Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for profiling a surface. In some embodiments, the systems and methods perform profiling using a robotic vehicle. The vehicle can include a drive system, one or more wheel encoders, and one or more distance sensors and/or inertial measurement units for capturing measurement data, such as the slope of the surface or the angle of the robotic vehicle relative to the surface or the gravity vector. A control computing system is included having one or more processors that execute instructions stored in software modules to process movement data. In some embodiments, the processed movement data determines a plurality of snapshots of the surface at different times and positions as the robotic vehicle traverses the surface. These snapshots are combined to generate a profile of the surface.

Abstract: A method for treating an interior weld joint located along an inner surface of a pipe includes the steps of: (a) advancing an internal grinder device within the pipe to the interior weld joint, wherein the internal grinder device includes a hollow housing that has a first open end and a first grinding implement that is disposed within the hollow housing and coupled thereto with a first biasing member; and (b) controllably rotating the hollow housing to at least a threshold speed at which time and under centrifugal force, the first grinding implement moves from an at rest retracted position to a deployed position in which the first grinding implement extends radially beyond the first open end for contacting and grinding the interior weld joint as the hollow housing and the first grinding implement are rotated.

Abstract: A self-calibrating system, apparatus, and method for accurately measuring a volumetric capacity of a tank. The system, apparatus and method comprise: a mechanism that adjusts a level of a platform; a light-emitting device with beam-like optics (laser, diode, etc.) mounted to the platform; mechanism for adjusting alignment of the light-emitting device with respect to the platform; a mechanism for rotating the platform by variable angles, including by 180-degrees; one or more level sensors (such as, for example, spirit levels, tilt sensors, or other devices) that provide feedback on the alignment of the platform normal to the gravity vector.

Abstract: A robotic vehicle for traversing surfaces is provided. The vehicle is comprised of a chassis supporting a magnetic drive wheel for driving and steering the vehicle and a stabilization mechanism. The magnetic wheel comprises two flux concentrator yokes and an axially magnetized hub extending therebetween. The hub includes a central housing configured to house a sensor probe and enhance the magnetic pull force of the wheel by providing a continuous pathway of high magnetic permeability material for magnetic flux to flow axially through the drive wheel. The stabilization mechanism comprises a front and rear facing support element moveably coupled to the chassis and configured to contact the surface and move symmetrically relative to the chassis thereby maintaining the vehicle and probe normal to the surface and providing stability to the vehicle while traversing surfaces regardless of surface curvature and vehicle orientation.

Abstract: A robotic vehicle for traversing surfaces is provided. The vehicle is comprised of a chassis supporting a magnetic drive wheel for driving and steering the vehicle and a stabilization mechanism. The magnetic wheel comprises two flux concentrator yokes and an axially magnetized hub extending therebetween. The hub includes a central housing configured to house a sensor probe and enhance the magnetic pull force of the wheel by providing a continuous pathway of high magnetic permeability material for magnetic flux to flow axially through the drive wheel. The stabilization mechanism comprises a front and rear facing support element moveably coupled to the chassis and configured to contact the surface and move symmetrically relative to the chassis thereby maintaining the vehicle and probe normal to the surface and providing stability to the vehicle while traversing surfaces regardless of surface curvature and vehicle orientation.

Abstract: A system for performing multiple operations on one or more weld joints of a pipe string includes a robotic scanning device that is configured to controllably travel inside of the pipe string and detect, scan and uniquely identify each weld joint within the pipe string. The system further includes a plurality of secondary robotic devices that are each configured to controllably travel inside of the pipe string and perform one or more specific operations on the one or more weld joints of the pipe string. The robotic scanning device includes a processor that is configured to generate a work plan for the plurality of secondary robotic devices. The robotic scanning device transmits work plan commands to each of the plurality of secondary robotic devices and receive transmissions from the plurality of secondary robotic devices.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for calibrating the volume of storage containers using mechanical or acoustic wave-based inspection techniques. The exemplary calibration system comprises an array of measurement devices controllably deployed in respective positions on the outside surface of the container. The measurement devices include a transducer for sending signals along the surface of the container and sensors configured to detect the signals. The measurement devices are in communication with a diagnostic computing device that controls the positioning and the operation of the measurement devices and is further configured to determine the time time-of-flight of the signals that travel between the various devices. Moreover, according to the specific arrangement of the measurement devices and the measured signal information, the control computer is configured to calculate the dimensions of the container and its internal volume.

Abstract: A method for identifying corrosion under insulation (CUI) in a structure comprises receiving thermographs from the structure using an infrared camera, applying filters to the thermograph using a first machine learning system, initially determining a CUI classification based on output from the filters, and validating the initial CUI classification by an inspection of the structure. The first machine learning system is trained using results of the validation. Outputs of the first machine learning system and additional structural and environmental data are fed into a second machine learning system that incorporates information from earlier states into current states. The second machine learning system is trained to identify CUI according to changes in the outputs of the first machine learning system and the additional data over time until a second threshold for CUI classification accuracy is reached. CUI is thereafter identified using the first and second machine learning systems in coordination.

Abstract: A sensing device for measuring an offset along a longitudinal axis comprises a housing including a plurality of slots, two or more arrays of optical sensors aligned along the longitudinal axis, at least one of the arrays being offset along the longitudinal axis with respect to the other arrays and a microcontroller coupled to the two or more arrays of optical sensors and configured to determine a positional offset along the longitudinal axis at which light is detected by at least one of arrays of optical sensors. In some embodiments, each of the optical sensors of the arrays are positioned within the housing underneath one of the plurality of slots to reduce an angle of incidence of radiation received.

Abstract: A method for identifying corrosion under insulation (CUI) in a structure comprises receiving thermographs from the structure using an infrared camera, applying filters to the thermograph using a first machine learning system, initially determining a CUI classification based on output from the filters, and validating the initial CUI classification by an inspection of the structure. The first machine learning system is trained using results of the validation. Outputs of the first machine learning system and additional structural and environmental data are fed into a second machine learning system that incorporates information from earlier states into current states. The second machine learning system is trained to identify CUI according to changes in the outputs of the first machine learning system and the additional data over time until a second threshold for CUI classification accuracy is reached. CUI is thereafter identified using the first and second machine learning systems in coordination.

Abstract: A self-calibrating system, apparatus, and method for accurately measuring a volumetric capacity of a tank. The system, apparatus and method comprise: a mechanism that adjusts a level of a platform; a light-emitting device with beam-like optics (laser, diode, etc.) mounted to the platform; mechanism for adjusting alignment of the light-emitting device with respect to the platform; a mechanism for rotating the platform by variable angles, including by 180-degrees; one or more level sensors (such as, for example, spirit levels, tilt sensors, or other devices) that provide feedback on the alignment of the platform normal to the gravity vector.

Abstract: A method and device for cleaning and pretreating solar panels is provided. The device comprises a brush having cleaning elements made from silicone foam rubber material. The cleaning elements can be flaps of silicone foam rubber material. A sheet of silicone foam rubber material having two free ends can be attached to a core member such that the two free ends extend away from the core member to form flaps. The solar panels can be cleaned by brushing the solar panel surfaces with the flaps of silicone foam rubber material. The solar panels can also be pretreated by brushing the solar panel surfaces with silicone foam rubber material.

Abstract: A method for identifying corrosion under insulation (CUI) in a structure comprises receiving thermographs from the structure using an infrared camera, applying filters to the thermograph using a first machine learning system, initially determining a CUI classification based on output from the filters, and validating the initial CUI classification by an inspection of the structure. The first machine learning system is trained using results of the validation. Outputs of the first machine learning system and additional structural and environmental data are fed into a second machine learning system that incorporates information from earlier states into current states. The second machine learning system is trained to identify CUI according to changes in the outputs of the first machine learning system and the additional data over time until a second threshold for CUI classification accuracy is reached. CUI is thereafter identified using the first and second machine learning systems in coordination.

Abstract: A self-calibrating system, apparatus, and method for accurately measuring a volumetric capacity of a tank. The system, apparatus and method comprise: a mechanism that adjusts a level of a platform; a light-emitting device with beam-like optics (laser, diode, etc.) mounted to the platform; mechanism for adjusting alignment of the light-emitting device with respect to the platform; a mechanism for rotating the platform by variable angles, including by 180-degrees; one or more level sensors (such as, for example, spirit levels, tilt sensors, or other devices) that provide feedback on the alignment of the platform normal to the gravity vector.

Abstract: Methods and systems for inspecting insulated equipment for corrosion under insulation are provided. The system includes an autonomous unmanned vehicle having aerial and ground locomotive capabilities. The vehicle includes an infrared detector and a pulsed eddy current sensor. In the method, infrared waves emitted from the equipment are detected along the equipment with the infrared detector. Using the infrared detector, at least one image of an inner surface of the equipment is developed based on the detected infrared waves. At least one area that is susceptible to corrosion is determined based on the at least one image. The susceptible area is inspected with the pulsed eddy current sensor, which induces an eddy current in the inner wall of the equipment. Based on a rate of the decay in strength of the eddy current, it is determined whether corrosion exists at the susceptible area using a processor configured by code.

Abstract: A method and device for attaching and detaching material to a c-channel groove, including attachment and detachment between first and second objects already attached to the groove. The device comprises a coil-shaped element that is resiliently compressible and connected to a desired material. Through biasing, the coil-shaped element is navigable into an aperture of the c-channel groove at a point along the c-channel groove between the ends of the c-channel groove and positionable such that at least a portion of the biased coil-shaped element is in the c-channel groove. Upon restoring the biased coil-shaped element toward a second, larger dimension, it is secured in the c-channel groove and the material connected to the coil-shaped element is attached to the c-channel groove, including between the first object and the second object, if present.

Abstract: A brush configured to clean, buff, and polish a surface, comprising a core member having a central axis, a periphery and a sheet of material, the sheet of material comprising closed-cell silicone foam rubber and having a first free end portion. The sheet of material is attached to the core member with the free end portion extending away from the periphery substantially parallel to the central axis of the core member. The core member includes a flat surface adjacent the attachment of the sheet of material. The core member and the sheet of material are configured for relative movement with respect to the surface in at least a first direction. The motion in the first direction causes the free end portion of the sheet of material to contact the surface at a non-zero velocity, and produces at least one of the cleaning, buffing and/or polishing action on the surface.

Abstract: A method for identifying corrosion under insulation (CUI) in a structure comprises receiving thermographs from the structure using an infrared camera, applying filters to the thermograph using a first machine learning system, initially determining a CUI classification based on output from the filters, and validating the initial CUI classification by an inspection of the structure. The first machine learning system is trained using results of the validation. Outputs of the first machine learning system and additional structural and environmental data are fed into a second machine learning system that incorporates information from earlier states into current states. The second machine learning system is trained to identify CUI according to changes in the outputs of the first machine learning system and the additional data over time until a second threshold for CUI classification accuracy is reached. CUI is thereafter identified using the first and second machine learning systems in coordination.

Abstract: A method and device for attaching and detaching material to a c-channel groove without requiring tools and without needing to access an end of the c-channel. The device comprises a coil-shaped element that is resiliently compressible and connected to a desired material. Through biasing or twisting the coil-shaped element, it is insertable at any point along a c-channel groove. The coil-shaped element is secured within the c-channel groove against separation therefrom through friction. A portion of the coil-shaped element can be extended outside of the c-channel groove for easy removal.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for measuring the dimensions of physical objects. The systems and methods include a measuring instrument of significant length comprising an array of patch antennas arranged along the length of an elongate substrate such that the antenna array expands and contracts with the substrate. The system also includes a diagnostic computing device for measuring the array's electrical properties including resonance frequency and changes in said properties relative to reference electrical properties that correspond to a reference length of the array and substrate. Accordingly, based on the measured changes in electrical properties and the reference length, the diagnostic system can calculate the current length of the measuring instrument.