Saudi Arabian Oil Company

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Hibot Corporation

Sahejad Patel

Fadl Abdellatif

Hassane Trigui

Ali Outa

Ayman Amer

Abdullah Arab

Brian Parrott

Mohamed Abdelkader

Pablo Carrasco Zanini

Jeff S Shamma

Abdoulelah Al-Hannabi

Hesham A Jifri

Ameen Obedan

Amjad Felemban

Ali J Alrasheed

Fadi Abdellatif

Hamad Al-Saiari

Shigeo Hirose

Ali Shehri

Paulo Cesar Debenest

Michele Guarnieri

Ahmed Al Brahim

Abdulwahab A Halawani

Ahmad Aldabbagh

Sultan Shaqaq

Abdullah A Alkhder

Vincent Cunningham

Aziz U Rehman

Mohammed Alsheikh

Abdulrahman Althobaiti

Pablo Eduardo Carrasco Zanini Gonzalez

Ahmed Brahim

Hassane Trigul

Wesam Hussain

Abdoulelah Hannabi

Hussein Ali Outa

Ameen Al Obedan

Ali Hussein Outa

Systems and methods for dynamically magnetizing a chassis of a robotic vehicle are provided. The system can include a chassis having a fixed first section with a first magnet, and a moveable a second section having a second magnet with an opposition orientation relative to the first magnet. The second section is located above or below the first section and includes a mechanism that moves the second section relative to the first magnet. The system also includes an actuator connected to the second section, and a control system operatively connected to the actuator. In the systems and methods, the control system can send commands to the actuator to selectively move the mechanism, thereby moving the second section relative to the location of the first magnet to activate or inactivate a magnetic force on a portion of the chassis.

Dynamically magnetized chassis for crawling robotic vehicles

A method and an assembly for determining a volume of a tank. A measuring tape having multiple magnets is attached to a first location of the tank. A first circumference of the tank at the first location of the tank is measured. A value of the first circumference is recorded. Multiple wheels coupled to the measuring tape are rotated. Responsive to rotating the wheels, the measuring tape is moved from the first location to a second location of the tank. A second circumference of the tank at the second location is measured. A value of the second circumference is recorded. Based on the value of the first circumference and the value of the second circumference, the volume of the tank is calculated.

Determining a volume of a tank

Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable medium to perform operations including: receiving a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) models of a plurality of assembly parts of a physical object; displaying, on a display device and over a live video of the plurality of assembly parts, an augmented reality (AR) overlay including the plurality 3D models; providing the plurality 3D models to a remote device for display on the remote device; receiving, from the remote device, data indicative of instructions for assembling the plurality of assembly parts into the physical object; and modifying, based on the received data, the AR overlay displayed on the display device to provide the instructions for assembling the plurality of assembly parts into the physical object.

Remote assistance using augmented reality

A system for deploying a magnetic robotic crawler onto a surface of an elevated asset, the crawler being of the type that is capable of magnetically attaching to and traversing the surface. The system comprises an extendable pole having a proximal end and a distal end. The system also comprises a docking station having a housing for receiving the crawler. The docking station is provided at the distal end of the pole. The docking station also includes magnetic feet mounted at a distal end of the housing and configured to magnetically couple with the surface. The system can also comprise an extendable pole having a proximal end and a distal end and an end effector attached to the distal end. Specifically, the end effector is configured to selectively attach to and detach from a complementary shaped receiver provided on the crawler.

Smart extendable telescopic pole for deployment of miniature inspection crawlers

An in-pipe apparatus for pipe inspection or maintenance is provided. The apparatus includes: a rotational deployment mechanism to rotationally deploy a probe or tool about an inner circumference of a pipe with respect to an axis of rotation; a radial deployment mechanism to radially deploy the probe or tool in a radial direction from the axis of rotation toward a target point on the inner circumference; and a passive centering mechanism to passively align the axis of rotation with the axis of the pipe. In some embodiments, the rotational deployment mechanism includes a motor to rotate the radial deployment mechanism about the axis of rotation. In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a longitudinal deployment mechanism to longitudinally deploy the probe or tool along the pipe axis, with the passive centering mechanism passively maintaining alignment of the axis of rotation with the pipe axis during the longitudinal deployment.

In-pipe passive centering mechanism with radial probe or tool deployment mechanism

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a flexible holder retaining a plurality of probes. The flexible holder is deformable to arrange the probes around a portion of a structure, allowing the probes to scan the portion of the structure. At least one of the plurality of probes is an ultrasonic test (UT) probe to scan the portion of the structure with ultrasonic waves.

UAV for continuous ultrasound testing (UT) scans with a flexible payload

This application discloses magnetically coupled integrated probes and probe systems, attachable to the robotic arms of a remotely operated vehicle to perform both cathodic protection (CP) voltage measurements and ultrasonic testing (UT) thickness measurements at an underwater surface. The integrated probe system can include a spring for coupling to an ROV end effector. An ultrasonic probe is disposed within and extends from the sleeve housing. A magnetic carrier, flux concentrator, and gimbal surround a portion of the ultrasonic probe, and one or more electrically conductive legs extend from the front surface of the gimbal to function as a CP probe. The legs are arranged about the ultrasonic probe, which has a flexible membrane exposed at the front surface of the gimbal, such that during inspection, at least one leg contacts the surface and the ultrasonic probe is sufficiently proximate to provide substantially simultaneous CP and UT measurements.

Magnetically coupled integrated ultrasonic testing and cathodic protection measurement probe

A crawler maps a structure by moving at least longitudinally or circumferentially on the structure. A probe scans the structure to generate scan data corresponding to the structure. A distance measuring unit measures a distance of the probe from a landmark extending circumferentially around the structure. An orientation sensor determines an orientation of the crawler on the structure. A processor generates a map of the scan data of the structure indexed by the distance and orientation.

System and method for position tracking of a crawler on a structure

A system and method passively normalize an ultrasonic dry coupled wheel probe as the probe traverses a surface of a structure to inspect the structure, such as a flat structure or a curved pipe. At least a pair of arms are configured to passively maintain normalization of the probe in a detection direction normal to the surface.

System and method for passive normalization of a probe

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has a flight-only mode with a motor only rotating propellers and not rotating on-board wheels to configure the UAV to fly away from a surface of a structure, and a crawling-only mode in which the UAV is configured to crawl on the surface due to the motor only rotating the wheels while not rotating the propellers. In the flight-only mode, a clutch disengages a motor from the wheels so that the motor only engages the propellers to fly to lift from the surface. In the crawling-only mode, the clutch disengages the motor from the propellers so that the motor only engages the wheels to move the UAV on the surface.

UAV for continuous ultrasound testing (UT) scans

An ultrasonic dry coupled wheel probe with radial transducers emit ultrasound in substantially all radial directions relative to a longitudinal axis. The probe does not require normalization and is efficient in directing ultrasound to a surface being inspected. The probe has a wheel composed of rubber or other materials for acoustically dry coupling the transducer to the surface. A first transducer is composed of a piezoelectric material so that the transducer receives an electrical signal, vibrates, and generates and transmits sound, such as ultrasound. Similarly, a second transducer receives sound such as ultrasound, vibrates, and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The transducer arrangement both transmits ultrasound to the surface and receives the reflection of the ultrasound from the surface. An acoustic barrier separates the transmitting component from the receiving component. The transducer has annular electroplates adjacent to the piezoelectric material. The two transducers can comprise a single, integrated transducer module.

Ultrasonic dry coupled wheel probe with a radial transducer

A two-wheel compact magnetic crawler vehicle for traversing and inspecting surfaces. The crawler comprises a chassis. Two independently actuated magnetic drive wheels are spaced apart in a lateral direction and mounted to the chassis by a hinged joint enabling each wheel to tilt in response to the surface curvature. A probe wheel is provided at the midpoint between the two drive wheels and laterally in line therewith. A spring-assisted probe carrier passively moves the probe wheel vertically relative to the chassis in response to changes in the surface curvature. Additionally, the vehicle includes a probe angle normalization mechanism comprising spring-loaded, vertically moveable, ball casters positioned symmetrically about the probe wheel. The combined utilization of the probe carrier and the caster carrier passively maintain the probe contacting the surface, the chassis level, and the probe normal to the surface irrespective of changes in the surface curvature with vehicle movement.

Two-wheel compact inspection crawler with automatic probe normalization

An automated system for performing multiple operations on one or more weld joints of a pipe string includes a main controller including a user interface; and a first robotic device that is in communication with the main controller and is configured to controllably travel inside of the pipe string and detect and uniquely identify each weld joint within the pipe string based on a vision-based weld detection module that is executed on a first onboard computer. The vision-based weld detection module provides at least one of: (1) images captured within the pipe string and (2) a live video feed within the pipe string that is displayed on the user interface for allowing a user to review and approve detection of the weld joint, whereupon once the user confirms the approval, the first robotic device automatically positions itself a predefined distance from the detected weld joint and automatically begins to perform at least one operation on the weld joint.

Automation in a robotic pipe coating system

An unmanned aerial vehicle including a body and a docking mechanism coupled to the body is provided. The docking mechanism secures a magnetic crawler to the body during flight and during landing on a ferromagnetic cylindrical surface. The docking mechanism includes a docking hook that couples to the magnetic crawler and a linear actuator coupling the docking hook to the body. The docking hook includes passive latches that passively release the magnetic crawler from the docking hook onto the cylindrical surface after the landing, receive the magnetic crawler into the docking hook from the cylindrical surface after the releasing, and secure the magnetic crawler to the body during takeoff from the cylindrical surface after the receiving. The linear actuator lowers the docking hook and coupled magnetic crawler from the body to the cylindrical surface, and raises the docking hook and received magnetic crawler from the cylindrical surface to the body.

Growing community of inventors

Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

Sahejad Patel