Gecko Robotics, Inc.

Michael A Binger

Kevin Y Low

Edward A Bryner

Dillon R Jourde

Edwin H Cho

Mark Cho

Francesco H Trogu

Katherine Virginia Denner

Michael Stephen Auda

Samuel Theodore Westenberg

Joshua D Moore

Yizhu Gu

Domenic P Rodriguez

Jeffrey J Mrkonich

Alexander R Cuti

William J Pridgen

Ian Miller

Mark J Loosararian

Logan A MacKenzie

Todd Joslin

Benjamin A Guise

Ignacio J Cordova

Alex C Watt

Chase David

Ryan DeSoto

Brandon J Reitz

Spencer Bowman

Albert J Biglan

Mark Jake Loosararian

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.

Inspection robots with flexible wheel/motor positioning

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

High temperature compliant wheels for an inspection robot are described. An example wheel may have a first non-ferrous wheel enclosure including a first outer surface having a serration texture, a second non-ferrous wheel enclosure including a second outer surface having the serration texture, and a magnetic hub interposed between the first non-ferrous wheel enclosure and the second non-ferrous wheel enclosure

High temperature compliant wheels for an inspection robot

High temperature wheels for inspection robots are described. An example wheel may have a plurality of wheel enclosures with a plurality of inter-covers interposed between the plurality of wheel enclosures. The example wheel may have a magnetic hub including a high temperature magnet, the magnetic hub being interposed between a first wheel enclosure of the plurality of wheel enclosures and a second wheel enclosure of the plurality of wheel enclosures. Each of the plurality of inter-covers is structured to guide a magnetic field of the magnetic hub.

High temperature wheels for inspection robots

A system for providing an interactive inspection map of an inspection surface inspected by an inspection robot includes an inspection circuit structured to interpret inspection data of the inspection surface from the inspection robot and a user interaction circuit structured to interpret a user focus value from a user device. The user focus value includes an activation state value. The system further includes an inspection visualization circuit structured to provide the interactive inspection map to the user device in response to the user focus value. The interactive inspection map is based on the inspection data. Also, the system includes an inspection data validation circuit that determines an inspection data validity description of the inspection data. The inspection data validity description is provided as a display layer on the interactive inspection map to indicate whether the inspection data is valid.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing interactive inspection map for inspection robot

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.

Systems, methods and apparatus for temperature control and active cooling of an inspection robot

Inspection robots with independent, swappable, drive modules are described. An example inspection robot may have a center body with a plurality of power interfaces, a plurality of communication interfaces, and a plurality of cooling interfaces. The example inspection robot may have a plurality of drive modules, where each drive module is structured to be coupled to a power interface, a communication interface, and a cooling interface.

Inspection robots with independent, swappable, drive modules

Inspection robot and methods utilizing coolant for temperature management are described. An example inspection robot may include a housing with a couplant retaining chamber, and an electronic board selectively thermally coupled to the couplant retaining chamber. The inspection robot may include a couplant input port coupling a couplant source to a couplant flow path, a drive module coupled to the housing, and a payload with at least one sensor, where the payload is coupled to the housing. The couplant flow path is fluidly coupling the couplant input port to the couplant retaining chamber.

Inspection robot and methods utilizing coolant for temperature management

Methods and apparatus for verifiable inspection operations are described. An example apparatus may have an inspection description circuit to interpret an inspection definition value and a payload status circuit to provide a payload identification value in response to at least one of a payload specific configuration or signals from a payload. The example apparatus may also have an inspection integrity circuit to determine an inspection description value in response to the inspection definition value and the payload identification value and an inspection reporting circuit to communicate the inspection description value to an external device.

Methods and apparatus for verifiable inspection operations

Inspection robots with independent drive module suspension are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with a first connector on a first side of the housing, and a second connector on a second side of the housing. A first drive module, having at least one wheel and a first motor, may be operatively coupled to the first connector, and a second drive module, having at least one wheel and a first motor, may be operatively coupled to the second connector. The first and second drive modules may be coupled by a drive connector.

Inspection robots with independent drive module suspension

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.

Systems and methods for driving an inspection robot with motor having magnetic shielding

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.

Inspection robot with removeable interface plates and method for configuring payload interfaces

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.

Inspection robots with configurable interface plates

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.

Inspection robot with stability assist device

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.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Michael A Binger