Gecko Robotics, Inc.

Chase David

Kevin Y Low

Edward A Bryner

Jose Aparicio

Juan Roberto Mendoza Mora

Scott Ashley Corl

Troy Demmer

Michael A Binger

Ignacio J Cordova

Ryan DeSoto

Brandon J Reitz

Spencer Bowman

Matthew St Jean

Albert J Biglan

An inspection robot with a payload includes a first sled assembly including a first forward sensor mount group and a second rearward sensor mount group, the first forward sensor mount group at a first characteristic horizontal position and the second rearward sensor mount group at a second characteristic horizontal position. The inspection robot also includes a second sled assembly including a third forward sensor mount group and a fourth rearward sensor mount group, the third forward sensor mount group at a third characteristic horizontal position and the fourth rearward sensor mount group at a fourth characteristic horizontal position. The inspection robot also includes a payload mount and a means for inspecting an inspection surface at a selected inspection resolution. The first sled assembly is coupled to the payload mount at a first mounting position and the second sled assembly is coupled to the payload mount at a second mounting position.

Inspection robot with forward and rearward sensor mount groups

An example payload for an inspection robot having a mounting rail to inspect an inspection surface, the payload including a wedge element; and a probe holder, including: a mounting rail connection member structured to connect to the mounting rail; a wedge element holder structured to hold the wedge element; a spring-loaded member structured to connect to the mounting rail connection member and to provide a selected vertical force on the wedge element holder; and an extended member structured to connect to the spring-loaded member between a first end and a second end, and to connect to the wedge element holder at the second end.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for inspection of a surface using sensor holder with dual linear phased array of ultra-sonic elements

Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-sonic inspection of a surface are described. An example system may include an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The inspection robot may include a payload including a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array being arranged in a parallel configuration. The inspection robot may include a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-sonic inspection of a surface

An example system may have a payload for an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The payload may have a first sensor holder structured to support a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a first orientation, a second sensor holder structured to hold a second ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a second orientation, and a sensor holder linking component interposed between the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder. The sensor holder linking component may be structured to interact with the first and second sensor holders such that the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are placed in a parallel configuration along a long edge of both the first and second UT phased array, and the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder are pivotably connected to the sensor holder linking component.

Systems and methods for robotic inspection with simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations

Robotic systems for ultrasonic surface inspection using shaped elements are described. An example system may have an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The inspection robot may include: a payload having a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, a rastering device operatively coupled to the payload, and structured to execute reciprocating motion of the payload, and a means for inspecting a weld affected region of the inspection surface on three (3) axes of inspection.

Robotic systems for ultrasonic surface inspection using shaped elements

Systems for assessment of weld adjacent heat affected zones are described. An example system may include an inspection robot having a first payload comprising a first plurality of ultrasonic (UT) phased arrays, and a second payload comprising a second plurality of ultrasonic (UT) phased arrays. The inspection robot is configured to move in a direction of travel corresponding to a weld of an inspection surface, and the first payload is structured to measure characteristics of a first region of the inspection surface on a first side of the weld while the second payload is structured to measure characteristics of a second region of the inspection surface on a second side of the weld.

Systems for assessment of weld adjacent heat affected zones

Robotic inspection devices for simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations are described. An example inspection device includes a robot and a first payload, where the robot is structured to move along an inspection surface in a first direction of travel. The first payload includes a first inspection assembly structured to support two phased array elements. The first phased array element has a first surface orientation and a first directional orientation, and the second phased array element has a second surface orientation and a second directional orientation. A raster device is structured to move the first inspection assembly in a second direction of travel along the inspection surface, wherein the first direction of travel and the second direction of travel are different.

Robotic inspection devices for simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations

Robotic systems for surface inspection with simultaneous measurements at multiple orientations are described. An example inspection system may include a robot for traversing an inspection surface, the robot having an inspection payload to support an inspection element with two phased array UT elements, the first phased array at a first surface orientation and the second phased array at a second surface orientation, both orientations relative to the inspection surface. Each of the inspection elements includes a couplant connection structured to receive couplant from the robot. The inspection further includes a tether fluidly coupling a couplant source to the robot.

Robotic systems for surface inspection with simultaneous measurements at multiple orientations

Robotic systems for rapid ultrasonic surface inspection are described. An example system may have an inspection robot to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The robot may have a payload with a first and a second ultrasonic (UT) phased array, and a rastering device that executes a reciprocating motion of the payload. The system may have an inspection controller with a positioning circuit to provide an inspection position command, an inspection circuit to provide a rastering position command and an interrogation command. The robot is responsive to the inspection position command to move to an inspection position, and the rastering device is responsive to the rastering position command to move the payload through at least a portion of a range of reciprocating motion. The UT phased arrays are responsive to the interrogation command to perform an inspection on three axes of inspection.

Robotic systems for rapid ultrasonic surface inspection

Systems and methods for robotic inspection with simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations with obstacle avoidance are described. An example system may have an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel along an inspection surface. The robot may have a payload with first and second sensor holders, each sensor holder structured to hold a UT phased array. A sensor holder linking component holds the first and sensor holders such that the two phased arrays are parallel to one another along a long edge of both the phased arrays. The system may have a rastering device to move the payloads in a direction of inspection, whether the direction of inspection is distinct from the direction of travel and distinct from the parallel orientation of the two phased arrays.

Systems and methods for robotic inspection with simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations with obstacle avoidance

Systems for ultrasonic measurements of an inspection surface is described. An inspection robot with a payload moves in a direction of travel across an inspection surface. The payload has two sensor holders, the first sensor holder to hold a first UT array at a first orientation and the second to hold a second UT array at a second orientation A sensor holder linking component holds the two UT phased arrays in a parallel configuration along their long edges. An arm of the payload may be pivotably connected to both the sensor linking component at one end and a lift connection element on the other end. The lift component has a lift motor to raise the lift connection element. A rastering device moves the payload in a direction of inspection which is distinct from both the direction of travel and the parallel configuration of the two phased UT arrays.

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Montgomery, TX, United States of America

Chase David