KR20040011570A - Robot for visual inspection of infrastructures ; Bridges, Tunnels, Nuclear power plants, etc - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A facility inspection robot is provided to allow a user to effectively manage facilities, such as buildings or houses, by evaluating a status of the facilities based on image data stored in database of the facility inspection robot. CONSTITUTION: A facility inspection robot includes a robot body(1) having a vacuum pump, a vacuum valve and a suction pad and an image collecting and processing device(3) for photographing a status of a structure so as to allow a user to recognize the status of the structure. A wire/wireless data transmitting device(4) is provided so as to transmit and process collected information through wire/wireless methods. A data storing and analyzing device(5) is provided to evaluate the status of the structure by using image data stored in a database.

Description

Robot for visual inspection of infrastructure facilities {Robot for visual inspection of infrastructures; Bridges, Tunnels, Nuclear power plants, etc}

In general, infrastructure industries such as bridges, tunnels, nuclear power plants, underground structures, etc. are becoming larger and more advanced in order to meet the varying demands of their members as society becomes more advanced and developed. The number of elapsed structures is gradually accumulating, and the necessity of continuous maintenance to secure the safety of the structure economically by evaluating the condition of the current structure and performing repair and reinforcement at an appropriate time is increasing rapidly.

Currently, in Korea, safety inspections and diagnosis are periodically conducted to secure the safety of infrastructure facilities such as bridges and tunnels. Mainly, the structure is managed by determining the condition grade after identifying the cracks and damages caused by visual inspection. .

However, the visual inspection by the existing manpower requires a relatively expensive cost due to excessive manpower and time, and the state grade of the same structure may be different by subjective judgment according to the skill of the worker.

In the case of bridges, if the bridge is high or the bridge space is a river or sea, it is not accessible by scaffolding or ladders, so it is not easy to inspect by manpower. In this case, some alternatives are possible by using the articulated ladder truck for inspection, but some lanes have to be blocked, which may cause traffic congestion, and in the case of cable bridges such as cable-stayed bridges and suspension bridges, it is difficult to move the articulated ladder truck each time between cables. .

In the case of tunnel structures where subways or trains pass, visual inspection by workers is possible only at night after operation hours, and visual inspection by human personnel is very inefficient in an environment where access is difficult or threatens worker safety. Able to know.

In order to overcome these shortcomings, inspection facilities are installed at some of the major structures to inspect them by personnel at all times.In the case of bridges, rails are installed between the piers and the piers to acquire image data using image processing techniques. There was an attempt to do it. However, these methods have a lot of problems in practical application because the initial investment is expensive and cannot be extended to the entire structure, and the continuous maintenance of not only the structure but also the auxiliary facilities such as the rail is required.

On the contrary, if the inspection robot of the present invention is used, it is not easy to access or can be utilized in a working environment that may cause a threat to the safety of the worker, and does not require any vehicle control and thus does not affect the traffic congestion at all. In addition, by managing the collected image data as a DB, it is possible to perform maintenance and reinforcement at an economically optimal time by quantitatively evaluating the state of the structure regardless of the skill of the operator and enabling more efficient maintenance of the structure.

In addition, it is possible to continuously acquire data without time constraints, and it is possible to reduce costs by eliminating the need for inspection facilities that are applied to some facilities, and it is more economical and reliable because one inspection robot can check the status of the entire structure. Condition checks can be obtained.

1 is a block diagram of the inspection robot for the bridge inspection

2 is a block diagram of a robot for inspection for tunnel inspection

3 is a system configuration diagram for inspecting a nuclear power plant structure;

1: Main body of inspection robot equipped with power supply unit, vacuum pump, vacuum valve, control unit, etc.

2: magnetic plate such as suction pad or magnet

3: image acquisition and processing device

4: wired / wireless transmission system

5: Wired / wireless reception system and storage device

6: fixed rotating device

7: rotating rod

8: mobile image acquisition and processing device

9: Inspection Robot

10: bridge

11: tunnel

12: Nuclear Structure

In order to achieve the above object, the configuration of the present invention is configured as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or 3.

The inspection robot's moving device for evaluating the condition of structures such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings composed of concrete, tiles, and glass is composed of a vacuum pump, a vacuum valve, and a suction pad. ((1) and (2) of FIG. 1), the main body of the robot that can move freely on the surface of steel structures such as steel bridges is composed of magnetic plates such as magnets ((1) and (2) )]. In addition, facilities that require inspection of the inner and outer walls and ceilings, such as nuclear power plant structures, are not only movable methods using suction pads ((9) of FIG. 3), but also rotation systems and control units fixed to the ceiling ((6) of (6). )] And the rotating rod ((7) of (Fig. 3)) that serves as a kind of rail to move the camera can be configured.

And the image collection and processing device that can grasp the crack, peeling, rebar exposure of concrete as well as local buckling, weld defect, bolt loosening, corrosion and painting state of the steel structure, such as visual inspection by manpower. (3) of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2), a wired / wireless data transmission and processing apparatus capable of transmitting and processing the collected information by wire or wireless [(4) and (5) of (FIGS. 1 and 2). ].

As described above, the inspection method by manpower is not only time-consuming, but also requires inspection devices such as articulated ladder cars and inspection facilities installed in some structures, while inspection robots continuously maintain data without time constraints. Not only can it be acquired, but it is possible to check the status of the entire structure with a single inspection robot, thereby obtaining more economical and reliable condition check data.

In addition, it can be used in a work environment that is not easy to access or threatens worker safety, and does not require traffic control, so it does not affect traffic congestion at all. In addition, by managing the collected image data as a DB, it is possible to perform maintenance and reinforcement at an economically optimal time by quantitatively evaluating the state of the structure regardless of the skill of the operator and enabling more efficient maintenance of the structure.

Claims (3)

For evaluating the condition of structures such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings composed of concrete, tiles, and glass, a robot body composed of a vacuum pump, a vacuum valve, and a suction pad (FIG. 1) (1) and (2)], the image collection and processing apparatus ((3) of FIG. 1) that can grasp the cracks, peeling, rebar exposure, etc. of the concrete, such as visual inspection by manpower to determine the state ((3) of (Fig. 1)), Wired / wireless data transmission device ((4) of FIG. 1) capable of transmitting and processing the collected information by wire and wireless, and quantitatively state the structure regardless of the skill of the operator by making the collected image data DB System consisting of a data storage and analysis device ((5) of FIG. 1) capable of evaluating Robot body consisting of magnetic plates such as magnets ((1) and (2) of FIG. 2) to allow free movement on the surface of steel structures such as steel bridges, local buckling of steel structures, weld defects, bolt loosening, corrosion and painting An image acquisition and processing apparatus ((3) of FIG. 2) capable of identifying the state by photographing the state and the like by visual inspection by human resources ((3) of FIG. 2), and the wired and wireless transmission and processing of the collected information. Wireless data transmission apparatus [(4) of FIG. 2], a data storage and analysis apparatus [(FIG. 2) capable of quantitatively evaluating the state of the structure regardless of the skill of the operator by making the collected image data into DB ( 5)] system Facilities that require inspection of the inner and outer walls and ceilings, such as nuclear power plants, are not only movable methods using suction pads ((9) in FIG. 3), but also rotation systems and control units fixed in the ceiling ((6) in (FIG. 3). ] And a rotating rod (7 (Fig. 3)] that acts as a kind of rail to allow the camera to move and shoot, to the wall as well as to the ceiling and to the rotation of the rotating system ((6) of (Fig. 3)]. A mobile image collection and storage device ([8] of FIG. 3) configured to photograph the entire inner and outer walls thereof, and a wired / wireless data transmission device capable of transmitting and processing the collected information by wire or wireless. The system consists of a data storage and analysis device that can evaluate the state of the structure quantitatively regardless of the skill of the operator by making the image data DB