JPH0416315B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an air-levitating mobile robot, and more particularly to an air-levitating mobile robot that diagnoses aging of reinforced concrete structures.

(Conventional technology) Many of Japan's social infrastructures were improved and expanded during the period of high economic growth in the 1960s, and it has been pointed out that many of them will be obsolete by the start of the 21st century. .

It is important to deal with this ever-increasing aging of social capital.

In view of the current situation, it has become essential to establish a maintenance and repair system that is highly efficient and economical.

Although the contents that constitute social capital are diverse,
Among these, roads and ports play a major role as they are highly public and form the basis of people's lives and the industrial economy, and their maintenance has become the most important issue.

In particular, there is an urgent need to establish a diagnosis and repair system for reinforced concrete structures such as roads and Shinkansen viaducts, which have become increasingly urgent recently.

Conventionally, the following methods have been used to diagnose and repair such reinforced concrete structures.

(1) Using aerial work vehicles.

As shown in FIG. 9, for example, railway viaduct 1
When diagnosing or repairing a vehicle, a basket 4 is attached to the tip of a boom 3 extending from the work vehicle 2, and a worker 5 rides on it to carry out various tasks.

(2) Using a building exterior wall diagnosis robot.

As shown in FIG. 10, the outer wall 11 of the building 11
When performing the diagnosis a, the robot 12 equipped with the suction belt 12a moves on the outer wall 11a. In this case, the robot 12 is suspended from the top of the building 11 with a wire 13 to prevent it from falling.
Control box 1 controls robot 12.
This is done based on instructions from 5. Further, diagnostic data from the robot 12 is received by a receiving device 16.

(3) By infrared camera.

As shown in FIG. 11, for example, when diagnosing a building 21, an infrared sensor 22 is used to measure the amount of infrared rays radiated from the surface of the building 21, and an infrared image is obtained by an image processing system 23.

(4) By a traveling robot.

As shown in Figure 12, there is a vacuum suction cup 3 at the tip.
2, eight legs 31 located on the outside,
It is equipped with a frame having eight legs 34 located on the inside with a vacuum suction cup 34 attached to the tip, and has a travel control device 35 that alternately suctions the frame to a wall surface, and allows the frame to move forward, backward, and turn. It is configured so that it can freely walk on a spherical surface in all postures.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems.

According to (1) above, the work area is limited and it is difficult to move the aerial work vehicle. Additionally, work on viaducts built over valleys is not allowed. Furthermore, since the work is carried out by the worker 5 riding on the basket 4 provided at the tip of the boom 3 of the work vehicle 2, there are safety issues and a reduction in work efficiency is unavoidable. . In particular, when inspecting and diagnosing the underside of a viaduct slab, there were problems with the worker's working posture because the work involved working on the ceiling surface, and continuous measurement and diagnosis had problems such as restrictions on the movement area.

According to (2) above, it is suitable for diagnosing the outer wall of a building, but cannot diagnose the underside of a viaduct.
Furthermore, in order to prevent the robot from falling on the building's exterior wall, the equipment had to be large-scale, such as requiring wires.

According to (3) above, it is an indirect diagnosis and depends on the state of the atmosphere, and it is necessary to memorize data of the target structure in a normal state and make a judgment by comparing it with that data. There is.

According to (4) above, the structure of the robot is complex and large-scale, and its working function is also low and technically unsatisfactory.

The present invention eliminates the above problems, sticks to the bottom and side surfaces of the target structure, and has a large degree of freedom.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a safe floating mobile robot that has extremely few restrictions due to the location of the target structure and is free from the risk of sudden falls.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The aerial levitation mobile robot of the present invention comprises (a) a working means for a target structure, (b) a main body on which the working means is mounted, and (c) a levitating robot for the main body. (d) a nozzle having a downward opening and injecting gas to compensate for the descent of the main body; and (e) a nozzle provided on the side of the main body to inject gas. The device is equipped with a nozzle that injects gas that causes the main body to move in three dimensions, and (f) legs that stick to the target structure.

(Function) According to the present invention, since it is configured as described above,
The main body 41 carrying the working means is floated in the air by a float 42 filled with He gas for main body levitation, and air and driving power such as a booster are supplied to the main body from the air source of the moving vehicle 59 via a cord hose 57. Ru. Air is exhausted from jet nozzle 46 and rises. The main body 41 approaches the target structure 40, and further, due to the operation of the levitation assisting booster 49, the suction butts 53 of the legs 50 move toward the target structure 40.
When pressed, the legs 50 are fixed and positioned on the target structure 40.

Therefore, the sensor section (measuring device) is driven to diagnose cracks, peeling, etc. in the target structure 40.
That is, the surface of the target structure 40 is scanned by laser light from a semiconductor laser, detected by a CCD camera, and the signal is sent to the control unit of the moving vehicle 59 via the code 57, data processed, and determined. be done.

When the diagnosis of that location is completed, the robot moves to the next location, which is performed as follows.

First, the output of the levitation assisting booster 49 is reduced, the main body 41 is lowered, the adsorption butt 53 is separated from the surface of the target structure 40, and only the spherical caster 54 is pushed up against the surface of the target structure 40 by the pushing force of the spring 56. After moving the main body 41 a predetermined distance while being guided by the spherical caster 54 while driving the booster 45 for movement in the X or Y axis direction, as described above, by the operation of the booster 49 for levitation assistance, as described above, The suction butt 53 of the leg 50 is pressed against the target structure 40, and the leg 50
is fixed and positioned on the target structure 40.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an airborne mobile robot showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top view of the robot, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the robot, and Fig. 4 is a leg with suction butts. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the He gas-filled bulb for flotation of the cord hose.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the working state of the robot.

In the figure, 40 is the target structure, for example, a slab, and 41 is the main body (housing).The shape is circular (for example, diameter 2m) is desirable. As the main body material, new materials such as aluminum alloy and engineering plastics, which have excellent mechanical strength and low specific gravity, are desirable. 42 is a He gas-filled float for floating the main body, the weight of the main body,
In other words, by increasing the total weight of the sensor part, booster, float material, etc. by several hundred grams,
Even if the power supply system of the booster stops due to a failure, the main body 41 descends gently and has a safe configuration without fear of sudden descent. Further, the shape of the He gas-filled float for floating the main body may be rectangular or twin-hulled, but for stabilization and miniaturization, it is an annular tube (for example, 60 cm in diameter). This annular tube has a structure in which at least the outside thereof is guarded by the main body. 43 is a sensor section (diagnosis device);
For example, a semiconductor laser (transmission) and a CCD camera (reception) are built-in. 44 is a geared motor, and this geared motor 44 moves the sensor section 43 on the shaft 44a. 45 is a jet nozzle having a discharge port facing horizontally; 46 is a jet nozzle arranged in four pieces on the same circumference and having a discharge port facing downward; 47, 48;
are boosters for movement in the X and Y axes provided in the jet nozzle 46, and are used when moving in the X and Y axes on the slab surface. By controlling the
(see figure). Reference numeral 49 denotes a levitation assisting booster that sends a jet to the jet nozzle 46, and this levitation assisting booster is located at the center of the sensor section.
In consideration of buoyancy balance (swing prevention), the exhaust ports are arranged at four locations evenly distributed around the center of gravity. 50 is a leg, a first joint 51 attached to the housing;
A second joint 52, a closed cell suction pad 53 for sticking to the target structure, and a spherical caster 5
4. It consists of a rod 55 and a spring 56 that biases the spherical caster 54, thereby preventing vibration of the main body during positioning, diagnosis, and repair. 57 is cord hose, 58 is cord hose
A ball filled with He gas for levitation compensates for the weight of the hose 57, 59 is a moving vehicle, 60 is a reel for feeding out and winding up the cord/hose, 61 is a remote control box, and the main body 41 has a drive sensor section. A remote control servo (not shown) is mounted, and the servo can be remotely controlled by the remote control to control the direction of the jet nozzle and operate the sensor section (wireless or wired).

Since the cord hose 57 has weight, in order to compensate for this weight, a clamp 58a is attached to the cord hose 57 to compensate for the weight.
8b and connect it to the He gas filled bulb 58 for levitation. The floating body of the cord/hose 57 may be modified in various ways, such as by providing a float to enclose the cord/hose 57. Further, a plurality of floating bodies may be provided at a plurality of locations on the cord/hose 57.

The aerial floating mobile robot of the present invention can be configured with a control system using wired control, as shown in FIG.

In the figure, 70 is a CPU (central processing unit), 71 is a memory, 72 is a database, 73 is a TV monitor,
74 is an interface circuit, 75 is a mobile booster drive circuit, 76 is a booster drive circuit for levitation assistance, 77 is a CCD camera output signal amplification circuit, 7
8 is a semiconductor laser drive circuit, 79 is a motor drive circuit, 80 is a nozzle direction adjustment device drive circuit, 81
82 is a semiconductor laser, 83 is a nozzle direction adjustment device, and 84 is an auxiliary storage device.

The operation of the floating mobile robot of the present invention will be explained below.

As shown in FIG. 6, the aerial floating mobile robot of the present invention has a main body 41 having a main body levitation float 42 attached to the lower surface of a slab 40 of an expressway. The cord/hose 57 connected to the main body 41 is levitated by a helium gas-filled bulb 58 for flotation.

The main body 41 equipped with the sensor section 43 is for main body levitation.
levitating in the air by a He gas-filled float 42;
Air is supplied to the main body from the air source of the moving vehicle 59 via the cord hose 57, and is discharged from the jet nozzle 46 to ascend. When approaching the target structure 40, the suction butts 53 of the legs 50 are pressed against the target structure 40 by the operation of the levitation assisting booster 49, and the legs 50 are fixed and positioned on the target structure 40. .

Therefore, the sensor section 43 is operated to diagnose cracks, partial peeling, etc. of the target structure 40. That is, the surface of the target structure 40 is scanned by laser light from a semiconductor laser, detected by a CCD camera, and the signal is sent via a code to the control unit of the moving vehicle 59, where the data is processed and determined. Ru. Note that the data can be appropriately stored in an auxiliary storage device 84 such as a floppy disk or magnetic tape.

Here, the control unit is installed in the moving vehicle 59 stopped on the ground or on the road surface, and includes a data processing device that records automatic diagnosis data, a monitor TV,
Consists of power supply, etc.

When the diagnosis of that location is completed, the robot moves to the next location, which is performed as follows.

First, the output of the levitation assisting booster 49 is reduced, the main body 41 is lowered, the adsorption butt 53 is separated from the surface of the target structure 40, and only the spherical caster 54 is pushed up against the surface of the target structure 40 by the pushing force of the spring 56. After moving the main body 41 a predetermined distance guided by the spherical caster 54 while driving the boosters 47 and 48 for movement in the X or Y axis direction, the levitation assisting booster 49 is moved as described above. By this operation, the suction butts 53 of the legs 50 are pressed against the target structure 40, and the legs 50 are fixed and positioned on the target structure 40.

FIG. 8 is a plane (X, Y) diagram illustrating the movement of the aerial floating mobile robot of the present invention, where FIG. 8a shows the movement of the main body in the X-axis direction, and FIG. 8b shows the movement of the main body in the -
Figure 8c shows the movement of the main body in the Y-axis direction, Figure 8d shows the movement of the main body in the -Y-axis direction, and Fig. 8e shows the movement of the main body in the clockwise direction. rotation,
FIG. 8f is a plan view showing the rotation of the main body in a counterclockwise direction.

The moving operation of the airborne mobile robot will be explained below.

(1) If you want to move the main body 41 in the X-axis direction,
As shown in FIG. 8a, the left nozzle 45 is extended and the moving booster 48 is driven.

(2) If you want to move the main body 41 in the -X axis direction, as shown in Figure 8b, move the right nozzle 45.
is extended to drive the moving booster 47.

(3) If you want to move the main body 41 in the Y-axis direction,
As shown in FIG. 8c, the left and right nozzles 45 are tilted downward, and the left and right moving boosters 47,
drive at the same time.

(4) If you want to move the main body 41 in the -Y axis direction, as shown in Figure 8d, move the left and right nozzles 45.
Tilt it upwards and move the left and right movement boosters 47,
48 are driven simultaneously.

(5) If you want to rotate the main body 41 clockwise, as shown in Figure 8e, turn the nozzle 45 on the left side.
is tilted downward, the right nozzle 45 is tilted upward, and the left and right movable boosters 47 and 48 are simultaneously driven.

(6) If you want to rotate the main body 41 counterclockwise, as shown in Figure 8f, turn the nozzle 45 on the left side.
is tilted upward, the nozzle 45 on the right side is tilted downward, and the left and right movable boosters 47 and 48 are simultaneously driven.

With this configuration, the main body can be moved in the X-axis, Y-axis, and θ (rotation) directions using two nozzles.

In addition, when the work on the main body 41 is finished or when it is necessary to lower the main body 41 as quickly as possible due to circumstances, the operation of the levitation assisting booster is stopped and the main body is lowered by its own weight. The main body 41 can be pulled up by driving a reel 60 provided on the moving vehicle with an electric motor (not shown) and winding up the cord/hose 57.

Examples of target structures include roads, railways, rivers, and viaducts, and the lower surface of a slab is particularly suitable as a target site. The height can be set freely, and it can be applied to areas other than the bottom surface of the slab.

Furthermore, the following measures can be taken without being limited to the above embodiments.

(1) In the above embodiment, an example in which the lower surface of the slab is diagnosed has been described, but it is also possible to diagnose the side surface of the slab. In that case, the jet nozzles on the side surface of the main body may be controlled so that one of them functions to compensate for gravity, and the jet nozzle on the bottom surface has a propulsion function.

(2) In addition to diagnosing the target structure, the system is configured to be equipped with a painting device and supply paint from the mobile vehicle through a hose to paint the target structure and provide compensation. be able to.
In addition, before diagnosing a target structure, a cleaning device sends compressed air from a mobile vehicle through a hose and blows the compressed air onto the surface of the target structure to clean the surface to be diagnosed. may be installed in the main body. With this configuration, dust and dirt can be removed from the diagnostic surface, allowing accurate diagnosis.

(3) As the filling gas for the float, instead of He gas, Ar or hydrogen gas or a mixed gas thereof can be used.

(4) The float may be configured to have a plurality of compartmentalized chambers. With this configuration, if a part of the float breaks, it is possible to prevent the main body from falling suddenly due to gas escaping from the entire float.
Furthermore, a lightweight foam or fiber may be incorporated inside the float so that when the gas is removed, the shape of the float when it is filled with gas is maintained substantially.

(5) The main body can also be equipped with a gyroscope for detecting its current position, a distance sensor, a position sensor, etc. for detecting the distance between the main body and the target structure.

(6) Furthermore, as the diagnostic device (sensor unit), an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an audible sensor equipped with a percussion hammer, etc. can be used instead of the semiconductor laser and CCD camera.

(7) In addition to the semiconductor laser mentioned above, various lasers such as CO ₂ laser, Ar
It may be configured to supply a laser, a He-Ne laser, or an excimer laser.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made based on the spirit of the present invention, and these are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the following effects can be achieved.

(1) Since it is an aerial movement method, it has a large three-dimensional degree of freedom, and there are extremely few restrictions due to the location of the target structure.

(2) It can move freely in three dimensions, such as up and down, back and forth, left and right, and rotate, allowing for quick cleaning, diagnosis, and repair.

(3) Since it uses a self-weight compensation method using a gas float, it requires extremely little driving energy for movement, making it an energy-saving type.

(4) It is capable of cleaning, diagnosing, and repairing from high places to low places, and is especially effective in high places where other methods cannot.

(5) Diagnosis is performed by placing it on a slab surface using a special positioning suction pad, so accurate and highly accurate diagnosis and repair can be performed.

(6) It is possible to clean, diagnose, and repair not only the underside of slabs, but also walls, slopes, etc.

(7) Measurement and movement can be performed by remote control.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an airborne mobile robot showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top view of the robot, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the robot, and Fig. 4 is a leg with suction pads. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the He gas-filled bulb for flotation of the cord hose.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing the working status of the robot.
FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control system for an air-levitating mobile robot of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating the movement operation of the air-levitating mobile robot of the present invention, and FIG.
1 to 12 are block diagrams of conventional devices. 40...Target healthy structure (slab), 41...Main body,
42...He gas-filled float for main body levitation, 43
...Sensor part, 44...Geared motor, 44a
...Shaft, 45,46...Jet nozzle,
47, 48... Booster for movement in the X and Y axis directions,
49... Booster for levitation assistance, 50... Legs, 5
1...first joint, 52...second joint, 53...
...Adsorption pad, 54...Spherical caster, 55...
... Rod, 56 ... Spring, 57 ... Cord hose, 58 ... He gas filled bulb for levitation, 5
9...mobile vehicle, 60...cord reel, 61...
Remote control box, 70...CPU
(Central processing unit), 71... Memory, 72... Database, 73... TV monitor, 74... Interface circuit, 75... Mobile booster drive circuit, 76... Booster drive circuit for levitation assistance, 7
7... CCD camera output signal amplification circuit, 78...
Semiconductor laser drive circuit, 79... Motor drive circuit, 80... Nozzle direction adjustment device drive circuit, 81
...CCD camera, 82...Semiconductor laser, 8
3... Nozzle direction adjustment device, 84... Auxiliary storage device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. (a) A working means for a target structure; (b) a main body on which the working means is mounted; and (c) a gas filled with a gas having a low specific gravity relative to the air that floats the main body. a float; (d) a nozzle having a downward opening and injecting gas to compensate for the descent of the main body; and (e) a nozzle provided on a side of the main body and ejecting gas to cause three-dimensional movement of the main body. and (f) an aerial floating mobile robot comprising legs that adsorb to the target structure. 2. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the working means is a diagnostic device. 3. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the working means is a coating device. 4. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the working means is a cleaning device. 5. The aerial levitation mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein air, electric power, and control signals are sent to the main body from a moving vehicle on the ground using a cord hose. 6. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 5, further comprising a floating body attached to the cord/hose to compensate for the load on the cord/hose. 7. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein data is exchanged between the main body and a ground mobile vehicle. 8. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the float is a ring-shaped tube filled with He, Ar, or hydrogen gas. 9 The float is a rectangular or twin-shaped He, Ar
The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the robot is a float filled with hydrogen gas. 10. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the float is divided into a plurality of chambers. 11. The aerial levitation mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary levitation means is an air jet from a nozzle containing a booster. 12. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the moving means is an air jet from a nozzle containing a booster. 13. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 12, wherein the nozzle is movable within a range of 180 degrees. 14. The aerial floating mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the main body is equipped with a remote control servo for driving a sensor section, and the servo is remotely controlled by a remote controller on the ground.