Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic system includes determining a location and/or a pose of a power system component based on data received from one or more sensors, and determining a mapping of a location of a robotic system within a model of an external environment of the robotic system based on the data. The model of the external environment provides locations of objects external to the robotic system. A sequence of movements of components of the robotic system is determined to perform maintenance on the power system component based on the locations of the objects external to the robotic system and/or the location or pose of the power system component. One or more control signals are communicated to remotely control movement of the components of the robotic system based on the sequence or movements of the components to perform maintenance on the power system component.

Abstract: A robotic system includes a controller configured to obtain image data from one or more optical sensors and to determine one or more of a location and/or pose of a vehicle component based on the image data. The controller also is configured to determine a model of an external environment of the robotic system based on the image data and to determine tasks to be performed by components of the robotic system to perform maintenance on the vehicle component. The controller also is configured to assign the tasks to the components of the robotic system and to communicate control signals to the components of the robotic system to autonomously control the robotic system to perform the maintenance on the vehicle component.

Abstract: In accordance with certain implementations of the present approach, a reduced, element-by-element, data set is transmitted between a robot having a sensor suite and a control system remote from the robot that is configured to display a representation of the environment local to the robot. Such a scheme may be useful in allowing a human operator remote from the robot to perform an inspection using the robot while the robot is on-site with an asset and the operator is off-site. In accordance with the present approach, an accurate representation of the environment in which the robot is situated is provided for the operator to interact with.

Abstract: A robotic access system including a robotic fan crawler configured to traverse a surface of a wind turbine and perform one or more tasks. The robotic fan crawler includes one or more fans to adhere the robotic fan crawler to the surface of the wind turbine and one or more driving components to drive the robotic fan crawler along the surface of the wind turbine. The robotic fan crawler further includes one or more omnidirectional cameras operable to capture images of the surface from multiple perspectives during an inspection activity and data collection period. One or more steering components provide directional changes of the robotic fan crawler during operation. A tether cable is coupled to the robotic fan crawler and a tether management system to provide one or more of power, communications, grounding, supplies and distance calculations.

Abstract: A method including positioning a modular robotic component proximate an area of interest on a surface of a wind turbine. The modular robotic component including a plurality of modules that perform a plurality of tasks. The method further including inspecting the area of interest with the modular robotic component for an indication requiring at least one of repair or upgrade and operating the modular robotic component to perform the plurality of tasks sequentially as the modular robotic component moves along the surface of the wind turbine. A modular robotic component and system including the modular robotic component are disclosed.

Abstract: A robotic system includes a controller configured to obtain image data from one or more optical sensors and to determine one or more of a location and/or pose of a vehicle component based on the image data. The controller also is configured to determine a model of an external environment of the robotic system based on the image data and to determine tasks to be performed by components of the robotic system to perform maintenance on the vehicle component. The controller also is configured to assign the tasks to the components of the robotic system and to communicate control signals to the components of the robotic system to autonomously control the robotic system to perform the maintenance on the vehicle component.

Abstract: A system for use in maintaining a wind turbine blade includes a motorized apparatus sized to fit within an interior cavity of the wind turbine blade and configured to travel along a length of the wind turbine blade on an interior surface when the wind turbine blade is in a substantially horizontal position. The motorized apparatus includes a body, a drive system configured to move the body, and a camera coupled to the body. The camera is configured to capture at least one image of the interior surface. The system also includes a controller configured to map the at least one image onto a model of the interior surface. The system also includes an operator interface including a display device. The operator interface is configured to display the model on the display device and receive user input allowing an operator to interact with the model.

Abstract: The present approach relates to streaming data derived from inspection data acquired using one or more robots performing inspections of an asset or assets. Such inspections may be fully or partially automated, such as being controlled by one or more computer-based routines, and may be planned or dynamically altered in response to inputs or requirements associated with an end-user of the inspection data, such as a subscriber to the data in a publication/subscription distribution scheme. Thus, an inspection may be planned or altered based on the data needs or subscription levels of the user or customers.

Abstract: A robotic system includes a controller configured to obtain image data from one or more optical sensors and to determine one or more of a location and/or pose of a vehicle component based on the image data. The controller also is configured to determine a model of an external environment of the robotic system based on the image data and to determine tasks to be performed by components of the robotic system to perform maintenance on the vehicle component. The controller also is configured to assign the tasks to the components of the robotic system and to communicate control signals to the components of the robotic system to autonomously control the robotic system to perform the maintenance on the vehicle component.

Abstract: A system and method for inspecting, repairing and upgrading wind turbine rotor blades of a wind turbine. The system including deploying one or more cables via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a balloon, a ballistic mechanism or a catapult to position the one or more cables in draping engagement with a portion of the wind turbine. A climbing robot is positioned to ascend the one or more cables and perform a task related to inspecting for indications, repair of indications or upgrading the rotor blade. A slave robot system, disposed at the base location and anchored to the one or more cables, provides modulation of the cables for positioning of the climbing robot relative to the wind turbine as it ascends and descends the one or more cables. After completion of the task, the climbing robot descends the one or more cables and the cables are removed from the wind turbine.

Abstract: A system for performing industrial tasks includes a robot and a computing device. The robot includes one or more sensors that collect data corresponding to the robot and an environment surrounding the robot. The computing device includes a user interface, a processor, and a memory. The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the collected data from the robot, generate a virtual recreation of the robot and the environment surrounding the robot, receive inputs from a human operator controlling the robot to demonstrate an industrial task. The system is configured to learn how to perform the industrial task based on the human operator's demonstration of the task, and perform, via the robot, the industrial task autonomously or semi-autonomously.

Abstract: A system for use in maintaining a wind turbine blade includes a motorized apparatus sized to fit within an interior cavity of the wind turbine blade and configured to travel along a length of the wind turbine blade on an interior surface when the wind turbine blade is in a substantially horizontal position. The motorized apparatus includes a body, a drive system configured to move the body, and a camera coupled to the body. The camera is configured to capture at least one image of the interior surface. The system also includes a controller configured to map the at least one image onto a model of the interior surface. The system also includes an operator interface including a display device. The operator interface is configured to display the model on the display device and receive user input allowing an operator to interact with the model.

Abstract: A robotic access system including a robotic fan crawler configured to traverse a surface of a wind turbine and perform one or more tasks. The robotic fan crawler includes one or more fans to adhere the robotic fan crawler to the surface of the wind turbine and one or more driving components to drive the robotic fan crawler along the surface of the wind turbine. The robotic fan crawler further includes one or more omnidirectional cameras operable to capture images of the surface from multiple perspectives during an inspection activity and data collection period. One or more steering components provide directional changes of the robotic fan crawler during operation. A tether cable is coupled to the robotic fan crawler and a tether management system to provide one or more of power, communications, grounding, supplies and distance calculations.

Abstract: The present approach employs a context-aware simulation platform to facilitate control of a robot remote from an operator. Such a platform may use the prior domain/task knowledge along with the sensory feedback from the remote robot to infer context and may use inferred context to dynamically change one or both of simulation parameters and a robot-environment-task state being simulated. In some implementations, the simulator instances make forward predictions of their state based on task and robot constraints. In accordance with this approach, an operator may therefore issue a general command or instruction to a robot and based on this generalized guidance, the actions taken by the robot may be simulated, and the corresponding results visually presented to the operator prior to evaluate prior to the action being taken.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for generating an autonomous 3D inspection plan for an unmanned robot. In an example, the method may include receiving a selection of a plurality of regions of interest with respect to a virtual asset displayed in virtual space, detecting a 3D position of the regions of interest within a coordinate frame of the virtual space, auto-generating a travel path about a physical asset corresponding to the virtual asset by generating a virtual 3D travel path with respect to the virtual asset based on the detected 3D positions of the selected regions of interest within the coordinate frame, aligning the virtual 3D travel path in the virtual space with a physical travel path in a physical space, and outputting a robotic inspection plan comprising the auto-generated physical travel path for the unmanned robot.

Abstract: System and methods may evaluate and/or improve target aiming accuracy for a sensor of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (“UAV”). According to some embodiments, a position and orientation measuring unit may measure a position and orientation associated with the sensor. A pose estimation platform may execute a first order calculation using the measured position and orientation as the actual position and orientation to create a first order model. A geometry evaluation platform may receive planned sensor position and orientation from a targeting goal data store and calculate a standard deviation for a target aiming error utilizing: (i) location and geometry information associated with the industrial asset, (ii) a known relationship between the sensor and a center-of-gravity of the UAV, (iii) the first order model as a transfer function, and (iv) an assumption that the position and orientation of the sensor have Gaussian-distributed noises with zero mean and a pre-determined standard deviation.

Abstract: A three-dimensional model data store may contain a three-dimensional model of an industrial asset, including points of interest associated with the industrial asset. An inspection plan data store may contain an inspection plan for the industrial asset, including a path of movement for an autonomous inspection robot. An industrial asset inspection platform may receive sensor data from an autonomous inspection robot indicating characteristics of the industrial asset and determine a current location of the autonomous inspection robot along the path of movement in the inspection plan along with current context information. A forward simulation of movement for the autonomous inspection robot may be executed from the current location, through a pre-determined time window, to determine a difference between the path of movement in the inspection plan and the forward simulation of movement along with future context information.

Abstract: A method including positioning a modular robotic component proximate an area of interest on a surface of a wind turbine. The modular robotic component including a plurality of modules that perform a plurality of tasks. The method further including inspecting the area of interest with the modular robotic component for an indication requiring at least one of repair or upgrade and operating the modular robotic component to perform the plurality of tasks sequentially as the modular robotic component moves along the surface of the wind turbine. A modular robotic component and system including the modular robotic component are disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for inspecting, repairing and upgrading wind turbine rotor blades of a wind turbine. The system including deploying one or more cables via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a balloon, a ballistic mechanism or a catapult to position the one or more cables in draping engagement with a portion of the wind turbine. A climbing robot is positioned to ascend the one or more cables and perform a task related to inspecting for indications, repair of indications or upgrading the rotor blade. A slave robot system, disposed at the base location and anchored to the one or more cables, provides modulation of the cables for positioning of the climbing robot relative to the wind turbine as it ascends and descends the one or more cables. After completion of the task, the climbing robot descends the one or more cables and the cables are removed from the wind turbine.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for monitoring an asset via an autonomous model-driven inspection. In an example, the method may include storing an inspection plan including a virtually created three-dimensional (3D) model of a travel path with respect to a virtual asset that is created in virtual space, converting the virtually created 3D model of the travel path about the virtual asset into a physical travel path about a physical asset corresponding to the virtual asset, autonomously controlling vertical and lateral movement of the unmanned robot in three dimensions with respect to the physical asset based on the physical travel path and capturing data at one or more regions of interest, and capturing data at one or more regions of interest, and storing information concerning the captured data about the asset.