JPH07229881A - Moving type flaw detection robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately position a robot on a flaw detection surface by providing a television camera having the flaw detection surface in its visual field and displaying the cross cursor corresponding to the positioning reference position of the robot within the image thereof and moving the robot while monitoring the image. CONSTITUTION:A television camera 23 having a flaw detection surface in its visual field is provided in the annular frame part of an inside frame 2 along with a flaw detector 22 by setting the extension of a support shaft 11 as a reference position and the cross cursor corresponding to the reference position is displayed on the image thereof. When the extensible and contractible drive leg 4 of the inside frame 2 is contracted to separate a vacuum pad from the flaw detection surface and a ball screw 7 is rotated by a running motor 8, the support shaft 11 and the inside frame 2 are moved through a nut 10. In contrast with the movement of the inside frame 2 in the fixed state of an outside frame 1, the movement of the outside frame 1 in the fixed state of the inside frame 2 can be also performed and, by the repetition of this, a robot can moved along the flaw detection surface. Therefore, the positioning of the robot in flaw detection operation can be performed by the image of the flaw detection surface and the cross cursor.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile flaw detection robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, as a mobile flaw detection robot used for ultrasonic flaw detection on the wall surface of a spherical gas holder, two systems of telescopic drive legs are provided with adsorbing means such as a magnet or a vacuum suction cup device on a traveling body having a flaw detecting device. Is provided and the suction means is sucked onto the flaw detection surface to support itself, and the movement is performed by the alternate operation of the telescopic drive legs.

[0003]

Conventionally, since the traveling control in such a mobile flaw detection robot is remotely performed while being directly visually observed by an operator, an accurate positioning operation, for example, a reference position of the robot is performed. A positioning operation for accurately moving a welding bead or the like as a flaw detection target to a predetermined position and adjusting a traveling direction to a predetermined direction is troublesome. Therefore, the present invention aims to solve such a point.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, a suction means is provided on each of an outer frame and an inner frame which are connected so as to enable relative turning and relative movement in one direction. A telescopic drive leg is provided, and while only one of the frames is adsorbed and supported on the wall surface of the object, the other frame is relatively moved to perform traveling by alternately performing the operation. In a state where only one of the frames is adsorbed and supported on the wall surface of the object, the traveling direction is corrected by alternately rotating the other frame relatively, and the flaw detection device is attached to the inner frame. In addition to the installation, a TV camera with a visual field in the direction of the flaw detection surface is installed.In the image, a cross cursor corresponding to the positioning reference position of the robot is displayed, and the vertical line of this cross cursor corresponds to the running direction of the robot. To propose a mobile inspection robot that was.

Further, the present invention proposes that the television camera has an automatic focusing function or a zooming function in the above structure.

Further, the present invention proposes that, in the above structure, the suction means is constituted by a vacuum suction cup.

[0007]

With the image of the flaw detection surface of the flaw detection object by the TV camera and the cross cursor displayed on the image, the deviation of the robot positioning reference position from the predetermined position of the flaw detection surface can be known in both distance and direction. .

Therefore, the center position of the robot can be easily and accurately positioned at a predetermined position on the flaw detection surface by moving the robot forward or backward or turning while monitoring the image.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 are vertical cross-sectional views conceptually showing one example of the configuration of a mobile flaw detection robot to which the present invention is applied, and show cross sections taken along the lines AA and BB of the other drawings, respectively. There is. Further, FIG. 3 shows a state in which the inner frame is moved from the state of FIG. In these drawings, reference numerals 1 and 2 are outer frames,
Inner frames, which are annular frame parts a, respectively on the upper side and the lower side.
In addition to configuring b, the annular frame portions a and b are connected by a rod member c. Each support frame 1, 2
Lower annular frame portions 1b and 2b (hereinafter, the annular frame portions corresponding to the respective support frames are combined with reference numerals, for example, 1b,
It is expressed as 2b. The plurality of telescopic drive legs 4 provided with the suction means 3 are fixed to the connecting position with the bar c).
The expansion / contraction drive leg 4 is composed of a cylinder 5 fixed to the support frames 1b and 2b and a piston rod 6 to which the suction means 3 is fixed, and can be expanded / contracted by an air pressure or hydraulic pressure generating means (not shown). It is configured to be performed. The suction means 3 is a vacuum suction cup, and the suction operation is performed by a vacuum generation means (not shown). Besides, the attracting means 3 may be a magnet.

A ball screw 7 is provided in the front-rear direction on the upper annular frame portion 1a of the outer frame 1. The ball screw 7 is configured to be rotationally driven by a traveling motor 8 and the ball screw 7 is also provided. A guide bar 9 is provided in parallel with. A nut 10 is screwed onto the ball screw 7, and the nut 10 is provided on an upper portion of a support shaft 11. Therefore, the support shaft 11 is configured to be suspended from the ball screw 7 by the nut 10. A slider 12 is movably fitted to the guide rod 9, and the slider 12 and the support shaft 11 are connected by a support rod 13. Therefore, the support shaft 11 is the support rod 1.
3, the slider 12, and the guide rod 9 prevent the ball screw 7 from swinging.

A support shaft 11 is provided on the annular frame portion 2a of the inner frame 2.
A support cylinder portion 15 that constitutes the thrust bearing portion 14 is provided so as to project upward, and the support shaft 11 is fitted into the support cylinder portion 15 and is rotatably supported by the thrust bearing portion 14. Further, a swivel guide plate 16 is provided on the support shaft 11, a swivel guide plate 16 is sandwiched between the upper and lower sides of the annular frame portion 2a, and a guide support portion 18 provided with guide rollers 17 on the upper and lower sides and the lateral side is provided to project. There is. The guide supporting portion 18 can be formed corresponding to at least a plurality of places around the turning guide plate 16, or can be formed in an annular shape over the entire circumference.

On the outer side of the support cylinder portion 15, the swing gear portion 1 is provided.
9, a pinion 20 screwed into the turning gear portion 19 and a turning motor 21 for driving the pinion 20 are supported by the turning guide plate 16.

A flaw detector 22 is installed on the annular frame 2a, and a television camera 23 is installed on the extension of the axis c of the support shaft 11 as a reference position S for positioning. The television camera 23 has a visual field in the direction of the flaw detection surface 24 of the flaw detection object such as a spherical gas holder. Then, the image 25 has a cross cursor 26 corresponding to the reference position.
Is displayed, and the cross cursor 26 has vertical lines corresponding to the traveling direction of the robot. A conventional appropriate mechanism can be applied to the display mechanism of the cross cursor 26. Further, the television camera 23 may have an automatic focus adjustment function, or may be one which performs focus adjustment by remote control. Further, the television camera 23 may have a zooming function. Although the detailed structure of the flaw detection device 22 is omitted, a proper number of ultrasonic probes can be moved in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the flaw detection device 22 can advance and retreat with respect to the flaw detection surface 24.

With the above construction, the telescopic drive leg 4 of the inner frame 2 is shortened from the state shown in FIG. 1, and the vacuum suction cup 3 is raised to move away from the flaw detection surface 24 and the traveling motor 8 is started to start the ball screw 7 When the nut is rotated, the support shaft 11 is moved by the nut 10 in the right direction in the drawing, and thus the inner frame 2 is moved by the support shaft 11 in the right direction as shown in FIG.

After moving the inner frame 2 by a predetermined distance as described above, the extension / contraction drive leg 4 is extended, and the vacuum suction cup 3 is brought into contact with the flaw detection surface 24 to be sucked by vacuum suction. Next, the extension / contraction drive leg 4 of the outer frame 1 is shortened, and the vacuum suction cup 3 is lifted to be separated from the flaw detection surface 24. In this state, the traveling motor 8 is operated to rotate the ball screw 7 in the direction opposite to the above. In this state, since the nut 10 side is fixed, the ball screw 7 moves to the right, and therefore the outer frame 1 moves to the right. Then, after the traveling motor 8 is stopped when the outer frame 1 reaches a position similar to that shown in FIG. 1, the telescopic drive leg 4 of the outer frame 1 is extended, and the vacuum suction cup 3 is attached to the flaw detection surface 24.
By contacting and adsorbing to the
The one-step movement operation is completed. In the above movement operation, the inner frame 2 is moved first, but the outer frame 1 can also be moved first.

Thus, the movement of the inner frame 2 with the outer frame 1 fixed and the outer frame 1 with the inner frame 2 fixed.
The robot can be moved along the flaw detection surface 24 by alternately repeating the movement of (1), and thus flaw detection can be performed by the flaw detection device 22 at each position.
In the above movement operation, the nut 10 is prevented from moving around the ball screw 7 by the support rod 13 connected to the slider 12 that moves along the guide rod 9, so that the inner frame 2 swings when the outer frame 1 is fixed. It is possible to prevent the movement and the swinging of the outer frame 1 when the inner frame 2 is fixed.

The television camera 23 moves along with the movement of the inner frame 2 in the above flaw detection operation, and the flaw detection surface 24 on the image 25 also moves. Therefore, by the image 25 of the flaw detection surface 24 and the cross cursor 26 displayed in the image 25, the robot can be positioned in the flaw detection operation.
Therefore, a specific example of this positioning operation will be described with respect to flaw detection of the welding bead. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bead 27 that is the target of this example has a vertical bead 27l formed orthogonally to the horizontal bead 27w. The flaw detection of the vertical bead 27l is performed at the end on the side of the horizontal bead 27w. As a starting point B, it is assumed that the process is performed by moving upward from here.

FIG. 4 conceptually shows the transition of the positional relationship of the robot with respect to the flaw detection surface.
Only the inner frame 2 and the television camera 23 are shown, and the front side position f in the moving direction of each of the outer frame 1 and the inner frame 2 is indicated by a bold line for convenience. The states of the respective positions are indicated by. Further, FIG. 5 shows the transition of the image 25 of the television camera 23 at each position, and the respective images are shown as (a) to (d).

As shown in, when the reference position S for positioning the robot is located on the upper left side of the flaw detection start point B, and the front side faces the upper right, the cross cursor 26 as shown in FIG. To the right of the starting point B and above the vertical bead 2
7l is reflected. Therefore, first, as indicated by the arrow, the robot is moved in the direction it is currently facing by the above-described movement operation. In this moving operation, the inner frame 2
Monitor the transition of the image 25 while moving, and as shown in (b), the intersection point position of the cross cursor 26 is the vertical bead 27l.
When it reaches the top, the movement of the inner frame 2 is stopped. The state of the robot at this point is shown in.

Then, the outer frame 1 is moved to the position of as shown by the arrow in the fixed state of the inner frame 2. In this state, the telescopic drive leg 4 of the outer frame 1 is extended and sucked onto the flaw detection surface 24 by the vacuum suction cup 3, and then the inner frame 2
The telescopic drive leg 4 is shortened to be free. In this state, when the turning motor 21 is operated to drive the pinion 20 to rotate, the turning gear portion 19 screwed to the pinion 20 is driven, so that the inner frame 2 is guided by the guide support portion 18 and the thrust bearing portion 14. It is supported and pivots around the support shaft 11 as shown by the solid arrow. During this turning operation, the transition of the image 25 of the television camera 23 is monitored, and the turning is stopped when the extending direction of the vertical bead 27l coincides with the direction of the vertical line of the cross cursor 26 as shown in (c). In this way, the inner frame 2 is swung to a predetermined position and fixed, and then the telescopic drive leg 4 of the outer frame 1 is shortened to be free. When the pinion 20 is rotated in the opposite direction by the turning motor 21 in this state, the inner frame 2 is in a fixed state, and thus the pinion 20 performs a satellite movement outside the turning gear portion 19. As a result, the support shaft 11 rotates, so that the outer frame 1 pivots as shown by the dotted arrow inside. Then, by stopping the turning at a position where the front side position f of the outer frame 1 coincides with the front side position f of the inner frame 2, both the front side positions f of the inner frame 2 and the outer frame 1 coincide with each other, and the robot moves. The direction can be matched with the extending direction of the vertical bead 27l. The means for matching the front positions f of both the inner frame 2 and the outer frame 1 can be constituted by a limit switch, a rotary encoder, or the like.

From the state, the movement of the inner frame 2 in the fixed state of the outer frame 1 and the movement of the outer frame 1 in the fixed state of the inner frame 2 are alternately repeated as described above, and the image 25 is displayed.
By moving the inner frame 2 while monitoring the transition of (1), the reference position S for positioning the robot can be matched with the starting point position B for flaw detection as shown in the image 25 of (d). The inner frame 2 is placed at the position corresponding to the image 25 in (d).
After positioning, the outer frame 1 can be moved as indicated by the inner arrow to reach the state where the robot can be positioned at the flaw detection start position.

It should be noted that the monitoring of the image 25 in the above description can be performed by visual inspection by an operator or automatically by image processing.

[0023]

Since the present invention is as described above, it is possible to move the robot forward or backward or to make a turn while observing an image, so that the positioning center position of the robot can be easily and accurately detected. There is an effect that it can be positioned at a predetermined position.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 conceptually shows an example of the configuration of a mobile flaw detection robot to which the present invention is applied, and is an explanatory longitudinal sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 2 conceptually shows an example of the configuration of a mobile flaw detection robot to which the present invention is applied, and is an explanatory vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory vertical sectional view showing a state where the inner frame is moved from the state of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view explanatory diagram conceptually showing the transition of the positional relationship of the robot with respect to the flaw detection surface.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a transition of an image of a television camera as the robot moves.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Outer Frame 2 Inner Frame 3 Adsorption Means (Vacuum Sucker) 4 Telescopic Drive Leg 5 Cylinder 6 Piston Rod 7 Ball Screw 8 Traveling Motor 9 Guide Rod 10 Nut 11 Support Shaft 12 Slider 13 Support Rod 14 Thrust Bearing 15 Support Tube 16 turning guide plate 17 guide roller 18 guide supporting part 19 turning gear part 20 pinion 21 turning motor 22 flaw detector 23 TV camera 24 flaw detection surface 25 image 26 cross cursor 27 bead S positioning reference position B flaw detection start position f front position

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A telescopic drive leg having suction means is provided on each of an outer frame and an inner frame connected to each other so as to be capable of relative rotation and relative movement in one direction, and only one of the frames is provided as an object. The state where the other frame is sucked and supported on the wall surface of the object while the traveling is performed by alternately performing the operation of relatively moving the other frame on the wall surface of the object. In order to correct the traveling direction by alternately rotating the other frame, the flaw detection device is installed in the inner frame and the television camera is set in the direction of the flaw detection surface. A mobile flaw detection robot characterized by displaying a cross-shaped cursor corresponding to the positioning reference position of the robot in the image, and making the vertical line of this cross-shaped cursor correspond to the traveling direction of the robot. 2. The mobile flaw detection robot according to claim 1, wherein the television camera has an automatic focusing function. 3. The mobile flaw detection robot according to claim 1, wherein the television camera has a zooming function. 4. The mobile flaw detection robot according to claim 1, wherein the suction means comprises a vacuum suction cup.