Abstract: Inspection robots with removeable interface plates and method for configuring payload interfaces are described. An example robot may include a payload, with at least one sensor, mounted to a housing of the inspection robot. The housing may include a removeable interface plate coupled to the at least one sensor and to an electronic board, the electronic board positioned within the housing. The removeable interface plate may define an electrical coupling interface compatible with the payload, and the electronic board may include an electrical processing configuration compatible with the payload.

Abstract: Systems for reprogrammable inspection robots are described. An example system may include an inspection robot having a housing, a payload interface, a drive module interface, and a tether interface. The system may further include a first electronic board having a primary functionality circuit communicatively coupled to a base station and a second electronic board operationally coupled to the payload interface, the second electronic board having a payload functionality circuit coupled to a selected payload through the payload interface. The example system may further include a third electronic board operationally coupled to the drive module interface, the third electronic board having a drive module functionality circuit communicatively coupled to a selected drive module through the drive module interface.

Abstract: Inspection robots with center encoders are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing, and a drive module, where the drive module has a wheel and a motor and is operatively coupled to the housing. The example inspection robot may also have an encoder to provide a movement value, where the encoder is positioned within a footprint of the housing. The example inspection robot may also have a controller with an encoder conversion circuit to calculate a distance value in response to the movement value, a location circuit to determine at least one of a robot location value or a robot speed value, and a position command circuit to provide a position action command in response to the robot location value or the robot speed value. The drive module may be responsive to the position action command to move the inspection robot.

Abstract: An example inspection robot may include a drive module structured to engage a top tube of a vertically arranged layer of tubes, at least one telescoping pole, and a lowering mechanism operationally coupled to the at least one telescoping pole and structured to selectively extend or retract the at least one telescoping pole, thereby providing a selected vertical position of a sensor carriage assembly. The sensor carriage assembly may be coupled to the at least one telescoping pole, and structured to accept at least one of a plurality of sensors.

Abstract: An inspection robot may include an inspection chassis and a drive module with magnetic wheels coupled to the inspection chassis. The drive module may further include a motor and a gear box located between the motor and a magnetic wheels. The gear box may include a flex spline cup which interacts with the ring gear. The inspection robot may further include a magnetic shielding assembly to shield the motor and an associated electromagnetic sensor from electromagnetic interference generated by the magnetic wheels.

Abstract: Inspection robots with removeable interface plates and method for configuring payload interfaces are described. An example robot may include a payload, with at least one sensor, mounted to a housing of the inspection robot. The housing may include a removeable interface plate coupled to the at least one sensor and to an electronic board, the electronic board positioned within the housing. The removeable interface plate may define an electrical coupling interface compatible with the payload, and the electronic board may include an electrical processing configuration compatible with the payload.

Abstract: Inspection robots with configurable interface plates are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with at least three removable interface plates, each removable interface plate having a coupling interface for an electronic component on a first side, and coupled to at least one of a plurality of electronic boards on a second side. The example inspection robot may further include a drive module configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates, and a payload configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates. The example inspection robot may further include a means for operating the inspection robot in response to the drive module coupled to one of the removable interface plates, and the payload coupled to any other one of the removable interface plates.

Abstract: An inspection robot includes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.

Abstract: An inspection robot incudes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for tracking location of an inspection robot are disclosed. An example apparatus for tracking inspection data may include an inspection chassis having a plurality of inspection sensors configured to interrogate an inspection surface, a first drive module and a second drive module, both coupled to the inspection chassis. The first and second drive module may each include a passive encoder wheel and a non-contact sensor positioned in proximity to the passive encoder wheel, wherein the non-contact sensor provides a movement value corresponding to the first passive encoder wheel. An inspection position circuit may determine a relative position of the inspection chassis in response to the movement values from the first and second drive modules.

Abstract: Systems and methods for configuring a robot for inspecting an inspection surface are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot having a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors and a controller. The controller may include a route profile processing circuit to interpret route profile data for the inspection robot, a configuration determining circuit to determine one or more configurations for the inspection robot in response to the route profile data; and a configuration processing circuit to provide configuration data in response to the determined one or more configurations, the configuration data defining, at least in part, one or more inspection characteristics for the inspection robot.

Abstract: Inspection robots with a multi-function piston connecting a drive module to a central chassis and systems thereof are disclosed. An example inspection robot may include a center chassis coupled to a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors. The inspection robot may further include a drive module coupled to the center chassis, the drive module having a drive wheel to engage an inspection surface and a drive piston mechanically interposed between the center chassis and the drive module. The example may further include wherein the drive piston in a first position couples the drive module to the center chassis at a minimum distance between and the drive piston in a second position couples the drive module to the center chassis at a maximum distance between. The example may further include wherein the drive module is independently rotatable relative to the center chassis.

Abstract: System and methods for traversing an obstacle with an inspection robot are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot including an obstacle sensor to interrogate an inspection surface. The example may further include an obstacle sensory data circuit to interpret obstacle sensory data provided by the obstacle sensor, an obstacle processing circuit to determine refined obstacle data, and an obstacle notification circuit to generate and provide obstacle notification data to a user interface device. The example system may further include a user interface circuit to interpret a user request value from the user interface device, and to determine an obstacle response command value in response to the user request value; and an obstacle configuration circuit to provide the obstacle response command value to the inspection robot during the interrogating of the inspection surface.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for providing an interactive inspection map are disclosed. An example apparatus for providing an interactive inspection map of an inspection surface may include an inspection visualization circuit to provide an inspection map to a user device in response to inspection data provided by a plurality of sensors operationally coupled to an inspection robot traversing the inspection surface, wherein the inspection map corresponds to at least a portion of the inspection surface. The apparatus may further include a user interaction circuit to interpret a user focus value from the user device, and an action request circuit to determine an action in response to the user focus value. The inspection visualization circuit may further update the inspection map in response to the determined action.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for rapid development of an inspection scheme for an inspection robot are disclosed. An apparatus may include an inspection definition circuit to interpret an inspection description value, and a robot configuration circuit to determine an inspection robot configuration description in response to the inspection description value. The apparatus may further include a configuration implementation circuit, communicatively coupled to a configuration interface of an inspection robot, to provide at least a portion of the inspection robot configuration description to the configuration interface.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for providing an inspection map are disclosed. An apparatus for performing an inspection may include an inspection data circuit to interpret inspection data, a robot positioning circuit to interpret position data, and a processed data circuit to link the inspection data with the position data to determine position-based inspection data. The apparatus may further include a user interaction circuit to interpret an inspection visualization request for an inspection map and an inspection visualization circuit to determine the inspection map based on the position-based inspection data, and a provisioning circuit structured to provide the inspection map to a user device.

Abstract: An inspection robot, and methods and a controller thereof are disclosed. An inspection robot may include an inspection chassis including a plurality of inspection sensors and coupled to at least one drive module to drive the robot over an inspection surface. The inspection robot may also include a controller including an inspection data circuit to interpret inspection base data, an inspection processing circuit to determine refined inspection data, and an inspection configuration circuit to determine an inspection response value in response to the refined inspection data. The controller may further include an inspection response circuit to, in response to the inspection response value, provide an inspection command value while the inspection robot is interrogating the inspection surface.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for temperature control and active cooling of an inspection robot are disclosed. An example apparatus may include a temperature determination circuit to interpret an inspection temperature value, a temperature management circuit to determine a temperature management command in response to the inspection temperature value, and a temperature response circuit to provide the temperature management command to a temperature management device associated with an inspection robot.

Abstract: Methods and inspection robots with on body configuration are described. An example inspection robot may have a center body with a plurality of connected drive modules, each drive module having a sensing circuit to measure a drive module operating characteristic, and a visual indicator circuit to output a first visual indicator corresponding to the drive module operating characteristic. The visual indicator circuits of each of the plurality of drive modules are positioned to be simultaneously visible at a point of view.

Abstract: Inspection robots with flexible wheel/motor positioning are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing having a first connector positioned on a first side of the housing, and a second connector positioned on a second side of the housing. A first drive module may include a wheel and a motor and be operatively coupled to the first connector. A second drive module may include a wheel and a second motor and be operatively coupled to the second connector, where the wheel may be interposed between the second connector and the second motor.