Hibot Corporation

General Electric Company

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Topy Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Hakusan Corporation

General Electric Technology Gmbh

Shigeo Hirose

Paulo Cesar Debenest

Michele Guarnieri

Thomas James Batzinger

Selim Akin

Selami Haydar Icli

Christopher Paul Markman

Airton Rosa Da Silva, Jr

Fadl Abdellatif

Shingo Tsukui

Giorgio Valsecchi

Sahejad Patel

Pablo Carrasco Zanini

Giacomo Cimarelli

Takeshi Yamagishi

Brian Parrott

Ali Outa

Tomokazu Kake

Hiroaki Ishida

Keiji Togawa

Pablo Eduardo Carrasco Zanini Gonzalez

Airton Rosa Da Silva

Provided is a long arm supported in a cantilever manner with light weight and high rigidity. The rodis formed from rods-so as to be a multi-stage telescopic configuration. The rodsrespectively have upright columnson the tips. The wireis suspended between the tip of the rodand the lead end of the arm via the top of the column. The wireis suspended between the base of the columnand the lead end of the arm via the top of the column. The wireis suspended between the top of the columnand the lead end of the arm via the top of the column. The tension generation meanspulls the wires. The air pressure generation meansapplies pressure to the inside of the rod

Long arm

A winding device provided with an inlet for drawing a string-shaped winding target member and configured to wind the winding target member includes: a drum having flanges at both end portions of a body in an axial direction thereof and provided rotatably about the an axis of the body, a drive source configured to rotate the drum, a first guide portion configured to draw the winding target member along a first axis arranged substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the body in a skew relationship, a swing member provided swingably about the first axis, and a second guide portion attached to a tip end of the swing member to guide the winding target member from the first guide portion to the drum.

Winding device

An in-pipe moving apparatus that can freely and smoothly move in a pipe having a bent portion and a branching portion, is not stuck in the pipe even if a drive motor of a movement mechanism fails or otherwise experiences a problem, and can be readily taken out of the pipe. The in-pipe moving apparatus includes two sets of wheel-based traveling elements (A) and (B), which each have two driving wheels (A) and (B) linearly arranged, and a variable bag, which is expanded and contracted in accordance with the pressure of a fluid supplied to the variable bag, and the two sets of wheel-based traveling elements (A) and (B) are so disposed as to sandwich the variable bag () and are fixed to the outer surface of the variable bag ().

In-pipe moving device

This disclosure provides systems and methods for in situ gap inspection in a machine, such as a generator, an electric motor, or a turbomachine, with an end region. A robotic crawler is configured to navigate an annular gap of the machine. A visual inspection module is connected to the robotic crawler and includes an extension member for extending a camera into the end region to collect visual inspection data.

End region inspection module and method for in situ gap inspection robot system

This disclosure provides systems and methods for an actuated sensor module for in situ gap inspection robots. A mounting interface attaches to the sensor module to the robot system. A least one arm is operatively connected to the mounting interface and has a joint. A sensor head is operatively connected to the arm at the joint and an actuator operatively connected to the arm moves the sensor head around the second joint.

Actuated sensor module and method for in situ gap inspection robots

Systems and methods for in situ gap inspection in a machine, such as a generator, an electric motor, or a turbomachine are described. A robotic crawler has multidirectional traction modules, an expandable body, and sensor modules. A control system communicates with the robotic crawler to provide a control signal to navigate an inspection path within an annular gap of the machine. The inspection path includes axial and radial movements to inspect the annular gap using the sensor modules.

In situ gap inspection robot system and method

This disclosure provides systems and methods for in situ gap inspection in a machine, such as a generator, an electric motor, or a turbomachine. A robotic crawler includes an expandable body, multidirectional traction modules, and sensor modules. The expandable body is movable between a collapsed state and an expanded state. The multidirectional traction modules are removably connected to and positioned by the expandable body and configured to engage opposed surfaces within an annular gap of the machine. The sensor modules are removably connected to and supported by the expandable body and include a plurality of sensor types to inspect the annular gap of the machine.

Crawler robot for in situ gap inspection

This disclosure provides systems and components for an omnidirectional traction module for use in a robot, such as a crawler robot used in in situ gap inspection in a machine, such as a generator, an electric motor, or a turbomachine. The traction module may include an outer frame and a rotating frame rotatably mounted within the outer frame. At least one drive system may be mounted within the rotating frame. The at least one dive system may have a fixed orientation within the rotating frame. An actuator may be operatively connected to the rotating frame to controllably rotate the rotating frame to a desired orientation for robot travel.

Omnidirectional traction module for a robot

The present apparatus is configured to carry an instrument or probe and optionally deploy it against a surface, such as a metal pipeline or storage tank. The apparatus can include a sensor probe for inspecting the integrity of the surface and a first linkage that is operatively coupled to the sensor probe and configured to move the sensor probe according to a first path (in a first direction/first degree of freedom). An actuator can be operatively connected to the first linkage for moving the first linkage so as to move the sensor probe along the first path. A second linkage is operatively connected to the sensor probe and configured to passively move the sensor probe according to a second degree of freedom to cause the sensor probe to become normal to the surface when at least a portion of the apparatus contacts the surface.

Deployment mechanism for passive normalization of a probe relative to a surface

A multidirectional wheel for traversing a surface is provided that includes a magnet and a plurality of rollers disposed around an outer periphery of each of the hubs of the wheels. The rollers are mounted for rotation in a second axial direction that is perpendicular to a first axial direction of the wheel. The rollers are supported by a plurality of magnetically-inducible brackets attached to the hub. The brackets are optimally sized and shaped to reduce the space between the magnetized materials of the wheel and the surface upon which the wheel travels.

Magnetic omni-wheel with roller bracket

In an interface apparatus for presenting a force sense at a remote place or in a virtual space to a user, the number of motors for exerting force upon fingers of the user is decreased. The interface apparatus includes a first arm and a second arm for being attached to the thumb and a finger other than the thumb, respectively. A motor includes a motor main body supported for rotation, and a rotary shaft that relatively rotates with respect to the motor main body. The rotary shaft is connected to the second arm. The motor main body is connected to the first arm so as to impart rotation thereof to the first arm.

Interface apparatus

An in-pipe moving apparatus for passing through a pipe bent in any direction without control of the attitude of the apparatus is provided. The in-pipe moving apparatus may include at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units arranged in series in a traveling direction and at least two sets of joint sections that pivotably link the at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units to each other. Each of the at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units includes a tire-integrated wheel, a drive section, a first frame fixed to the drive section, and at least one second frame pivotably attached to the drive section. A bending generator is provided between one of the first frames and one of the second frames in the at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units and imparts tension for causing the first frames and the second frames to have a V-like bent shape.

In-pipe moving apparatus

An object of the invention is to provide an in-pipe traveling apparatus and a traveling module is provided, having a simple structure but capable of operating with a short overall traveling path and setting a large drive force for forward and backward traveling operation. The In one embodiment, the in-pipe traveling apparatus includes at least three traveling modules capable of passing through a pipe. Each of the traveling modules includes a traveling module body, a pair of traveling wheels provided in the traveling module body on one side thereof in a traveling direction, a drive member that drives the pair of traveling wheels in such a way that the traveling wheels rotate, a connection member that connects the traveling module to another traveling module in a bendable manner in a pitching direction, and a swing member that causes the adjacent traveling module to swing in a yawing direction.

In-pipe traveling apparatus and traveling module

Theme To provide a crawler unit having a light-weight and high-strength crawler belt. Means to Solve A crawler beltcomprises an endless steel belt(high-tensile-strength belt) and a belt main bodymade of rubber and attached around an outer periphery of the steel belt. The steel belthas engagement holesarranged at even intervals in a circumferential direction thereof. The belt main bodyhas escape recessesformed therein. A wheelhas projectionsarranged at even intervals in a circumferential direction on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The projectionsare adapted to be engaged with the engagement holesof the steel beltand at the same time to enter the escape recessesof the belt main body

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Shigeo Hirose