JPH05229480A - Mobile robot for underwater inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To design a robot to be excellent in economy and controllability, to make its floating bodies easily balanced, and thereby to be small in size with its pushers reduced in number. CONSTITUTION:A robot is equipped with vertical cylindrical casings 1 each of which is so formed as to be penetrated through in fluid-sealing relation while the casings are located back and forth and from right and left at equal intervals over the circular center line 3 of a horizontal circular floating body 2 which is dipped under water with neutral buoyancy given, reversible pushers 9 coaxially disposed in the respective casings 1, a spherical floating body 10 which is loosely and coaxially inserted to the center of the center hole of the circular floating body while being rotatably supported at the center hole of the circular floating body 2 via lug shafts 11 and 11 at the right and left ends of the shafts, and with a TV camera 13 and a floodlight 14 which are provided for the front end portion of the spherical floating body 10. Furthermore, the robot includes a balancing weight 12 provided for the lower end of the spherical floating body 10 and a buoyant cable 15 through which signals and electricity are forwarded to the respective pushers 9, the TV camera 13 and the floodlight 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a self-propelled robot for submerged inspection.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, as a self-propelled robot for submerged inspection used for inspecting submerged equipment of plant equipment,
As shown in the side view of FIG. 3, reversible reciprocating propulsion units 02 are provided in the left and right directions above and below the front and rear ends of a horizontal capsule-like neutral buoyancy body 01, and reversible reciprocating propulsion units are oriented in the front and rear directions above and below the central part. 03 is installed, and a total of 6 propulsion units 0
It is known that it is capable of self-propelled in all directions with 2.03. Here, 04 is a transmission cable for supplying electric power and control signals from the outside to the robot.

However, in such a robot,
It has the following drawbacks. (1) Since the symmetrical shape of the buoyant body 01 with respect to the front-rear axis and the symmetrical shape with respect to the left-right axis are different, six propulsion units 02, 03
Therefore, the equipment cost is high and it is uneconomical. (2) Buoyant body 0 in which the above-mentioned six propulsion units 02, 03 are arranged
Since it is necessary to keep the equilibrium of 1, the shape of the buoyancy body 01 becomes large, and therefore the device cost increases and it is uneconomical.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of such circumstances, and has a small number of propulsion units,
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a self-propelled robot for submerged inspection which is easy to balance the buoyancy body and therefore has a small shape and is excellent in economy and controllability.

[0005]

To this end, the present invention is directed to the vertical front, rear, left and right sides which are liquid-tightly formed at equal intervals on a circular center line of a horizontal annular floating body which is immersed in a liquid and has neutral buoyancy. A cylindrical casing, a reversible thruster coaxially arranged in each of the casings, a concentric loosely inserted into the center of the center hole of the annular floating body, and the annular floating body at the left and right ends via the respective ear shafts. A spherical floating body rotatably supported in the central hole of the spherical floating body, a TV camera and an illumination lamp attached to the front end of the spherical floating body, a balancing weight attached to the lower end of the spherical floating body, It is characterized by comprising a propulsion device, the TV camera, and a buoyant cable that sends electric power and signals to the illumination lamp.

[0006]

According to this structure, the front and rear, right and left vertical cylindrical casings are formed liquid-tightly at equal intervals on the circular center line of the horizontal annular floating body which is immersed in the liquid and has neutral buoyancy. , A reversible thruster coaxially disposed in each of the casings, and concentrically loosely inserted concentrically at the center of the center hole of the annular floating body, at the left and right ends through the ear shaft to the center hole of the annular floating body. A spherical floating body rotatably supported, a TV camera and an illuminating lamp attached to the front end of the spherical floating body, a balancing weight attached to the lower end of the spherical floating body, the propellers, and Since the TV camera and the buoyancy cable for sending electric power and signals to the above-mentioned illumination lamp are provided, the following operations are performed. (1) The number of propulsion mechanisms is reduced to four, and the shape of the floating body can be made symmetric in all directions, which makes the buoyancy small and facilitates balance. (2) The spherical floating body can be kept in a suspended state, and the annular floating body can be rotated around the spherical floating body. (3) Cables can be guided from the spherical floating body to each propulsion mechanism through the hollow cochlea, and the number of cables between the outside and the device can be reduced.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 1 and the plan view of FIG. 2, 1 is the front, rear, left and right of a circular center line 3 of an annular floating body 2 having a torus-like neutral buoyancy. 4 which are liquid-tightly penetrated through the annular floating body 2 with appropriate diameters orthogonal to the center plane around the four equal positions 4.
An annular electric motor stator 6 is provided in each of the watertight compartments 5 formed by the individual short cylindrical casings and the annular floating body 2. Reference numeral 7 denotes a vertical cylindrical electric motor rotor that is coaxially rotatably inserted into the inside of the cylindrical casing 1 via bearings 8, and a vertical shaft propeller 9 is coaxially arranged inside the rotor. There is. 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d are
Each is a propulsion mechanism formed by the cylindrical casing 1, the watertight section 5 and the propelling device 9 working together. Reference numeral 10 is pivotally mounted inside the annular floating body 2 via a pair of hollow ear shafts 11 and 11 projecting in a direction connecting the pair of cylindrical casings 1 and 1 at both ends of the diameter in the left-right direction. The spherical floating body 12 is a balance weight attached to the bottom of the spherical floating body 10. Reference numeral 13 denotes an inspection TV camera attached to the central side surface of the spherical floating body 10, 14 is an illuminating lamp attached to each of the upper and lower side surfaces of the spherical floating body 10 with the TV camera 13 interposed therebetween, and 15 is a lower portion of the spherical floating body 10. A buoyancy cable that connects the outside of the device, in which the cable 16 for the stator, the cable 17 for the camera, and the cable 18 for the illumination lamp are inserted.
The distal end of 6 is inserted through the hollow ear shaft 11 so that each motor stator 6
Connected to.

In the inspection of the submersible equipment in such a robot, the spherical floating body 10 suspended by the balancing weight 12 is orthogonal to the direction XX of the hollow ear shafts 11 and 11. Propulsion mechanism 9 at both ends of diameter Y-Y
a and 9c are continuously operated to exert thrusts in mutually opposite directions to rotate the annular floating body 2 around the hollow ear axis XX, and as shown by the chain line in FIG. It can take any posture up to the state. In this way, if the annular floating body 2 is placed in the vertical posture as shown in FIG. 1 and then, for example, the propulsion mechanisms 9a and 9c are rotated in the same direction, the robot of the present invention moves forward and backward in the Y-Y direction to propel it. By rotating the mechanisms 9a and 9c in opposite directions, the robot of the present invention rotates about the vertical axis ZZ.

In any case, the spherical floating body 10 is supported by the axes of the hollow ear shafts 11 and 11, and the vertical center line is held in the posture of the vertical axis Z--Z by the action of the balancing weight 12. It is possible to illuminate an object with a pair of upper and lower illumination lamps 14, 14 and to remotely view the state with the TV camera 13. Further, when the propulsion mechanisms 9b and 9d at the ends of the hollow ear shafts 11 and 11, that is, at both ends of the diameter of XX are operated in conjunction with each other to exert thrusts in opposite directions, the entire device is integrated into the hollow ear shafts. It is possible to take a desired posture by rotating at an arbitrary angle around a diameter Y-Y orthogonal to the directions of 11 and 11. At that time, the spherical floating body 10 takes a forward tilting or a rearward tilting posture, and the inspection point can be visually recognized in a posture directly facing the tilted point of the target object.

According to the robot of this embodiment,
Vertical cylindrical casings in the front, rear, left, and right, which are formed in a liquid-tight manner at equal intervals on the circular center line of a horizontal annular floating body that is immersed in liquid and has neutral buoyancy, and coaxially arranged in each of the above casings. A reversible propulsion device, and a spherical floating body that is loosely inserted concentrically at the center of the center hole of the annular floating body and rotatably supported in the center hole of the annular floating body via the ear shafts at the left and right ends, respectively. , A TV attached to the front end of the spherical floating body
Since a camera and an illuminating lamp, a balancing weight attached to the lower end of the spherical floating body, and a buoyancy cable for sending electric power and signals to the propulsion devices, the TV camera, and the illuminating lamp are provided, The effect is produced. (1) The number of propulsion mechanisms has been reduced to four, and the shape of the floating body can be made symmetric in all directions, which makes the floating body compact and easy to balance, thus making the device economical and maneuverable. improves. (2) It becomes possible for the spherical floating body to maintain a suspended state, and the annular floating body can be rotated around the spherical floating body,
Therefore, the visual inspection work becomes easy. (3) Cables can be guided from the spherical floating body to each propulsion mechanism through the hollow selvages, and the number of cables between the outside and the device can be reduced. The maintainability of is improved.

[0011]

In summary, according to the present invention, the front and rear, right and left vertical cylindrical casings are formed so as to be liquid-tightly formed at equal intervals on the circular center line of the horizontal annular floating body which is immersed in the liquid and has neutral buoyancy. And a reversible thruster coaxially arranged in each of the casings, and a center hole of the annular floating body which is loosely inserted concentrically at the center of the center hole of the annular floating body via the ear shafts at the left and right ends, respectively. A spherical floating body rotatably supported on the spherical floating body, a TV camera and an illumination lamp attached to the front end of the spherical floating body, a balancing weight attached to the lower end of the spherical floating body, and the propulsion devices. By having the TV camera and the buoyant cable that sends power and signals to the lighting,
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is extremely useful industrially because it provides a self-propelled robot for submerged inspection that has a small number of propulsion units and a buoyant body is easily balanced, and therefore has a small shape and is excellent in economical efficiency and maneuverability. ..

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a known self-propelled robot for in-liquid inspection.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Cylindrical casing 2 Annular floating body 3 Circular center line 4 4 Dividing position 5 Watertight division 6 Electric motor stator 7 Electric motor rotor 8 Bearing 9 Propulsor 9a Propulsion mechanism 9b Propulsion mechanism 9c Propulsion mechanism 9d Propulsion mechanism 10 Spherical floating body 11 Medium Empty ear axis 12 Balance weight 13 TV camera 14 Lighting lamp 15 Buoyancy cable 16 cable 17 Cable 18 cable

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Vertical cylindrical casings in the front, rear, left, and right, which are liquid-tightly formed at equal intervals on a circular center line of a horizontal annular floating body which is immersed in a liquid and has neutral buoyancy, and each of the above casings. A reversible propulsion device coaxially arranged and a concentric loosely inserted in the center of the center hole of the annular floating body and pivotally supported in the center hole of the annular floating body at the left and right ends via ear shafts. Spherical float, a TV camera and an illumination lamp attached to the front end of the spherical float, a balance weight attached to the lower end of the spherical float, the propulsion devices, and the TV.
A self-propelled robot for submerged inspection, comprising a camera and a buoyant cable that sends electric power and signals to the above-mentioned lighting.