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: The invention relates to a device for inspecting a damage or a crack of part of a hydro turbine, comprising at least one underwater remote operated vehicle (20) or autonomous underwater vehicle, at least one floatable or buoyant probe (26) or at least one probe (26) and means to make said at least one probe floatable, said probe comprising at least one imaging device (32) and/or laser scaler, and means for transmitting data from said probe to said vehicle or to a ground station when it is distant from said vehicle.

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: Methods, systems, and apparatus are described for maintaining the interior cavities of pipes. In one aspect, a motorized apparatus includes a main body having a length extending along a longitudinal axis of the main body, where the main body comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The motorized apparatus further includes at least one drive assembly coupled to at least one of the first end and the second end of the main body, where the at least one drive assembly comprises driven members that engage with an inner surface of the pipe and move the motorized apparatus through an interior cavity of the pipe. The motorized apparatus further includes a maintenance head movably coupled to the main body that moves along the length of the main body and rotates about the longitudinal axis of the main body, where the maintenance head comprises at least one tool configured to perform an action on the inner surface of the pipe.

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: 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: An asset inspection system includes a robot and a server. The server receives a request for data from the robot, wherein the requested data comprises an algorithm, locates the requested data in a database stored on the server, encrypts the requested data, and transmits the requested data to the robot. The robot is configured to collect inspection data corresponding to an asset based at least in part on the requested data and transmit the collected inspection data to the server.

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.

Abstract: A method of searching for and installing a software product on a device is provided. One or more capabilities needed by the device to be served by a software product are determined. The one or more capabilities needed by the device are communicated from a software life cycle management agent on the device to a yellow pages agent outside the device, the communicating comprising formulating a request comprising a list of the capabilities encoded in a description language that defines the capabilities semantically. Then locations of one or more software products matching the one or more capabilities needed by the device may be received from the yellow pages agent. One of the one or more software products to install may be selected based on automatically evaluated criteria. Then the selected software product may be downloaded using its received location, and the selected software product may be installed on the device.

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: An asset inspection system includes a robot and a server. The server receives a request for data from the robot, wherein the requested data comprises an algorithm, locates the requested data in a database stored on the server, encrypts the requested data, and transmits the requested data to the robot. The robot is configured to collect inspection data corresponding to an asset based at least in part on the requested data and transmit the collected inspection data to the server.

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.

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: Method includes executing a dynamic decision-making process that includes (a) receiving environmental data and (b) determining a fused ensemble based on the environmental data and a state parameters of a current state of a machine assembly. The fused ensemble includes communications from a system interface to the operator for the state parameters. The communications inform an operator about the state parameters and includes at least one of a visual signal, an audible signal, or a tactile signal from the system interface. The decision-making process also includes (c) communicating the fused ensemble to the operator through the system interface and (d) repeating (a)-(c) while the machine assembly is in the current state. The fused ensemble is configured to change based on changes in the environmental data.

Abstract: Method includes executing a dynamic decision-making process that includes (a) receiving environmental data and (b) determining a fused ensemble based on the environmental data and a state parameters of a current state of a machine assembly. The fused ensemble includes communications from a system interface to the operator for the state parameters. The communications inform an operator about the state parameters and includes at least one of a visual signal, an audible signal, or a tactile signal from the system interface. The decision-making process also includes (c) communicating the fused ensemble to the operator through the system interface and (d) repeating (a)-(c) while the machine assembly is in the current state. The fused ensemble is configured to change based on changes in the environmental data.

Abstract: A role-based access control method and/or system permits end users to securely pair their mobile devices via a pairing apparatus with one or more instruments to, for example, remotely monitor operations of the instruments. In an embodiment, the process includes a pairing apparatus receiving a pairing request from an instrument including a unique access code, and receiving a pairing request from an end user mobile device that includes an end user mobile device identifier and an access code. If the unique access code matches the end user's access code, then the end user mobile device identifier is added to a security group and a successful pairing message is transmitted to at least one of the instrument and the end user mobile device.

Abstract: A method of searching for and installing a software product on a device is provided. One or more capabilities needed by the device to be served by a software product are determined. The one or more capabilities needed by the device are communicated from a software life cycle management agent on the device to a yellow pages agent outside the device, the communicating comprising formulating a request comprising a list of the capabilities encoded in a description language that defines the capabilities semantically. Then locations of one or more software products matching the one or more capabilities needed by the device may be received from the yellow pages agent. One of the one or more software products to install may be selected based on automatically evaluated criteria. Then the selected software product may be downloaded using its received location, and the selected software product may be installed on the device.

Abstract: A method of searching for and installing a software product on a device is provided. One or more capabilities needed by the device to be served by a software product are determined. The one or more capabilities needed by the device are communicated from a software life cycle management agent on the device to a yellow pages agent outside the device, the communicating comprising formulating a request comprising a list of the capabilities encoded in a description language that defines the capabilities semantically. Then locations of one or more software products matching the one or more capabilities needed by the device may be received from the yellow pages agent. One of the one or more software products to install may be selected based on automatically evaluated criteria. Then the selected software product may be downloaded using its received location, and the selected software product may be installed on the device.