KR20150053407A - Underwater cleaning robot - Google Patents

Abstract

An underwater cleaning robot is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the underwater cleaning robot may comprise: a frame; a pair of driving units which has a driving wheel to come in contact with a cleaning target surface and a traveling driving part to drive the driving wheel and is separately installed on both sides of the frame; a steering unit including a steering wheel to control the moving direction of the frame and a steering driving part to drive the steering wheel; a cleaning unit arranged on the frame to carry out cleaning by adjusting the height in response to the height variations of the cleaning target surface; and an image taking unit including a lighting device which adjusts the brightness to allow an image on the condition or on the cleaned or uncleaned state of the cleaning target surface to be taken, a camera to take an image on the cleaning target surface, a specimen of which the image is taken by the camera at all times to provide a reference on illuminance measurement, and a control part which controls the operation of the lighting device and detects information on illuminance by analyzing the image taken by the camera or the illuminance or the color pixel values of the specimen taken by the camera to allow the image taking of the camera under certain lighting conditions.

Description

UNDERWATER CLEANING ROBOT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an underwater cleaning robot, and more particularly, to an underwater cleaning robot capable of accurately analyzing, measuring, and effectively cleaning the position and deposition amount of foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of a ship while traveling along the bottom or side of the vessel .

Since the ship is operated with the lower side being immersed in water, aquatic organisms such as water moss, barnacle, etc. may be attached to the bottom or side of the water. As such, foreign matter adhering to the hulls acts as a resistance when the ship is operating, thereby lowering the speed and increasing the fuel consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to remove it through periodic cleaning.

Conventionally, in order to remove foreign matter adhered to the hull, a method of moving the ship to a dock on the land and cleaning the hull by spraying high pressure washing water onto the outer surface of the hull has been used. However, this method required a procedure to transfer the hull to the dock, which required a long working time and a lot of workmen in the cleaning process.

Alternatively, the diver directly went into the water to operate the cleaning equipment and clean the hull. However, this method also has a problem that the working time is prolonged because the diver is moving in the water, and the work environment is poor and the work fatigue is increased. In addition, as the foreign substances that are separated from the hull during the cleaning process are dispersed into the water, the visibility of the working area is worsened, and there is a burden on the safety accident due to the poor working environment.

Considering these points, recently, an underwater cleaning robot has been proposed, which can carry out cleaning of the outer surface of the hull while traveling along the hull in water. Such an underwater cleaning robot can refer to an example of Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2011-0062248 (published on June 10, 2011).

However, such an underwater cleaning robot is difficult to stably run the outer surface of the hull having many curved surfaces, and the brush device is maintained at the same height irrespective of the change of the outer surface of the hull, so that it is difficult to obtain a uniform cleaning effect as a whole. In addition, there is a problem that deterioration of the cleaning quality and work efficiency is difficult because it is difficult to confirm the quality of the cleaning of the hull because the foreign substances leaving the hull are scattered in the water during the cleaning process.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0062248 (published on June 10, 2011)

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an underwater cleaning robot capable of accurately measuring the foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the hull, regardless of changes in the underwater environment, thereby improving the working efficiency.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an underwater cleaning robot capable of accurately and easily grasping the cleaning state of the outer surface of the hull to improve cleaning quality.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an underwater cleaning robot capable of stably traveling along a top surface of a work surface having a curved surface.

The underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention is intended to provide an underwater cleaning robot in which the posture of the cleaning unit can be adjusted in response to a change in the state of the upper surface of the workpiece during traveling.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an underwater cleaning robot capable of securing a clock in a working area and minimizing marine pollution by collecting foreign matter leaving the top of the work surface during a cleaning process.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a frame constituting an entire outer shape and a skeleton; a driving wheel in contact with an upper surface of a workbench; and a traveling driving unit for driving the driving wheel; A steering unit for steering the steering wheel and a steering driving unit for operating the steering wheel; a steering unit provided on the frame between the pair of driving units and the steering unit, A lighting unit capable of adjusting the brightness of the upper surface of the workbench so as to photograph the upper surface of the workbench, a camera for photographing the upper surface of the workbench, a specimen for photographing the camera, The illuminance or pixel value of the image taken by the camera or the taken specimen is analyzed It can be detected luminance information so that the image taken by the camera shooting group under certain light condition is provided, including a photographing unit comprising a control unit for controlling the operation of the illumination device.

The photographing unit may be provided on at least one of the front, the side, and the rear of the frame.

The cleaning unit includes a cleaning unit frame provided on the frame, a pair of cleaning motors respectively provided on both sides of the cleaning unit frame so as to be able to move up and down, A pair of cleaning brushes for cleaning the upper surface, and a pair of cleaning motors and a lift device for moving the pair of cleaning brushes up and down.

The pair of cleaning motors may be rotatably supported in the front, rear, left, and right directions with respect to the frame for tilting the pair of cleaning brushes.

The cleaning unit includes a first rotation supporting member rotatably installed on the cleaning unit frame in a state of supporting the lifting device, and a second rotation supporting member mounted rotatably on the lifting device in a state supporting the cleaning motor, And a second rotation support member disposed to intersect the direction of the rotation center axis of the first rotation support member.

The elevating device includes a slide bar provided on the first rotation supporting member, an elevating member that moves up and down along the slide bar to support the second rotation supporting member in a rotatable manner, and presses the elevating member downward with a predetermined force, And a gas spring for maintaining contact with the upper surface of the work table.

The lift device may include at least one spring to adjust the height of the cleaning brush corresponding to the shape of the top surface of the work bench.

A vertical thruster installed on both sides of the frame at both sides of the frame and generating a driving force in a vertical direction of the frame, a lateral thruster installed at both sides of the frame and generating driving force in the front- May be further included.

Further comprising a foreign matter collecting device for collecting and collecting the foreign substances separated from the upper surface of the work bench by the operation of the cleaning unit,

Wherein the dust collecting device includes a cover member covering an upper surface and a peripheral portion of the pair of cleaning brushes and having an opening at a front portion in a traveling direction of the frame, And a foreign matter collecting unit connected to an outlet of the foreign object collecting pump and having a filtering member for filtering the foreign object.

The cover member is installed to move up and down together with the pair of cleaning brushes. The foreign matter collecting pump is disposed between the pair of cleaning motors, and the foreign matter collecting unit can be mounted on the frame.

The underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention can accurately detect the state of the outer surface of the hull irrespective of the underwater environment, thereby improving cleaning quality.

The underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention grasps the state of the outer surface of the hull and performs cleaning, thereby improving the working efficiency.

The underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention has an effect that the outer surface of the hull can be stably traveled to uniformize the cleaning effect.

The underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention has an effect of maintaining the optimal cleaning quality since the height of the cleaning unit can be adjusted according to the shape such as the height and tilt of the upper surface of the workbench and the tilting of the cleaning brush can be performed.

The underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention can collect foreign objects separated from the upper surface of the workbench by the foreign object collecting device during the cleaning process, thereby facilitating the securing of the view of the work area and minimizing marine pollution.

FIG. 1 shows an example of cleaning foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of a ship using an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a bottom portion of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
4 is a plan view of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a bottom view of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view of a driving unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exploded perspective view of a driving unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 shows a tilting operation of the driving unit in the underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a perspective view of a steering unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a side view of a cleaning unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a front view of a cleaning unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a foreign body collecting apparatus of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
15 is a perspective view showing a control unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below are provided by way of example so that those skilled in the art will be able to fully understand the spirit of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but may be embodied in other forms. In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted from the drawings, and the width, length, thickness, etc. of the components may be exaggerated for convenience. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

FIG. 1 shows an example of cleaning foreign matter (moss, barn, etc.) attached to the outer surface of a ship using an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the underwater cleaning robot 100 according to the present embodiment can clean the outer surface of the hull 10 while traveling on the outer surface of the hull 10 immersed in water. In other words, the underwater cleaning robot 100 can approach the work area of the vessel anchored in the water through the underwater swim, and is attached to the outer surface of the hull 10 by traveling to the working area, then travels along the outer surface of the hull 10, can do.

Although not shown in the drawing, the underwater cleaning robot 100 may be connected to a cable 20 extending from a separate manipulation facility and a power supply facility. Maneuvering equipment and power supply facilities may be operated on the ground or on the deck of the ship or on the deck of another ship which is being cleaned. FIG. 1 illustrates a case where the underwater cleaning robot 100 cleans the outer surface of the hull 10, but the use range of the underwater cleaning robot 100 is not limited thereto. It can also be used to clean the outer surfaces of various offshore plants and floating structures that float on the sea.

2 to 6, the submersible cleaning robot 100 includes a frame 110 constituting an overall external shape and a skeleton, a pair of driving units 120 installed on both sides of the frame 110, A cleaning unit 150 for cleaning the upper surface of the workbench, a photographing unit 140 for photographing the state of the upper surface of the workbench or whether the workbench is cleaned or the like, A plurality of thruster units 181 to 186 for water swim and posture control, and a control unit 190 for controlling the operation of the units. Here, the expression " forward " means the traveling direction in which the underwater cleaning robot 100 travels, and the rear means the opposite side.

The frame 110 may be a rectangular parallelepiped-like structure, as shown in Fig. A plurality of vertical frame portions 113 and a plurality of reinforcing frame portions 114 connecting the upper frame portion 111 and the lower frame portion 112 are connected to the upper frame portion 111, the lower frame portion 112, So that a rectangular parallelepiped shape can be formed as a whole. The four corners of the frame 110 may be provided in a curved shape for reducing resistance and impact reduction during underwater swim.

Here, the rectangular frame 110 is shown as an example, but the shape of the frame 110 is not limited thereto. The frame may be variously modified to facilitate supporting the devices and to reduce the resistance of the fluid. The frame 110 may be made of a metal material such as steel or aluminum, or may be made of a composite resin material having high rigidity such as engineering plastic.

The pair of drive units 120 are installed on both sides of the rear side of the frame 110 so as to be mutually symmetrical. 7 and 8, each of the driving units 120 includes a driving wheel 121 which rolls in contact with the upper surface of the work table, and a driving wheel 121 which is disposed outside the driving wheel 121 A wheel housing 122 to be installed, and a driving driving part for driving the driving wheel 121. [

The wheel housing 122 includes a wheel receiving portion 122a having a lower surface and a side surface opened. The driving wheel 121 is received in the wheel receiving portion 122a and partially rotatably supported on the side surface of the wheel housing 122 so that the driving wheel 121 is in contact with the upper surface of the work surface.

The traveling driving unit includes a driving motor 123 mounted on the upper portion of the wheel housing 122 and a power transmitting device for transmitting the rotational force of the driving motor 123 to the driving wheel 121. The power transmission device is provided with a drive bevel gear 124a coupled to the shaft of the drive motor 123 while being accommodated in the upper space 122b of the wheel housing 122, A driven bevel gear 124b which is accommodated in the upper space 122b and whose shaft 124c is rotatably supported on the side surface of the wheel housing 122 and a driven bevel gear 124b which penetrates the side surface of the wheel housing 122 outside the wheel housing 122 A driving pulley 124d coupled to the shaft 124c of the driven bevel gear 124b engaged with the shaft 121a of the driving wheel 121 through the side of the wheel housing 122 outside the wheel housing 122, A driven belt 124f connecting the drive pulley 124d and the driven pulley 124e and a tensioner 124g adjusting the tension of the drive belt 124f. A belt cover 125 is provided on the side surface of the wheel housing 122 to cover and protect the drive belt 124f.

This drive unit 120 is configured such that the rotational force of the drive motor 123 is transmitted to the drive wheel 124a via the drive bevel gear 124a, the driven bevel gear 124b, the drive pulley 124d, the drive belt 124f, (121). Therefore, the driving wheel 121 contacting with the upper surface of the work table can be moved forward and reverse by the forward rotation and the reverse rotation of the driving motor 123, thereby realizing the movement of the underwater cleaning robot 100.

Although not shown in the drawing, the driving wheel 121 can perform rolling motion in a state where it is attached to the upper surface of the work bench by the magnetic force of the built-in magnet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the underwater cleaning robot 100 from being separated from the upper surface of the workbench during the work. The magnet incorporated in the driving wheel 121 may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

Since the pair of drive units 120 are arranged to be symmetrical on both sides of the frame 110, rotation or turning of the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be performed in such a manner that the rotation direction or rotation speed of the both- Can be implemented.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the wheel housing 122 of the drive unit 120 may be inclined by a predetermined interval about the X axis (running direction axis) with respect to the frame 110. A support bracket 126 for supporting the front and rear side surfaces of the wheel housing 122 is mounted on the frame 110 and a support shaft 127 for engaging with the wheel housing 122 is attached to the support bracket 126, Respectively.

Accordingly, the driving unit 120 can be tilted about the X axis in response to a change in the curved surface of the working surface 11 contacting the driving wheel 121 as shown in FIG. When the driving unit 120 is tilted as described above, the driving wheel 121 can perform the rolling motion in a state in which the driving wheel 121 stably attaches to the top surface 11 of the work table 11 despite the slope change of the top surface 11 of the work surface.

The support bracket 126 and the wheel housing 122 may be provided with a tilting range limiting device for limiting the tilting of the wheel housing 122 to a predetermined range to prevent the drive unit 120 from being sideways. The tilting range limiting device includes an arcuate tilting restriction hole 128a formed in the support bracket 126 and a locking pin 128b that enters the tilting restriction hole 128a while being coupled to the wheel housing 122 . Such a configuration can be achieved by limiting the tilting range of the drive unit 120 by moving the engaging pin 128b within the range of the tilting limit hole 128a so that the weight of the drive motor 123 mounted on the wheel housing 122 It is possible to prevent the drive unit 120 from falling sideways.

The support bracket 126 and the wheel housing 122 may be provided with tilting preventing means for restricting the wheel housing 122 and preventing tilting, if necessary. The tilting prevention means may include a pin or a bolt-shaped restraining member 129 that is fastened to penetrate the support bracket 126 and the wheel housing 122 as needed. In general, since the tilting of the drive unit 120 should be possible, such a restricting member 129 is operated in a separated state.

3 and 5, the steering unit 130 is installed at a front central portion of the frame 110 in a state of being separated from the driving wheels 121 of the pair of driving units 120. [ 10, the steering unit 130 includes two steering wheels 131 disposed adjacent to each other on the same axis, a wheel housing 132 rotatably supporting the two steering wheels 131, And a steering driver that rotates the steering wheel 132 to implement the steering.

The steering driving unit includes a steering motor 133 whose axis is arranged to face up and down and whose axis is coupled to the upper part of the wheel housing 132 and a steering motor 133 which is fixed to the frame 110, And a bracket 134.

The steering unit 130 can control the moving direction of the frame 110 by rotating the wheel housing 132 in the forward or reverse direction by the operation of the steering motor 133. [ Also, two steering wheels 131, which are in contact with the upper surface of the work table, are mounted on both sides of the wheel housing 132, thereby operating in such a manner that the mutual rotation speed is changed instantaneously as the wheel housing 132 is rotated for steering. Therefore, smooth steering can be realized in a state where friction and slip between the upper surface of the work bench and the steering wheel 131 are minimized.

The steering wheel 131 can also perform rolling motion in a state where it is attached to the upper surface of the work bench by the magnetic force of the built-in magnet, like the driving wheel 121. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the underwater cleaning robot 100 from being separated from the upper surface of the workbench during the work. In FIG. 10, reference numeral 135 denotes a rotation sensing device for sensing the rotation of the steering wheel 131. The rotation sensing device 135 may be a means for sensing a rotation angle, such as a rotary encoder, and may be used to determine whether the steering wheel 131 is slipping or not, in comparison with the operation of the driving wheel 121.

The steering unit 130 implements three-point support of the frame 110 together with a pair of drive units 120 disposed on both sides of the rear side of the frame 110, as shown in Fig. That is, the steering wheel 131 is arranged in a triangular configuration maintaining the same distance as the driving wheels 121, thereby realizing the three-point support of the frame 110. Such a configuration can keep the driving wheels 121 and the steering wheel 131 always attached to the upper surface of the work surface even when the top surface of the work surface is curved like the outer surface of the hull 10. Therefore, the underwater cleaning robot 100 of the present embodiment can be stably attached to the work surface even when a curved surface or an uneven surface exists on the work surface.

The cleaning unit 150 is installed in the frame 110 between the steering unit 130 and the pair of drive units 120, as shown in Figs. That is, the cleaning unit 150 is disposed so as to be symmetrical on both sides between the steering unit 130 and the pair of drive units 120 so that the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be operated in a balanced manner, .

11 to 13, the cleaning unit 150 includes a cleaning unit frame 151 to which both ends of the cleaning unit 150 are attached to the frame 110, a pair of cleaning motors 152 And a pair of cleaning brushes 153 that are respectively coupled to the axes of the pair of cleaning motors 152 and clean the upper surface 11 of the work table while being rotated by the operation of each cleaning motor 152. The cleaning brush 153 includes a rotating plate 153a coupled to the shaft of each cleaning motor 152 and a brush portion 153b extending from the lower surface of the rotating plate 153a toward the work surface upper surface 11 side.

The cleaning unit 150 can adjust the height of the two cleaning brushes 153 in response to the change of the curved surface or the height of the upper surface 11 of the work bench during the traveling of the cleaning robot 100, And can be tilted in various directions. That is, the posture of the cleaning brush 153 can be adjusted in response to a change in the state of the upper surface of the work bench during traveling.

The cleaning unit 150 includes a pair of cleaning motors 152 connected to the pair of cleaning brushes 153 for supporting the first rotation support member 154, the elevation unit 155, the second rotation support member 156 so as to be rotatable and liftable relative to the frame 110.

The first rotation support member 154 is rotatably supported on the shaft support members 151a provided on both sides of the cleaning unit frame 151 so that the rotation axis 154a extending from both ends thereof in the Z axis direction . Accordingly, the first rotating member 154 can rotate about the Z axis.

Two elevating devices 155 are provided on both sides of the upper surface of both sides of the first rotation supporting member 154 and two elevating devices 155 are provided on the opposite sides of each cleaning motor 152, As shown in Fig. A total of four elevating apparatuses 155 are provided on the upper portion of the first rotation supporting member 154.

Each elevating device 155 includes two slide bars 155a vertically installed on the first rotation supporting member 154, an elevating member 155b ascending and descending along the two slide bars 155a, two slide bars 155a, And a gas spring 155c for moving the lifting member 155b downward by a predetermined force. The lower end of the gas spring 155c is fixed to the first rotation supporting member 154 and the upper rod portion is coupled to the elevating member 155b to give a force for moving the elevating member 155b downward.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the second rotation supporting member 156 has a connecting shaft 156a (axes in the X axis direction) provided before and after the cleaning motor 152 in the center thereof, And is rotatably coupled to the elevating member 155b. Therefore, the second rotation support member 156 can rotate around the X-axis (longitudinal axis of the frame) crossing the Z-axis.

Since the cleaning unit 150 is rotatably supported by the first rotation support member 154 rotating about the Z axis and the second rotation support member 156 rotating about the X axis, And can be tilted in the front, rear, left, and right directions. That is, the rotation center axis direction of the first rotation support member 154 and the rotation center axis direction of the second rotation support member 156 intersect. Therefore, each cleaning brush 153 connected to the axis of each cleaning motor 152 can be tilted in various directions corresponding to the curved surface or the inclination of the upper surface 11 of the work table, as shown in FIGS.

The cleaning brush 153 can not only be lifted by the lifting device 155 but also can maintain the pressure of the working surface 11 with the pressure set by the gas spring 155c of the lifting device 155. [ Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the cleaning brush 153 has a curved surface on the top surface 11 of the work surface, and when the height of the top surface 11 of the work surface changes, the height of the cleaning brush 153 is automatically adjusted, The contact with the top surface can be maintained, thereby maintaining the best cleaning conditions at all times. That is, the cleaning brush 153 descends when the height of the upper surface 11 of the work bench is lowered, and the cleaning brush 153 is pushed up when the height of the upper surface 11 of the work surface increases. In the present embodiment, the gas spring 155c is provided to realize lifting and pressing of the cleaning brush 153, but it may be replaced with a normal spring (coil spring, leaf spring, etc.) having an elastic restoring force.

5, the pair of cleaning brushes 153 are disposed between the steering wheel 131 and the pair of driving wheels 121, so that when the underwater cleaning robot 100 travels, a pair of driving wheels 121 Can be preliminarily cleaned.

That is, the maximum width (W, the distance from the outer end of one cleaning brush to the outer end of the other cleaning brush) formed by the pair of cleaning brushes 153 is larger than the separation distance The upper surface of the work table on which the driving wheel 121 passes can be previously cleaned. Therefore, since the driving wheel 121 travels in a state where it is attached to the upper surface of the workbench which has always been cleaned, it is possible to minimize the slip of the driving wheel 121 and to make stable running.

2, 3 and 6, at least one of the front, the rear, or the side of the frame 110 is provided so as to photograph and inspect the state of the upper surface of the workbench, And the photographing unit 140 includes a lighting device 142 for illuminating the top surface of the work surface, a camera 141 for photographing the top surface of the work surface, And a control unit for detecting illuminance information of the image photographed by the camera 141 and controlling the operation of the illuminator 142 to adjust the illuminance.

The illumination device 142 may be provided to be capable of brightness control, and the output thereof is controlled by a control unit. The illumination device 142 may be provided on both sides of the camera 141 so as to illuminate an upper surface of the workbench or a foreign object to be photographed by the camera 141. However, As shown in FIG.

 The camera 141 photographs the top surface of the workbench irradiated with light by the illumination device 142 so that the operator can check the state of the top surface of the workbench or whether the top surface of the workbench is cleaned or the like and transmits information to the operator through a display screen or a monitor (not shown) to provide. The camera 141 may be provided with a panoramic camera so that a wide angle wide area can be photographed.

A specimen 143 may be provided on the upper side of the work surface for the camera 141 to provide a reference for illuminance measurement of the image that is always photographed by the camera 141 and photographed. The underwater cleaning robot 100 is a device that performs cleaning while moving along the outer surface of the hull, and the outer surface and underwater environment of the hull where the underwater cleaning robot 100 is placed are changed every moment. Therefore, since the brightness of the image photographed by the camera 141 moving together with the underwater cleaning robot 100 changes each time, it is difficult for the operator to accurately grasp the state of the upper surface of the workbench and whether the work surface is cleaned. In order to solve such a problem, the specimen 143 is always photographed on one side of the upper surface of the workbench, which is taken by the camera 141, so that it is possible to provide a standard for measuring the illuminance of the image taken by the camera 141. The specimen 143 may be connected to the frame 110 by a bracket 144 so as to provide accurate illumination information on the upper surface of the work surface, and may be provided as close as possible to the upper surface of the work surface. Also, the specimen 143 may be provided as a standard gray specimen so as to provide a reference of illuminance information, and a plurality of black and white hues indicated on the specimen may be indicated as necessary.

The control unit can analyze the illuminance or pixel value of the image photographed by the camera 141 and the photographed specimen 143 to detect the illuminance information and to control the operation of the illuminator 142. [ After the illuminance or pixel value of the specimen 143 photographed by the camera 141 is analyzed and the illuminance information is detected by comparing with the reference illuminance or the pixel value of the specimen 143, It is possible to control the output of the lighting device 142 to be photographed. When the specimen 143 is provided as a standard gray specimen, the controller detects a pixel value within a range of 0 to 255 pixels in black and white hue indicated on a standard gray specimen, and then controls the brightness or output of the illuminator 142 can do. The pixel value of the specimen 143 photographed by the camera 141 may be displayed on the test piece 143 in the case where black (pixel value 0), gray (pixel value 128), and white (Black: pixel value of 0, gray: pixel value of 128, white: pixel value of 128) or white (pixel value of 255) 255), so that it is possible to always acquire images of the same illuminance, so that the operator can precisely grasp the state of the upper surface of the work surface, whether the work surface is cleaned, etc., ). ≪ / RTI >

Such a control unit may be provided by forming a module together with the camera 141, or may be provided together with a control unit described later.

In this embodiment and the drawings, the shooting unit 140 is applied to the case where the shooting unit 140 is provided in front of the frame 110. However, the shooting unit 140 may be provided on either the rear side or the side of the frame 110, It is to be understood that it is also possible to check whether the underwater cleaning robot 100 is cleaned or the top surface of the workbench together.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, the dust collecting apparatus includes a cover member 161 which covers the upper surface and the peripheral portion of the pair of cleaning brushes 153 and is installed to move up and down together with the pair of cleaning brushes 153, A foreign matter collection pump 162 installed between a pair of cleaning motors 152 for sucking and discharging foreign matter inside the cover member 161 together with water and a pair of cleaning motors 152 connected to the outlet of the foreign matter collection pump 162 And a foreign matter collecting unit 163 for filtering out foreign matter.

The cover member 161 includes an upper cover 161a covering an upper side of the brush disc 153a of the pair of cleaning brushes 153 and an upper cover 161a connected to the upper cover 161a, And a skirt portion 161b covering the circumferential portion of the pair of cleaning brushes 153 and forming an opening portion 161c in front of a direction in which the underwater cleaning robot 100 travels. The skirt portion 161b may be made of a rubber or a soft resin to prevent damage to the upper surface of the work surface.

14, the foreign matter collecting pump 162 includes a pump section 162a for pumping fluid and a motor section 162b for driving the impeller in the pump section 162a. The suction side of the pump part 162a is connected to the inside of the cover member 161 through the suction pipe 162d and the discharge side of the pump part 162a is connected to the foreign matter collecting unit 163 through the discharge pipe 162e do. This foreign matter collecting pump 162 is disposed at the center between a pair of cleaning motors 152 so that the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be balanced as shown in FIG.

The foreign matter collecting unit 163 can be mounted on the upper part of the frame 110, as shown in Figs. The foreign matter collecting unit 163 includes a collecting case 163a mounted on the upper part of the frame 110 and at least one collecting case 163a which is accommodated in the collecting case 163a and collects and collects foreign substances contained in the fluid discharged from the foreign object collecting pump 162 And a filter member 163b. A discharge port through which water is discharged may be provided on the rear surface of the collecting case. The filtration member 163b separates the foreign matter in the process of discharging the fluid, which is discharged together with the foreign matter, through the interior of the filtration member 163b. The filter member 163b can be replaced when foreign substances are accumulated therein.

Since the foreign matter collecting apparatus collects the foreign substances separated from the work surface upper surface 11 when the cleaning unit 150 operates, the foreign matter collecting apparatus collects the foreign matter that is drawn together with the water, and then collects the foreign matter in the foreign collecting unit 163, Can be minimized. In addition, since the foreign object is collected while cleaning, an easy view of the working area can be secured, and a smooth cleaning work can be performed.

Referring to FIG. 2, the plurality of thrusters 181 to 186 are installed at both the front and rear sides of the frame 110 and include four vertical thrusters 181 - And two lateral thrusters 185 and 186 which are installed on both sides of the frame 110 and generate a thrust force in the front-rear direction of the frame 110, respectively. Here, four vertical thrusters and two lateral thrusters are illustrated, but the number of these thrusters can be changed according to the design.

The vertical thrusters 181 to 184 generate the thrust in the upward direction or the downward direction so that the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be raised or lowered when the underwater cleaning robot 100 swims in water, So that the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be rotated around the X-axis. In addition, when the underwater cleaning robot 100 is attached to the upper surface of the workbench, the cleaning robot 100 propels the upper surface of the workbench to help maintain the posture of the underwater cleaning robot 100.

The lateral thrusters 185 and 186 can apply thrust force to the underwater cleaning robot 100 in the forward and backward directions of the frame 110 when the underwater cleaning robot 100 is swimming in water. In addition, the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be swiveled in such a manner that the rotations of the two sides are different from each other or any one of them is selectively driven. Although the present embodiment shows the case where the two lateral thrusters 185 and 186 on both sides are installed on the outside of the frame 110, the two lateral thrusters 185 and 186 may be disposed on the inner side of the frame 110.

The control unit 190 is installed at the center between the pair of drive units 120 on the rear side of the frame 110, as shown in Figs. 15, the control unit 190 includes various control devices 191 including a control panel for controlling the operation of the units, a cylindrical control case 191 having its periphery and front surface closed, And a cable connection block 193 sealingly coupled to the rear surface of the control case 192 and having a plurality of cables connected thereto.

A seal 194 capable of maintaining a watertightness can be interposed between the rear surface of the control case 192 and the cable connection block 193. The cable connection block 193 has a plurality of cable terminals 193a associated with various control devices 191 inside the control case 192. [ The cable 20 extending from the external steering and power supply equipment is connected to the rear portion of the cable connection block 193.

This control unit 190 is installed at the center portion of the rear surface of the frame 110, thereby contributing to maintaining the balance of the underwater cleaning robot 100 as well as its inherent functions. Particularly, the cylindrical control case 192 is disposed parallel to the front-rear direction centerline of the frame 110 so that the weight of the both sides of the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be uniform. In addition, since the control case 192 has a cylindrical shape, it is possible to reduce the resistance to fluid when the underwater cleaning robot 100 operates underwater. Thus, the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be stably swung and driven.

In the front of the frame 110, a laser vision system capable of detecting an obstacle ahead of the cleaning robot 100 is installed. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, the laser vision system includes at least one irradiating device 211 for irradiating a laser beam toward a front side, a laser vision camera (not shown) for acquiring an image of a laser beam and reading the existence of an obstacle 212). If it is determined that an obstacle exists in the path to be traveled through the laser vision system, the cleaning robot 100 may be controlled to bypass the obstacle.

The operation of the underwater cleaning robot having the above configuration will be described below.

When cleaning foreign objects such as water moss, barnacle, etc. attached to the outer surface of the vessel, the vessel is moored at the dock. In this state, the underwater cleaning robot 100 is connected to the manipulating equipment and the power supply equipment provided on the ground or the deck of the ship by the cable 20. The length of the cable 20 can be adjusted to be longer or shorter depending on the position of the underwater cleaning robot 100 entering the water by keeping the state of being wound around the winding drum. After connecting the cable 20, the submersible cleaning robot 20 enters the water. In this case, lifting means such as a ship or a crane on the ground can be used.

The submerged underwater cleaning robot 100 can be remotely controlled by the manager using the steering equipment to swim in the water and access the work area of the hull 10. At this time, the underwater cleaning robot 100 can control the flotation and posture by the operation of the vertical thrusters 181 to 184, and can move to a desired position in the water by the operation of the lateral thrusters 185 and 186.

The underwater cleaning robot 100 arriving at the work area is attached to the upper surface of the work table while being positioned by the operation of the vertical and lateral thrusters 181 to 186. That is, a pair of the driving wheels 121 and the steering wheel 131 are attached to the upper surface of the work table by a magnetic force. When the influence of algae or waves is large and more stable attachment is required, a plurality of vertical thrusters 181 to 184 are operated and the underwater cleaning robot 100 can be brought into close contact with the upper surface of the work surface.

The underwater cleaning robot 100 attached to the upper surface of the workbench can perform cleaning while traveling on the upper surface of the workbench in accordance with a command from the administrator using the predetermined program or the steering equipment. At this time, the running can be performed by the operation of the pair of drive units 120, and the running direction can be controlled by the operation of the steering unit 130. [ In this way, the cleaning unit 150 is operated to clean the upper surface of the workbench, and the foreign substances that are separated during the cleaning process can be collected by the foreign object collecting device.

Since the driving wheel 121 and the steering wheel 131 implement a three-point support in the traveling process, they can always be kept attached to the upper surface of the work table. Therefore, the underwater cleaning robot 100 can stably travel even when a curved surface or an uneven surface exists on the upper surface of the work surface. In addition, since a curved surface exists on the upper surface of the worktable, the height of the cleaning brush 153 is adjusted and the tilting is performed when the height or slope of the worktable is changed, so that the best cleaning condition can be maintained at all times. In this case, since the driving wheel 121 is also tilted corresponding to the upper surface of the workbench, the vehicle can be stably driven.

The manager who remotely controls the underwater cleaning robot 100 during the cleaning process can check the state of the upper surface of the workbench or whether or not the workbench is cleaned while viewing the image acquired through the photographing unit 140. [ The photographing unit 140 photographs the top surface of the workbench so that the operator can give information about the state of the top surface of the workbench or whether or not the top surface of the workbench is cleaned and even if the underwater environment photographed by the photographing unit 140 changes, The control unit controls the output of the illumination device 142 based on the pixel value of the specimen 143 so that the image can be acquired in the same illumination environment so that the operator can check the state of the top surface of the work surface, The correct information can be confirmed.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, You will understand. Accordingly, the true scope of the invention should be determined only by the appended claims.

100: underwater cleaning robot 110: frame
120: drive unit 121: drive wheel
130 Steering unit 131 Steering wheel
140: photographing unit 141: camera
142: Lighting device 143: Piece
150: Cleaning unit 152: Cleaning motor
153: cleaning brush 161: cover member
162: Foreign object collecting pump 163: Foreign object collecting unit
181 to 184: Vertical thruster 185, 186: Side thruster
190: control unit 192: control case

Claims (10)

frame;
A pair of driving units each having a driving wheel in contact with an upper surface of a workbench and a traveling driving unit for driving the same,
A steering unit having a steering wheel for controlling a moving direction of the frame and a steering driver for operating the steering wheel;
A cleaning unit provided in the frame and performing cleaning while adjusting a height of the work surface in accordance with a change in height of the work surface; And
A lighting device capable of adjusting the brightness of the upper surface of the workbench so as to photograph the state of the upper surface of the workbench; a camera for photographing an upper surface of the workbench; a specimen for always photographing the camera to provide a reference for illuminance measurement; And a control unit for analyzing the illuminance or the pixel value of the image or the photographed specimen to detect illumination information so that the image photographed by the camera is photographed under a constant illumination environment and controlling the operation of the illumination apparatus Underwater cleaning robots. The method according to claim 1,
The photographing unit
Wherein the robot is provided on at least one of the front, the side, and the rear of the frame. 3. The method of claim 2,
The cleaning unit
A cleaning unit frame provided in the frame,
A pair of cleaning motors provided on both sides of the cleaning unit frame,
A pair of cleaning brushes respectively coupled to shafts of the pair of cleaning motors to clean the upper surface of the work table by rotation,
Further comprising a pair of cleaning motors and a lift device for moving the pair of cleaning brushes up and down. The method of claim 3,
The pair of cleaning motors
And is rotatably supported in the front, rear, left and right directions with respect to the frame for tilting the pair of cleaning brushes. 5. The method of claim 4,
The cleaning unit
A first rotation supporting member rotatably installed in the cleaning unit frame in a state of supporting the lift device;
Further comprising a second rotation supporting member rotatably installed in the elevating device in a state of supporting the cleaning motor, the second rotation supporting member being arranged such that the direction of the rotation center axis crosses the direction of the rotation center axis of the first rotation supporting member robot. 6. The method of claim 5,
The platform
A slide bar provided on the first rotation supporting member, an elevating member that moves up and down along the slide bar to rotatably support the second rotation supporting member, and a pressing member that presses the elevating member downward with a predetermined force, An underwater cleaning robot comprising a gas spring for maintaining contact with an upper surface. The method according to claim 6,
The platform
Wherein the cleaning brush includes at least one spring to adjust a height of the cleaning brush corresponding to a shape of an upper surface of the workbench. The method of claim 3,
A vertical thruster installed at both the front and rear sides of the frame and generating a driving force in a vertical direction of the frame,
Further comprising a lateral thruster installed at both sides of the frame and generating thrust in the longitudinal direction of the frame. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising a foreign matter collecting device for collecting and collecting the foreign substances separated from the upper surface of the work bench by the operation of the cleaning unit,
The foreign body collecting device
A cover member covering the upper surface and the peripheral portion of the pair of cleaning brushes and having an opening at a front portion in a traveling direction of the frame,
A foreign matter collection pump for sucking and discharging the foreign matter inside the cover member together with water,
And a foreign matter collecting unit connected to an outlet of the foreign matter collecting pump and having a filtering member for filtering out the foreign matter. 10. The method of claim 9,
The cover member is provided so as to move up and down together with the pair of cleaning brushes,
Wherein the foreign matter collection pump is disposed between the pair of cleaning motors,
And the foreign matter collecting unit is mounted on the upper part of the frame.

Images