower part of the reference numeral 620 in FIG. 6, a mutual output signal having a phase difference of 90 degrees is output.

Therefore, since the number of grooves of the wheel 601 is known in advance, the number of output waveforms can be counted to calculate the amount of wheel rotation. Accordingly, the travel distance of the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention can be calculated. That is, the wheel 601 is a device for transmitting power to the wheels of the inspection robot 200 according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a more detailed description will be given with reference to FIG. 7 is an output waveform diagram of an encoder for detecting a rotation amount of a wheel of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention.

6, assuming that the signal output from the set A is a channel A, a signal output from the set A is transmitted to each of the holes included in the wheel 601 And outputs a pulse waveform having a period of 360 degrees. That is, the waveform from the time t0 to the time t3 is output.

Assuming that the signal output from the set B is channel B, the signal output from the set B outputs a pulse waveform having a period of 360 degrees for each hole included in the wheel 601. [ This output waveform is the output waveform of channel B.

The output waveforms of the channel A and the channel B have a phase difference of 90 degrees as described above. And has a phase difference of 90 degrees at reference numeral 720. During the phase of 180 degrees in channel A and channel B, one signal inversion occurs. In other words, if the time from t1 to t2 is taken as an example of the time from t1 to t2 in the channel B, a phase of 0 is outputted at a time of outputting a signal of 1, or a phase of 180 degrees is outputted at a time of outputting a signal of 0, Which is denoted by reference numeral 710.

The movement distance of the pipe inspection robot 200 according to the present invention can be calculated by detecting the movement of the wheel in the form as shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a motor circuit for moving the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention forward or backward will be described. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a motor driving circuit for moving a piping inspection robot according to the present invention forward or backward.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bidirectional bridge (H-bridge) circuit is a motor driving circuit made up of an OPAMP, a P-type MOSFET, and an N-type MOSFET. A p-type MOSFET is controlled by using a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal inverted and amplified using an OPAMP. When an n-type MOSFET is controlled by using a pulse width modulation signal, a diagonal FET is operated to control the motor to be. Bridge circuit in which two pulse width modulation signals and two pairs of n-type and p-type MOSFETs can be used to control movement in the forward direction or in the reverse direction, that is, in both directions.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are conceptual diagrams for explaining a case in which the piping inspection robot according to the present invention changes the traveling direction during forward or backward movement, and FIG. 9C is a conceptual diagram for explaining the posture control of the piping inspection robot according to the present invention .

When the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention reaches the end of an elbow type pipe during forward or backward movement, it is necessary to change the direction to move along the piping. Therefore, the pipe inspection robot 200 according to the present invention must rotate in the pipe direction in this case.

FIG. 9A is an exemplary view for explaining an operation in which the piping inspecting robot 200, which is moving forward or backward, is driven when rotating in the right direction. At this time, the pipe inspecting robot 200 according to the present invention fixes one of three different wheels. The fixed wheel is referred to as an omni wheel, and the wheel that is not fixed is referred to as a McAuley wheel 900.

In FIG. 9A, the pipe inspecting robot 200 can turn one wheel closest to the right direction as an omnidirectional wheel and rotate the rightward direction by setting the remaining two wheels as a McAuenum wheel for rightward rotation.

In the case shown in FIG. 9B, the pipe inspection robot 200 according to the present invention needs to be rotated upward while advancing or retracting. At this time, one wheel closest to the rotation direction is set to Omnicho, and the omni wheel stops rotating to fix it. After that, the remaining two wheels 900 are set as McCANN wheels and rotated so as to rotate upward, so that the pipe inspection robot 200 according to the present invention can rotate in the upward direction during forward or reverse.

Generally speaking, the weakness of the caster wheel is not efficient when rotating. However, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the direction change by switching to a constant posture at the time of the direction change. That is, as in the present invention, the posture is switched so that one wheel is positioned in the direction to be rotated, and the wheel is set as an omni wheel and fixed. Then, the direction of the machine can be changed by rotating the machine wheel.

An operation in which the pipe inspection robot 200 according to the present invention performs posture control in a pipe will be described. It is possible to control the posture inside the pipe by using the mechanic wheel 900 attached to the two shafts. As a result, it is possible to fix the observation point of the camera based on gravity and to rotate in a constant posture in the direction of rotation, thereby improving the efficiency of rotation.

10A and 10B are views for explaining a link structure of a body frame and a wheel of a pipe inspection robot according to the present invention.

In the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention, the body frame is formed in a cylindrical shape. When the body frame is constructed as a cylinder, the problem of the elasticity of the body can be solved when the body frame is constituted by a spring. In other words, when all the axes of the inspected robot 200 are constructed to be dependent only on the springs, they have a dependency on the elasticity, so that the problem of errors can be considerable. Therefore, the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention can minimize the reliance due to elasticity by configuring the body frame with a cylinder instead of a spring. In addition, the unnecessary portion remaining when the maximum force is applied to the spring can be removed through the body frame, thereby maximizing the efficiency in width reduction.

The cylindrical body 1003 having such a structure can increase stability through a support 1002 for supporting the wheel, that is, the motor holder 1001 connecting between the front and rear wheels.

As shown in FIG. 10B, in the wheel structure according to the present invention, when pressure is applied to a wheel on one side, the wheel on the other side maintains a normal state. Also, if pressure is applied to both wheels, the wheels on both sides approach the cylindrical body in the same manner as the left wheel of FIG. 10b. In the present invention, the degree to which one wheel is pressed is set to 25 mm. Referring to FIG. 10C, it is as follows.

FIG. 10C is a diagram showing the configuration of a piping inspection robot according to the present invention. FIG.

Each wheel is composed of three link axes as shown in FIG. 10C. The blue axes of the body transmit the pressure to the spring, and the yellow axes protect the wheels from touching the body frame. With this structure, the radius of the robot is reduced by 20 ~ 30mm, and the selection width is about 40 ~ 60mm with respect to the diameter of the pipe.

Therefore, when the pressure is applied to any one axis, all the axes are simultaneously contracted, and the shape of the wheel becomes A or V due to the characteristics of the internal structure at the time of turning in the bending direction. As described above, the pipe inspection robot 200 according to the present invention exhibits active motion corresponding to the rotation, so that it can smoothly change the direction.

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining how the shape of a wheel changes when a pipe inspection robot according to the present invention is rotated.

11 (a) to (f), the change of the wheel when the pipe inspecting robot 200 according to the present invention changes its direction is shown. As described above, when the pipe inspecting robot 200 according to the present invention enters the curved pipe, the posture control is first performed so that one wheel 1103 is positioned in the rotating direction.

The wheels 1103 positioned in the rotational direction through the attitude control become the omni wheels as described above. And the remaining two wheels 1101 and 1102 become a McAllen wheel. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11B, the omni wheel 1103 is fixed, and the macerator wheels 1101 and 1102 are driven to rotate. At this time, the two wheels 1101 and 1103 located on the outer side are bent in the direction of the remaining central wheel in the traveling direction to take an A shape. This can be seen more clearly in FIG. 11 (c).

11 (d), when the right turn is made as shown in FIG. 11 (e), on the other hand, when the right turn is made as shown in FIG. 11 The other wheels 1101 and 1103 are gathered on the opposite sides of the traveling direction with respect to the traveling direction 1102. That is, it takes a V shape. When all of the curved lines pass through this process, all three wheels 1101, 1102, and 1103 are positioned in parallel as shown in FIG. 11 (f).

As described above, when the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention moves the piping, an error occurs between the actual moving distance and the calculated moving distance in the piping. Even if the GPS, Global Positioning System, DR (Dead Reckoning) system, and the map specially designed for navigation are accurate, it is inevitable that errors will occur. Inaccurate position values generated due to these errors should be corrected by referring to the map database to display the positions close to each other. To this end, map matching is performed in the present invention. The map matching is used as a method for finding a position where the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention is located and correcting such inconsistency.

Likewise, an error may also occur in the measurement data of the piping inspecting robot 200. This error causes the robot position in the 3D piping drawing to be displayed incorrectly. Therefore, it is necessary to perform map matching considering the 3D piping diagram and the measurement data of the robot.

Therefore, in the present invention, a map matching method suitable for the piping inspection robot 200 is used. The piping inspection robot 200 is in a different condition and environment from GPS and DR. Unlike GPS or DR, which has its own position in absolute coordinates, the robot has relative coordinates through encoder values and sensor values. Therefore, it is necessary to perform map matching that corrects the error that occurs in the real position and the virtual position by the relative coordinates.

 There are various cases where the actual position and virtual position are different from each other in the piping inspection robot, such as when the wheel is idle, when the piping has a problem, the angle of the robot is changed, .

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an error between an actual position and a calculated position of a pipe inspection robot according to the present invention and correcting the error.

Map matching in an intuitive manner will be described as an example. Suppose that the piping inspection robot 200 according to the present invention moves and is located at the current location 1201. [ In this case, the position 1202 calculated by the computer 200 or calculated by the computer 200 or received from the piping inspecting robot 200 may be a virtual position. If the two positions are located at different points, the difference between the two points becomes the error 1210. [

Also, since the piping inspection robot 200 does not know the absolute coordinates, it is difficult to continuously compensate the accurate position in the straight pipe. However, if the angle of the virtual position 1202 is compared with the angle of the actual position 1201 when entering the curved line at the end of the straight line, that is, when entering the curved line as shown in FIG. 12, The virtual position 1202 is stopped.

When the angle of the actual position 1201 is equal to the angle of the virtual position 1202, the system starts again, and map matching is performed by a method of initializing the error.

FIG. 13 is a control flowchart for operations for controlling and controlling the robot in the control equipment for controlling the piping inspection robot according to the present invention.

As described above, it will be assumed that the control of the piping inspection robot 200 is performed by a computer. Therefore, the computer maintains the standby state in step 1300. This waiting state means a state of waiting for a specific event, and it is assumed that a program for controlling the piping inspecting robot 200 is driven.

In step 1302, the computer determines whether a map is required. If it is determined in step 1302 that the map creation is required, the flow advances to step 1304 to perform the map creation mode. If the map creation is not required, the flow advances to step 1306.

First, a description will be made of a case where the map creation mode is performed in step 1304. The computer receives information embedded in the piping from the user when the map creation mode is requested by the user and enters the map creation mode. That is, first, a two-dimensional piping drawing is created through a user's input. When a two-dimensional piping drawing is created in this manner, a three-dimensional piping drawing can be produced based on the two-dimensional piping drawing.

When a three-dimensional piping drawing is produced based on the two-dimensional drawing, the user can perform a free view. The preview allows the user to view and rotate the current 3D drawing. This will be described with reference to FIG.

14 is an example of a three-dimensional drawing produced on a computer based on a two-dimensional drawing input by a user.

As shown in FIG. 14, when a three-dimensional drawing is created based on a two-dimensional drawing input by the user, the user can intuitively check the drawing. In order to produce a drawing of the form as shown in FIG. 14, input information of a two-dimensional drawing as shown in FIG. 15 is required.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user inputting a value of a two-dimensional pipe in accordance with the present invention and generating a top-down view. FIG.

15 is a top view, that is, a two-dimensional view viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 15, the user has the advantage of producing a three-dimensional drawing according to the direction of the pipe in the two-dimensional drawing by providing a direct projection view from above.

The numerical input of the two-dimensional drawing is sequentially generated by inputting the type, direction, angle, and length of the pipe in the two-dimensional drawing. The type of piping will now be described with reference to FIG.

16 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the type of piping.

16 shows a linear pipe shown in (a), an elbow pipe shown in (b), and a T branch pipe like (c). For each piping, you have to set the value input and array type, angle and direction.

17 is an exemplary view for explaining the setting of the direction of a pipe required for drawing according to the present invention.

17 (a) is set to the east direction, Fig. 17 (b) is set to the west direction, and Fig. 17 (c) 17D is set to the south direction and the case of FIG. 17E is set to the upward upward direction. In this case, (F) of FIG. 17 is set to a downward bottom direction.

In addition, it is also possible to move the manufacturing position in one direction when the one-way pipe is finished in the T-branch. After setting the rectilinear tube of the T-branch, the branch tube which is the remaining one branch can be moved to the other side. Also, it is possible to increase the convenience of the user by configuring the user to view detailed features of each part of the pipe being manufactured.

Referring again to FIG. 13, in step 1302, it is determined whether robot control inspection is required. That is, the computer checks whether there is a user input and the input is a request for robot control inspection. If it is determined in step 1306 that the robot control inspection is required, the computer proceeds to step 1308 to perform the robot control mode. However, if it is determined in step 1306 that the robot control inspection is not required, the process proceeds to step 1310.

First, in step 1308, the censoring mode will be described. Inspection mode is a mode to directly control the robot. In the censored mode, the pipe inspection is started by loading the pipe drawing of the desired area first. During pipe inspections, tags and snapshots can be left in the damaged area. When the piping drawing is loaded, it is possible to perform a new inspection by loading the three-dimensional drawing produced in the initial stage, that is, the three-dimensional drawing produced in step 1304, and load the previously inspected three-dimensional drawing, have. Once the censorship is complete, the data can be saved back to the file system.

That is, when the censoring mode for directly controlling the robot is activated by using a computer, a specific file is requested to be loaded and displayed on a monitor or the like. When a desired three-dimensional drawing is selected in this state, the censoring mode is activated to connect with the piping inspection robot 200, and the piping is inspected while controlling the robot. When the inspection of the piping is completed, the connection with the piping inspection robot 200 is disconnected, and the inspection result is stored in the file system.

Provides a pipeline 3D view at the time of censorship. That is, the created 3D drawing is loaded and displayed on the screen, and the actual movement of the robot is matched with the movement of the robot in the 3D drawing through map matching. Also, the location of the breakage inside the pipe detected during inspection is shown in the figure.

Also, the current angle of the robot and the measured radius are displayed on the screen through the tilt value transmitted from the piping inspection robot 200 and the value of the ultrasonic sensor. In addition, the error between the radius of the 3D plot and the directly measured radius is measured and used for map matching.

In this way, it is possible to rotate forward and backward and to more than the basic eight directions in consideration of the autonomy of the movement of the piping inspection robot 200. In addition, the information input through the camera module 105, that is, a video image, is provided so that the user can confirm the video image.

In the robot control and inspection mode according to the present invention, tags and snapshots can be provided. The camera module 105 of the pipeline inspection robot 200 is controlled at a position where the inside of the pipeline is broken or suspected to be damaged, a photograph is taken, and a tag is placed at the corresponding position, Data can be loaded at re-censorship for follow-up management.

Referring again to FIG. 13, in the case of proceeding from step 1306 to step 1310, the computer checks whether the inspection record is required to be confirmed. The inspection record is a mode for confirming the past history of the robot inspection using the produced drawings and drawings.

In the inspection record mode, it is a mode to check again the inspecting completed drawings stored in the file system by location and time. At this time, the user can view the damaged part by selecting the photograph and the memo stored in the tag. That is, it is a function that can retrieve past censored data. It is possible to check the damage location and condition of the pipe through each inspection data.

A review of the history can also provide a pipeline 3D view. That is, the history of the stored piping is displayed on the monitor, and the previously inspected broken tag can be displayed in each of the piping. It can also search by region and inspection date and time. Items of search list also provide damage information such as area, date and time of inspection, crack and perforation.

In addition, if you click a tag at a location where you want to view the image in a three-dimensional view of the pipeline, the image captured at that location is displayed on the monitor screen along with the memo information.

101: Tilt sensor
102: Ultrasonic sensor
103: Motor
104: Signal converter
105: camera module
106: Memory
107: External communication section
111:
200: Piping Inspection Robot
201: Wheels
211: Support shaft
220: Piping Inspection Robot Body
300: Platform
301: Java Networking
302: Java Serialization
303: Java User Interface Module
304: Cam data processing module
305: Cam interface
306: Control interface
307: Image interface
308: Other interfaces
309: Three-dimensional image module
310: Map matching module

Claims (6)

In a piping inspection robot,
The pipe inspecting robot includes:
A cylindrical body having a predetermined length and width;
Three wheel wheels positioned at an angle of 120 degrees on both sides of the body;
And two support shafts for supporting the body by being connected between the outer sides of the wheel wheels and the body for each of the wheel wheels,
The body,
A tilt sensor for detecting a degree of tilting of the wheel wheels;
An ultrasonic sensor positioned at the center of the body and measuring a distance from the center of the body to the pipe;
A motor for driving the wheels;
A communication unit for communicating with equipment for controlling the piping inspection robot;
Sensors for detecting a direction of the body from the three wheel wheels; And
And a control unit for controlling output of the information of the motor, the communication unit, and the sensors through the communication unit based on information provided from the communication unit. The method according to claim 1,
The body further includes a camera module for photographing the inside of the pipe,
Wherein the control unit controls the camera module based on driving request information of the camera module and outputs the information obtained from the camera module through the communication unit. A method of controlling a piping inspection robot apparatus using map matching,
Controlling movement of the piping inspection robot using configuration information of a pre-configured piping;
Correcting an error between an actual movement distance in the curved pipe during movement of the piping inspection robot and a movement distance calculated using information obtained from the piping inspection robot;
Controlling a posture such that the omnis wheel of the pipe inspecting robot moves in a moving direction when the pipe inspecting robot reaches the curved pipe; And
And driving the mecha- nanum wheels in a state in which the omni-wheel is fixed after the posture control, thereby passing through the curved pipe. The method of claim 3,
Capturing and acquiring an image obtained from a camera module when photographing is required; And
Further comprising tagging a damage point at the time of breakage of the pipe in the map. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising: inputting two-dimensional information of the pipeline in advance, and producing a three-dimensional piping and a two-dimensional piping drawing based on the input information; and controlling the piping inspecting robot using map matching. The method of claim 3,
And reading the file stored in the file system when the history information of the pipeline inspection is requested and displaying the inspection history of the pipeline.

Images