EP4045241A1

EP4045241A1 - Robot for renovation by pickling and/or paint coating, and/or the inspection of a large-surface and/or large-height wall, associated operating method and application to pickling and painting ship hulls

Info

Publication number: EP4045241A1
Application number: EP20792641.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pascal PRAT; Olivier Bony; Stéphane Renouard
Original assignee: Ambpr
Current assignee: Ambpr
Priority date: 2019-10-15
Filing date: 2020-10-15
Publication date: 2022-08-24
Also published as: WO2021074327A1; FR3101803B1; FR3101803A1; KR20220101623A

Abstract

The present invention essentially concerns a robot (1) produced on the basis of an aerial lift (2) which can be instrumented in a standard manner by a plurality of sensors (5, 6, 7, 9, 80, 81) which can precisely compensate the absence of instrumentation by the constructors of aerial lifts, in order to be able to provide the control unit (12) with useful information for determining the very precise spatial location, in real time, of the platform (25) of the aerial lift (2) and thus of the tool carrier (3) mounted on the platform (25).

Description

Title: Robot for renovation by stripping and / or paint coating, and / or inspection of a wall of large area and / or high height, Associated operating process and application to stripping and painting of hulls ship.

Technical area

The present invention relates to the general field of inspection and / or renovation by surface treatment and the painting of large-scale works / objects.

It relates more particularly to the field of renovation by stripping and, where appropriate, paint coating a wall with a large surface area and / or high height, in particular ship hulls.

By "wall of large surface and / or high height" is meant any object whose inspection and / or renovation cannot be carried out by a single individual and usually requires at least the implementation of a scaffolding. and / or any handling means to move an individual.

The present invention more particularly aims to provide an autonomous robot intended for the renovation and / or inspection of such a wall, in order to reduce the intervention times and the related costs.

Although described with reference to an advantageous application for renovating a ship's hull, the invention applies to any robot intended for all types of inspections and / or repair work on large-scale structures.

Prior art

It is necessary to maintain regularly the hulls of ships must undergo after a period of commissioning, generally a maintenance operation involving a plurality of works intended to (re) give them the desired aesthetic appearance, such as sanding, shot blasting. , surfacing and painting.

This maintenance operation, by virtue of its compulsory nature, requires the vessels to be dry-docked.

In essence, it is about removing the existing exterior coating as well as any oxidations and replacing it with a new one.

In general, maintenance or renovation consists in carrying out a surface preparation in line with the application of a new coating of paint. This preparation can for example consist of a pickling with an abrasive projection, also generally called shot peening, or a water projection under ultra high pressure (UHP) which allows to create some surface roughness for adhesion and application of a new paint coating.

Each step in the process of renovating a given vessel must be carried out with extreme care in order to avoid the presence of defects that can significantly alter the final aesthetic quality.

Although many and varied in their constraints and their implementations, all shipyards carrying out a refurbishment process of a ship's hull are faced with the same challenges: high repair costs, large service interruptions, the impact major impact on the vessel, the safety of the personnel, and the effectiveness of the repair.

Until now, the various renovation steps have usually been carried out by hand by operators or using several suitable tools for stripping the coatings and spraying the paint on the surface of the desired hulls.

These manual steps have a number of major drawbacks.

First of all, each of them requires a long run time which has an impact on the final cost of the work. Thus, each step must be relatively precise because the tools used, for example for pickling water lances under ultra high pressure (UHP), at around 3000 bars or shot blasting lances, have a relatively limited area of action and the The operator's attention must be sustained. As a result, these operations can take a considerable amount of time for both labor and checks, especially as the surfaces of the ship's hulls are very large.

Then, the efficiency of the steps strongly depends on the skills of the operators who carry them out.

Also, with regard to the painting step, this is carried out using a paint spraying tool which generates an atomization of the paint particles, part of which does not adhere to the surface. to paint, dispersing in fact in the environment. Since the anti-corrosion paints used for these applications generally contain toxic or polluting substances, it is easy to understand how their dispersion can be harmful to the environment and to people working near the paint areas.

In this regard, recent Community standards provide for increasingly restrictive measures with regard to the emission of such substances into the environment.

The Applicant therefore wished to automate this maintenance or renovation of these ship hulls and to implement a robot which can perform these renovation operations. However, the specifications imposed for such a robot are strict and consequent, in particular because of the strong constraints intrinsic to the dry docking of ships.

The inventors of the present invention thus made an inventory of existing solutions.

They first came to the conclusion that none of the existing robotic or mechanized systems could meet all the requirements for refurbishing ship hulls.

Certain devices for painting the hulls of ships or the like are known from patent documents.

W001 / 34309 describes a device for spraying paint on a ship's hull in dry dock, comprising a row of spray nozzles housed in a bell mounted at the end of a telescopic arm itself mounted to pivot on a frame which can move in translation. on a rail along the hull.

US5398632 proposes a scaffolding system placed at the bottom of the hold around the hull with nacelles that can move at altitude and in / out of the hull and in which painters can settle.

US4890567 describes a cleaning system with a cleaning head which can move and be fixed to the hull of ships by electromagnetic tracks and which incorporates cleaning means by applying ultrasound.

EP2090506B 1 discloses a platform with two sets of wheels and a double scissor-type lift supporting an elongated table provided with a displacement rail on which a six-axis robot carrying a paint gun can slide to paint the surface of a ship's hull.

CN105643587 discloses a ship hull painting system with a six-axis robot carrying the painting tool mounted at the end of an articulated arm of a nacelle that moves down the hold.

CN2019158233 discloses a cable displacement type painting robot system along the hulls of ships, in which the frames supporting the displacement motors and cables are installed in-situ in and around the drydock, moving aloft the paint spraying nozzles being provided by the cables while the horizontal one is provided by a telescopic arm supporting said nozzles.

CN108942897 discloses a ship hull painting system comprising a robotic paint head moving by cable along the hulls of ships, the cables being attached to two bogies, one moving on the ground the other on the top of the ship . CN 108313237 discloses a shot blasting system for ship hulls comprising a robot which moves by a winch on board the ship and which is fixed to the surface of the hull by suction with suction cups.

CN107253147 and CN107081771 each describe a sandblasting stripping system comprising a sandblasting robot which moves by rolling on the hull of the ship and is held by permanent magnets, with an anchor point on the hull and a cable winch for movement. .

KR101444392B1 relates to a paint application system with a 6-axis robot mounted at the end of the crane arm.

WO2012 / 080448 discloses a complete maintenance system (UHP cleaning, painting) with a scaffolding tower near the hull on which can move vertically a telescopic arm system which supports the work tools.

WO2010 / 057942 discloses a system similar to WO2012 / 080448, with the essential differences that the scaffolding tower carries several work cabins, one of which is controlled directly by an individual inside and which carries an articulated arm supporting the work tools.

WO2018 / 209367 describes a system of rails assembled together for moving hull maintenance (cleaning, painting) assemblies along a ship's hull. EP2618942B 1 discloses the implementation of a 6 axis robot which carries a paint gun and which is supported by the nacelle of a lifting platform for the purpose of painting ship hulls in dry dock. The nacelle is equipped with distance sensors to measure the distance of the latter from the hull surface to be painted, the operation of the sensors being slaved to the platform movement command and control unit. In addition, the proposed system necessarily includes an air intake along the surface to be painted and the defined control unit allows the distance between nacelle and surface to be painted to be adjusted in order to optimize the intake air flow.

All the solutions proposed cannot be at the same time rapid, inexpensive and effective in eliminating stubborn defects on the surface of the hulls, more particularly those resulting from their corrosion or for the application of a homogeneous coating on the entire same surface. of a ship's hull, whatever its profile (plane, concave, convex).

In addition, the solutions proposed do not allow sufficiently precise localization in space to guarantee a homogeneous renovation treatment over the entire surface of a ship hull to be renovated. Finally, it is far from certain that among all the solutions proposed, at least one can be implemented completely autonomously over the entire surface of a ship's hull, that is to say without any human intervention. .

There is therefore a need to improve the robots intended for the renovation by stripping and / or by coating with paint walls of large area and / or high height, more particularly the hulls of ships placed in dry dock, which overcomes the drawbacks. aforementioned in particular in order to considerably reduce the intervention times and the related costs, to reduce the arduousness of the work, and to increase the efficiency and the homogeneity of the surface treatments over the entire surface of the walls to be renovated.

The aim of the invention is to at least partially meet this need.

Disclosure of the invention

To do this, the invention relates, in one of its aspects, to a robot for the renovation by stripping and / or coating of paint, and / or the inspection of a wall of large area and / or high height. , comprising:

- a telescopic lifting platform comprising as components:

• a mobile base,

• a turret mounted in rotation on the base around a first axis,

• a telescopic boom rotatably mounted on the turret around a second axis, the boom being telescopic along a third axis,

• a platform mounted in rotation on the mobile end of the telescopic boom around a fourth axis,

- a tool holder, suitable for carrying a renovation and / or inspection tool, the tool holder being mounted in translation on the platform along three axes orthogonal to each other, respectively fifth, sixth and seventh axis, and in rotation on the platform around an eighth axis;

- a plurality of sensors comprising:

• a first angular sensor suitable for measuring the angular position of the turret relative to the base;

• a second angular sensor suitable for measuring the angular position of the boom relative to the turret;

• a linear displacement sensor adapted to measure the telescopic deployment of the boom;

• at least two distance measurement sensors adapted to each measure a distance from a point of the tool holder relative to the wall to be renovated and / or inspected; • an inclination sensor suitable for measuring the inclination of the tool holder relative to at least the horizontal;

a control-command unit connected to the plurality of sensors and to the means for moving the components of the nacelle and for moving the tool holder along the first to eighth axes, the control-command unit being adapted to automatically move the components of the nacelle and the tool holder according to one and / or the other of the first to eighth axes, according to the information delivered by the plurality of sensors and according to a predefined sequence of renovation and / or inspection of areas of the wall without the mobile base of the nacelle having to be moved.

Thus, the invention essentially consists of a robot produced on the basis of an elevating nacelle which can be standard instrumented by a plurality of sensors which precisely compensate for the absence of instrumentation by the nacelle manufacturers, in order to be able to provide the control unit with the information useful for determining the very precise location in space, in real time, of the platform of the nacelle and therefore of the tool holder mounted on the platform.

The instrumentation and control unit can thus execute the movement orders of the various axes of the nacelle according to precise real-time knowledge of the position in space.

As detailed below, advantageously, and if necessary, the robot according to the invention can integrate devices for taking up the operating clearances of the nacelle in order to guarantee flexibility and precision in the movement of the tool holder and therefore '' an inspection or work tool (stripping, painting) compatible with the targeted renovation of ship hulls.

When the inventors were interested in the design of a robotic system which would be capable of carrying out the stripping and painting of a ship's hull, they made an inventory of the existing solutions, in particular those described in the patent applications. aforementioned patent.

They then quickly discarded for reasons of cost, inefficiency or complexity of implementation, solutions that either require an infrastructure dedicated to each dry dock (solution of integrated rails and / or scaffolding attached along the hulls) , either use a completely new machine (platform with specific design), or are based on an existing equipment (6-axis robot at the end of the nacelle). The inventors then thought of carrying out a robotization of a standard, existing nacelle and therefore made an inventory of the types of nacelles to verify which one was the most appropriate for the application.

Articulated boom lifts do not seem appropriate for the following reasons, in particular:

- the number of connecting pins is very large to the point that too much flexibility is introduced at the end of the nacelle;

- control laws for automated operation can become very complex. Scissor-type nacelles have only one vertical axis of movement, and therefore cannot in any way meet the requirements of the targeted renovation.

Telescopic lifting platforms are by nature the platforms intended for carrying out work on structures of great heights. In addition, the telescopic boom of aerial work platforms is extremely rigid and the simplicity of its kinematics facilitates the automation of movements.

Also, the inventors have chosen this type of nacelle.

Then, they thought judiciously to instrument a standard aerial work platform with a plurality of sensors which precisely compensate for the lack of instrumentation by the nacelle manufacturers.

According to an advantageous variant, the first angular sensor is an absolute optical encoder comprising an optical barcode reader fixed with respect to the turret, and a ring fixed with respect to the mobile base and the periphery of which supports an annular strip of plurality of distinct bar codes adjacent to each other, arranged facing the optical reader so that during a rotation of the turret relative to the mobile base the light beams of the reader intercepts at least a portion of one of the bar codes to determine the angular position of the turret.

Preferably, the arrangement of the annular strip with respect to the bar code reader is such that the light beam intercepts at least three portions of separate bar codes.

According to another advantageous variant, the second angular sensor is an absolute cable encoder comprising an encoder fixed to the mobile turret and to a cable mechanism comprising a drum fixed to the mobile turret and around which a cable is wound, the free end of which is is fixed on one of the elements of the telescopic boom.

According to another advantageous variant, the linear displacement sensor is an absolute cable encoder comprising an encoder fixed to the end of the fixed element of the telescopic boom and to a cable mechanism comprising a drum fixed to the end of the telescopic boom. the fixed element of the telescopic boom and around which a cable is wound, the free end of which is fixed to the end of the mobile element for the largest deployment of the telescopic boom.

According to another advantageous variant, the at least two distance measurement sensors are two first laser rangefinders fixed at a distance from one another on the tool holder in order to measure two distances between the tool holder and the wall to be renovated and / or inspect. As an alternative, it is also possible to envisage an absolute encoder installed in the connection between the platform and the telescopic boom.

Preferably, another laser range finder is provided, fixed to the center of the tool holder, while the first two range finders are fixed to the lower and upper ends of the tool holder. According to another advantageous variant, the inclination sensor is a two-dimensional sensor fixed to the platform and suitable for measuring the inclination of the latter on two separate axes.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the robot comprises a device for taking up the mechanical clearances of the orienting toothed ring of the mobile turret, the device comprising, in addition to the toothed ring and the motor for driving it in rotation. Here, at least one pinion meshing with the ring gear and a motor for driving the pinion in a direction of rotation opposite to that of the ring gear.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the robot comprises a device for taking up the mechanical clearances between the platform and the telescopic boom, the device comprising a connecting assembly between the platform and the telescopic boom, the connecting assembly comprising a first element. connection integral with the fourth axis and a second connecting element integral with the platform, the first and second connecting elements being articulated to each other by an orientation ring adapted to be rotated by means of a jack, preferably of the electrical type, one end of which is fixed to the first connecting element and the other end is fixed to the second connecting element. According to another advantageous embodiment, the control-command unit comprises a nacelle automaton connected to each of the plurality of sensors, preferably by CAN bus, a first computer called a nacelle computer, connected to the nacelle automaton and a second computer, called a robot computer, preferably connected by Ethernet link to the nacelle automaton, the robot computer being adapted to send its control instructions to the nacelle automaton which itself is adapted to send its control instructions to the computer nacelle which controls the movement of the components of the nacelle and of the tool holder according to one and / or the other of the first to eighth axes. According to another advantageous embodiment, the mobile base comprises a translational displacement motor defining a ninth axis and at least one steering axle defining a tenth axis.

Advantageously, the control unit is adapted to automatically move the mobile base along one and / or the other of the ninth and tenth axes, once the predefined sequence has been completed.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the platform is pivotable relative to the movable end of the telescopic boom about a pivot axis defining an eleventh axis orthogonal to the fourth axis. In the context of the invention, it goes without saying that this eleventh axis can be implemented independently of the ninth and tenth axes and vice versa. So, by convention, in the configuration where the movable base only defines the ninth axis and the tenth axis, then the pivot axis of the platform with respect to the movable end of the boom becomes the ninth axis.

According to an advantageous characteristic, the tool holder is suitable for carrying a shot-blasting nozzle provided with a suction bell for recycling the shot or a high-pressure water projection nozzle with a re-suction bell. projected water.

The subject of the invention is also a method of operating a robot as described above, along a wall of large area and / or of high height, comprising the following steps carried out automatically by the control-command unit : i / positioning of the platform and therefore of the tool holder carrying the renovation tool at a given point on the wall; ii / displacement of the tool holder along a first vertical strip along the wall defining a first renovation pass; iii / once the first renovation pass is completed, automatic descent by lifting and / or telescoping the platform to a height corresponding to the first working pass minus a predefined overlap area; i v / repeating steps ii / and iii / according to one or more work passes in addition to the first, until the platform reaches its extreme low position; v / evaluation by the control unit whether a second strip parallel to the first can be traversed by the tool holder without having to move the mobile base;

- if the evaluation according to v / is positive, then positioning of the platform and at a given point on the second band then repeating steps ii / to i v / in the second band;

- if the evaluation according to v / is negative, then stop the renovation while waiting for the moving of the mobile base. In other words, according to the operating method of the invention is in sequences, from the information delivered by the sensors set up with their calibration or their correction, in order to achieve a vertical working band (cleaning, stripping or painting in the in the case of a ship's hull) along the wall to be renovated.

The robot control unit according to the invention can work either by spot (specific areas to be treated) or by continuous treatment of a large area of the hull of a ship. To do this, in the method according to the invention, the instrumentation and control unit processes a succession of vertical bands which it connects automatically.

The evaluation of the number of vertical bands that a robot can process is made taking into account the intrinsic technical characteristics of turret orientation, boom telescoping, platform orientation.

Also, the assessment takes into consideration the need for inter-band overlap. Each time the platform and therefore the tool holder is positioned relative to the wall to be renovated, the horizontality of the platform as well as its orientation are corrected, in order to obtain the same distances on the two measuring sensors of distance.

If the wall surface is vertical, then these corrections are sufficient. If the hull is not vertical (bulge or curve of the hull, for example in the case of a ship's hull), when the two sensors are at an equal distance from the wall, their value may be greater or less than compared to the previous pass. To correct this deviation, the angle of rotation of the turret is corrected.

The correction of this angle will have the effect of modifying the horizontal distance between the axis of the turret and the wall to be renovated, which must not change to remain on the initial vertical. The effect of this change in angle must therefore be calculated by the control unit to define a new boom telescoping setpoint.

The subsequent movement of the mobile base can also be carried out autonomously along the ninth and tenth axes of the nacelle.

Finally, the subject of the invention is the use of the robot as described above, for renovation with stripping, preferably by abrasive spraying or water stripping, and where appropriate with paint coating of a ship's hull. .

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the detailed description of examples of implementation of the invention given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation with reference to the following figures. Brief description of the drawings

[Fig 1] is a schematic perspective view of a robot according to the invention intended for the inspection and renovation of a wall of large areas and high height, Figure 1 showing the robot in the renovation configuration of 'a ship's hull put in dry dock. [Fig 2] is another perspective view of the robot according to Figure 1, Figure 2 showing all of the axes of movement of the components of the robot nacelle as well as the tool holder which is carried by the platform. Platform.

[Fig 3] is another schematic perspective view of a robot according to the invention, Fig. 3 showing a first embodiment of the tool holder.

[Fig 3 A] is a detail view of Figure 3.

[Fig 4] resumes in perspective and front view of Figure 3A and shows one of the different positions taken by the tool holder and of a stripping tool carried by the tool holder.

[Fig 5] resumes in perspective and front view of Figure 3A and shows one of the different positions taken by the tool holder and of a stripping tool carried by the tool holder.

[Fig 6] shows in perspective and front view of Figure 3A and shows one of the different positions taken by the tool holder and a stripping tool carried by the tool holder.

[Fig 7] is another schematic perspective view of part of a robot according to the invention, Fig. 7 showing a second embodiment of the tool holder. [Fig 8] is a photographic reproduction showing the arrangement of an absolute optical encoder for measuring the angular position of the turret relative to the movable base of the nacelle.

[Fig 8 A] is a detail view of Figure 8.

[Fig 9] is a schematic view illustrating the operating principle of the absolute optical encoder according to Fig. 8.

[Fig 10] is a photographic reproduction showing the arrangement of an absolute cable encoder for measuring the angular position of the telescopic boom relative to the nacelle turret.

[Fig 11] is another photographic reproduction showing the arrangement of an absolute cable encoder for measuring the angular position of the telescopic boom relative to the nacelle turret.

[Fig 12] is a photographic reproduction showing the arrangement of an absolute cable encoder for measuring boom telescoping.

[Fig 13] is a schematic side view showing the platform and the tool holder of a robot according to the invention in a refurbishment configuration near a ship hull. curved profile, FIG. 13 further illustrating the distance measurement by each of two telemeters between a point of the tool holder and the hull to be renovated.

[Fig 14] is a photographic reproduction showing the arrangement on the platform of a robot according to the invention, of an inclination sensor for measuring the inclination of the tool holder with respect to at least the horizontal .

[Fig 15] is a schematic view of an embodiment of the lower part of a robot nacelle according to the invention, showing by transparency the arrangement of a device for taking up the mechanical clearances of the slewing ring. of the turret relative to the mobile base.

[Fig 15 A] is a detail view of Fig 15.

[Fig 16] is a schematic view of an embodiment of the connection between the telescopic boom and the platform of a robot nacelle according to the invention, showing the arrangement of a device for taking up mechanical play between platforms. shape and telescopic boom.

[Fig 17] is a synoptic view of the connections between the position and distance sensors of the robot according to the invention with the computers and PLC of the control unit as well as between the latter.

[Fig 18] schematically illustrates according to the movement characteristics of a first category of commercial aerial work platforms, the vertical renovation bands that it is envisaged to achieve according to the operating method of the robot according to the invention.

[Fig 19] schematically illustrates, according to the movement characteristics of a second category of commercial aerial work platforms, the vertical renovation bands that it is envisaged to achieve according to the operating method of the robot according to the invention.

detailed description

It is specified here that throughout the present application, the terms "below", "above", "bottom", "top", "lower" and "upper" refer to an operating configuration of a lifting platform. of a robot according to the invention. So, for example, the upper extreme position of the nacelle platform is the highest altitude it can reach with maximum boom lift combined with maximum boom extension.

There is shown in Figure 1, a robot according to the invention 1 in configuration of inspection by camera and / or renovation with stripping by shot peening or water projection at high pressure followed, where appropriate, by a paint coating of a hull C of a ship put in dry dock in a shipyard, as part of the maintenance of the ship. As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 1 first of all comprises a telescopic lifting platform 2. This platform 2 comprises, in a manner known per se, respectively a mobile base 20 with two axles 21, 22 of which at least one is a pivoting axle forming a steering axle, a turret 23 rotatably mounted on the base around a first axis "Axis 1", a telescopic boom 24 rotatably mounted on the turret 23 around a second axis "Axis 2", the boom being telescopic along a third axis “Axis 3”, a platform 25 also known under the name of basket, mounted in rotation on the movable end of the telescopic boom about a fourth axis “Axis 4”.

According to the invention, a tool holder 3 is mounted in translation on the platform along three mutually orthogonal axes, respectively fifth “Axis 5”, sixth “Axis 6” and seventh “Axis 7” axis, and in rotation on the platform around an eighth axis "Axis 8".

On this tool holder 3 is attached a tool 4 for renovating and / or inspecting the hull of a ship to be renovated. Preferably, for stripping operations, the tool 4 is a shot-blasting nozzle fitted with a suction bell for recycling the shot or a high-pressure water projection nozzle with a re-suction bell for the shot. projected water.

Several embodiments can be envisaged for mounting the tool holder 3 on the platform 25 of the nacelle 2.

According to the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 to 6, the tool holder 3 is mounted on a Cartesian robot 30 with two axes and one end of the gantry is pivotally mounted on the platform 25.

More specifically, as visible in Figures 3 to 6, the translation of the tool holder 3 along the two axes of the Cartesian robot is provided by two independent motors 31, 32 fixed on the gantry, while the pivoting of the gantry 30 relative to the platform 25 is provided by two jacks 33, 34 preferably of electrical type articulated between the gantry of the Cartesian robot 30 and the platform 25.

Thus, the movements of the two-axis Cartesian robot 30 generate the movements of the tool holder 3 along Axis 5 and Axis 6 while the pivoting of its gantry generates the movement along Axis 7 and Axis 8.

A second mode is illustrated in FIG. 7. Two independent motors 35, 36 each drive a screw-nut system 37, 38 along Axis 5 and Axis 6. The tool 4 is carried by the screw-nut system along Axis 6 which is itself. - even mounted on a balance 39 driven in rotation by another independent motor 390. The rotation of this balance generates the displacement along Axis 7 and Axis 8.

The robot 1 according to the invention is also instrumented by a plurality of sensors which precisely compensate for the absence of instrumentation by the nacelle manufacturers and this in order to position with a very large position el tool holder 3 and therefore tool 4 in space.

As illustrated in FIGS. 8, 8A and 9, an absolute optical encoder 5 is thus installed to measure the angular position of the turret 23 relative to the mobile base 20.

Before choosing such a sensor, the inventors made an inventory of possible solutions. In fact, the point of rotation of the turret 23 was not concretely accessible because it was occupied by the rotating joint which allows the routing of the hydraulic controls between the turret 23 and the mobile base 20. As a result, it is not possible to install an encoder directly on the axis of the turret 23.

Another solution would have been to place an encoder on the slewing ring side of the turret 23, which would have been driven by a pinion itself driven by the external teeth of the slewing ring. The implantation was not easy and the wear of the teeth of the turret orientation ring was not favorable for a precision measurement. Thus, the inventors finally made the choice to decorrelate the measurement of rotation itself from the mechanics of the turret orientation ring.

The absolute optical encoder 5 finally retained comprises an optical reader 50 fixed on the turret 23 below the latter and a ring 51 fixed relative to the movable base 20. The periphery of the ring 51 supports an annular band 52 d. 'a plurality of bar codes 53 distinct and adjacent to each other, arranged facing the optical reader 50 so that during a rotation of the turret relative to the mobile base the light beam of the reader 50 intercepts at least at least at least three portions of distinct bar codes, as shown in FIG. 9. This optical encoder 5 thus makes it possible to obtain absolute information, independent of the clearances of the orientation mechanism of the turret 23 relative to the base 20.

The annular strip 52 can be in the form of an adhesive tape, which has the advantage of being very economical and therefore of being able to be replaced as often as necessary. As an alternative, it is also conceivable to engrave bar codes 53 directly on the crown 51.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, an absolute cable encoder 6 makes it possible to measure the angular position of the boom 24 relative to the turret 23. The choice of this type of sensor was guided by the fact that it is not physically possible to install an encoder on the lifting axis of the boom, and that, moreover, the kinematics of a nacelle are variable. to the other and sometimes complex with a pivot point of the lift, which rises and moves backwards relative to the mobile base. The only solution is therefore to have a sensor which evolves continuously in relation to the lift and to calibrate this measurement in relation to the reality of the lift angle. In addition, a cable encoder provides precise measurement while being mechanically robust.

The absolute cable encoder 6 comprises an encoder 60 fixed to the mobile turret and to a cable mechanism 61 comprising a drum fixed to the mobile turret and around which is wound a cable 62, the free end of which is fixed on one of the cables. telescopic boom elements.

As shown in FIG. 12, another cable encoder 7 is implemented: it constitutes a linear displacement sensor for measuring the telescopic deployment of the boom 24. The encoder 7 comprising an encoder, not shown, fixed to the end of the boom. the fixed element of the telescopic boom and to a cable mechanism comprising a drum, not shown, fixed to the end of the fixed element of the telescopic boom and around which is wound a cable 70, the free end 71 of which is attached to the end of the movable element 240 of larger deployment of the telescopic boom 24.

In practice, the inventors have found that the deployment of the movable elements of the telescopic boom forms a slightly concave curve (downward). So for a measurement given by the encoder 7, the real distance between the platform 25 and the axis of rotation of the boom 24 is less than that measured by the encoder 7. The inventors then evaluated the maximum error, which corresponds to a fully telescoped boom. Knowing that the evolution of this error is continuous on the telescoping and repeatable, the inventors were finally able to correct the measurement of encoder 7 by calculation.

As shown in FIG. 13, two laser range finders 80, 81 attached to the ends of the tool holder 3 each make it possible to measure a distance T1, T2 from a point of the frame of the tool holder 3 with respect to the hull of the ship to be renovated and / or to inspect. During the operation of the robot according to the invention, in the event of a difference between T1 and T2 then the tilting motor 390 of the tool holder 3 is started in one direction or the other, depending on the upper value, up to 'that T1 = T2.

Advantageously, a third laser range finder 82 can be fixed to the center of the tool holder frame 3 in order to determine the distance from the tool 4 to the shell C, minimum in the case of a convex curve and maximum in the case of a concave curve. In a refurbishment of a ship's hull, the ship's frame of reference is linked to the hold bottom, therefore a surface that is a priori horizontal. It is therefore essential to keep the base of the platform 25 and therefore the support of the tool holder 3 horizontally.

To do this, as illustrated in FIG. 14, a two-dimensional sensor 9 is fixed on the platform 25, in order to measure the inclination of the latter on two distinct axes.

All the sensors 5 to 9 which have just been described and which are installed in the telescopic nacelle 2 and the tool holder 3 make it possible to supply the dedicated computer of the control-command unit of the robot according to the invention with the information. useful for determining the location of the tool 4 in space.

In order to guarantee flexibility and precision of movement of the tool holder 3 and therefore of the tool 4 compatible with the targeted renovation of ship hulls, the robot 1 according to the invention can advantageously integrate devices for taking up the operating clearances. of the platform 2.

A first device 10 for taking up the mechanical clearances is illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 15A: it makes it possible to compensate for the clearances of the orienting toothed ring 230 of the turret 23. As can be seen in these FIGS. 15 and 15A, the rotation of the turret 23 is provided by a drive motor 231 which drives a pinion 232 in direct mesh with the ring gear 230.

The play take-up device 10 comprises a motor 101 for driving at least one pinion 102 meshing with the ring gear 230 but in a direction of rotation opposite to the pinion 232 for driving the ring gear 230.

A second device 11 for taking up the mechanical clearances is illustrated in FIG. 16: it makes it possible to compensate for the clearances between the platform 25 and the telescopic boom 24.

This device 11 is constituted by a connecting assembly, added between the platform 25 and the telescopic boom 24. This connecting assembly 11 comprises a first connecting piece 110 integral with Tax 240 forming the Axle 4 and a second connecting piece. connection 111 integral with the platform 25. These two connecting parts 111, 112 are articulated together by an orientation ring 113 adapted to be rotated by means of a jack 114, preferably of the electric type, of which one end is fixed to the first connecting piece 111 and the other end is fixed to the second connecting piece 112.

In this figure 16, it can also be seen that the platform 25 is mounted to pivot relative to the end of the boom 24 about a pivot axis 241 which therefore defines an eleventh axis (Axis 11). This “Axis 11” is orthogonal to Axis 4. The robot 1 according to the invention finally comprises a control-command unit 12 connected to the plurality of sensors 5 to 9 and to the means for moving the components of the nacelle and for moving the tool holder along the first to eighth axes, the 'control-command unit being adapted to automatically move the components of the nacelle and the tool holder according to one and / or the other of the first to eighth axes, according to the information delivered by the plurality of sensors and according to a predefined sequence of renovation and / or inspection of areas of the wall without the movable base 20 of the pod having to be moved.

An advantageous embodiment of the control unit 12 is illustrated in FIG. 17: it comprises an existing automaton 120 of the nacelle connected to each of the plurality of sensors 5, 6, 7, 80, 81, 9. These connections are preferably by CAN bus.

The existing nacelle 121 computer is connected to the 120 nacelle controller.

A second computer, called robot computer 122, is preferably connected by Ethernet link to the nacelle controller 120.

In the operation of the robot, the robot computer 122 sends its control instructions to the nacelle automaton 120 which itself sends its control instructions to the nacelle computer 121 which controls the movement of the components of the nacelle and of the tool holder according to the 'one and / or the other of the first to eighth axes.

The operation of a robot 1 which has just been described comprises the following steps carried out automatically by the control-command unit 12: i / positioning of the platform 25 and therefore of the tool holder 3 carrying the control tool. refurbishment at a given point of the ship's hull; ii / displacement of the tool holder along a first vertical strip along the wall defining a first renovation pass; iii / once the first renovation pass is completed, automatic descent by lifting and / or telescoping the platform to a height corresponding to the first working pass minus a predefined overlap area; iv / reiteration of steps ii / and iii / according to one or more work passes in addition to the first, until the platform reaches its extreme low position; v / evaluation by the I&C unit whether a second strip parallel to the first can be traversed by the tool holder without having to move the mobile base.

- if the evaluation according to v / is positive, then positioning of the platform and at a given point of the second band then repeating steps ii / to iv / in the second band;

- if the evaluation according to v / is negative, then stop the renovation while waiting for the moving of the mobile base. Thus, the instrumentation and control unit processes a succession of vertical bands which it connects automatically.

Initially, it is necessary to assess the number of bands that can be processed without having to move the mobile base 20 of the nacelle, that is to say the surface that can be processed automatically without the intervention of an operator. In evaluating the number of bands that can be processed, the need for inter-band overlap should be considered.

Figures 18 and 19 show schematically the evaluation that was made for two different models of telescopic booms currently on the market.

The mobile base 20 can be moved autonomously by the control unit according to Axis 9 and 10 as illustrated in Figure 2.

Other variations and modifications can be envisioned to the robot according to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, other types of sensors than those described can be used for measuring instrumentation of the different axes of movement of the components of a telescopic platform and the tool holder.

Claims

1. Robot (1) for renovation by stripping and / or paint coating, and / or inspection of a wall with a large surface area and / or high height, comprising:

- a telescopic lifting platform (2) comprising as components:

• a mobile base (20),

• a turret (23) mounted in rotation on the base around a first axis (Axis 1),

• a telescopic boom (24) rotatably mounted on the turret around a second axis (Axis 2), the boom being telescopic along a third axis (Axis 3),

• a platform (25) rotatably mounted on the movable end of the telescopic boom around a fourth axis (Axis 4),

- a tool holder (3), suitable for carrying a renovation and / or inspection tool (4), the tool holder being mounted in translation on the platform along three axes orthogonal to each other, respectively fifth (Axis 5), sixth (Axis 6) and seventh (Axis 7) axis, and rotating on the platform around an eighth axis (Axis 8);

- a plurality of sensors comprising:

• a first angular sensor (5) suitable for measuring the angular position of the turret relative to the base;

• a second angular sensor (6) suitable for measuring the angular position of the boom relative to the turret;

• a linear displacement sensor (7) adapted to measure the telescopic deployment of the boom;

• at least two distance measuring sensors (80, 81) adapted to each measure a distance of a point of the tool holder from the wall to be renovated and / or inspected;

• an inclination sensor (9) suitable for measuring the inclination of the tool holder relative to at least the horizontal;

- a control-command unit (12) connected to the plurality of sensors and to the means for moving the components of the nacelle and for moving the tool holder along the first to eighth axes, the control-command unit being suitable for automatically move the components of the nacelle and the tool holder according to one and / or the other of the first to eighth axes, according to the information delivered by the plurality of sensors and according to a predefined sequence of renovation and / or inspection of areas of the wall without the movable base of the basket having to be moved.

2. Robot (1) according to claim 1, the first angular sensor being an absolute optical encoder (5) comprising an optical reader (50) of a fixed barcode relative to the turret, and a ring (51) fixed relative to the movable base and the periphery of which supports an annular strip (52) of a plurality of bar codes (53) distinct and adjacent to each other, arranged opposite the optical reader of so that during a rotation of the turret relative to the mobile base, the light beams of the reader intercepts at least a portion of one of the bar codes in order to determine the angular position of the turret.

3. Robot (1) according to claim 2, the arrangement of the annular strip relative to the bar code reader being such that the light beam intercepts at least three portions of separate bar codes.

4. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the second angular sensor being an absolute cable encoder (6) comprising an encoder (60) fixed to the mobile turret and to a cable mechanism (61) comprising a drum. fixed on the mobile turret and around which is wound a cable (62), the free end of which is fixed on one of the elements of the telescopic boom.

5. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the linear displacement sensor being an absolute cable encoder (7) comprising an encoder fixed to the end of the fixed element of the telescopic boom and to a mechanism. cable comprising a drum fixed to the end of the fixed element of the telescopic boom and around which is wound a cable (70), the free end (71) of which is fixed to the end of the mobile element of the largest deployment of the telescopic boom.

6. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the at least two distance measurement sensors being two first laser rangefinders (80, 81) fixed at a distance from one another on the tool holder for measuring. two distances between the tool holder and the wall to be renovated and / or inspected.

7. Robot (1) according to claim 6, comprising another laser range finder (82) fixed to the center of the tool holder (3) while the first two range finders are fixed to the lower and upper ends of the tool holder.

8. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the inclination sensor being a two-dimensional sensor (9) fixed on the platform and suitable for measuring the inclination of the latter on two separate axes.

9. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a device (10) for taking up the mechanical clearances of the toothed ring (230) for orienting the movable turret, the device comprising, in addition to the toothed ring and the motor (231) for driving it in rotation, at least one pinion (102) in mesh with the ring gear (230) and a motor (101) for driving the pinion in a direction of rotation opposite to that of the ring gear.

10. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a device (11) for taking up the mechanical clearances between platform and telescopic boom, the device comprising a connecting assembly between platform and telescopic boom, the connecting assembly comprising a first connecting element (111) integral with the fourth axis and a second connecting element (112) integral with the platform, the first and second connecting elements being articulated to each other by an orientation ring ( 113) adapted to be rotated by means of a jack (114), preferably of the electric type, one end of which is fixed to the first connecting element and the other end is fixed to the second connecting element.

11. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the control unit (12) comprising a controller (120) of the nacelle connected to each of the plurality of sensors, preferably by CAN bus, a first computer called nacelle computer (121), connected to the nacelle automaton and a second computer, called robot computer (122), preferably connected by Ethernet link to the nacelle automaton, the robot computer being adapted to send its control instructions to the nacelle automaton which itself is adapted to send its control instructions to the nacelle computer which controls the movement of the components of the nacelle and of the tool holder along one and / or the other of the first to eighth axes.

12. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the mobile base (20) comprising a translational displacement motor defining a ninth axis (Axis 9) and at least one steering axle defining a tenth axis (Axis 10).

13. Robot (1) according to claim 12, the control unit being adapted to automatically move the mobile base along one and / or the other of the ninth and tenth axes, once the predefined sequence has been completed.

14. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the platform (25) being pivotable relative to the movable end of the telescopic boom about a pivot axis (241) defining an eleventh axis (axis 11) orthogonal to the fourth axis (Axis

4).

15. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the tool holder being adapted to carry a blasting nozzle (4) provided with a suction bell for recycling the shot or a water projection nozzle. high pressure with re-suction bell of the projected water.

16. A method of operating a robot according to one of the preceding claims, along a wall of large area and / or of high height, comprising the following steps carried out automatically by the control unit: i / positioning of the platform and therefore of the tool holder carrying the renovation tool at a given point on the wall; ii / displacement of the tool holder along a first vertical strip along the wall defining a first renovation pass; iii / once the first renovation pass is completed, automatic descent by lifting and / or telescoping the platform to a height corresponding to the first working pass minus a predefined overlap area; i v / repeating steps ii / and iii / according to one or more work passes in addition to the first, until the platform reaches its extreme low position; v / evaluation by the I&C unit whether a second strip parallel to the first can be traversed by the tool holder without having to move the mobile base. - if the evaluation according to v / is positive, then positioning of the platform and at a given point on the second band then repeating steps ii / to i v / in the second band;

- if the evaluation according to v / is negative, then stop the renovation pending the displacement of the mobile base.

17. Use of the robot according to any one of the preceding claims for renovation with stripping, preferably by abrasive spraying or water stripping, and optionally with paint coating of a ship's hull.