The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 21, 2023
Filed:
Nov. 30, 2020
Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran, SA;
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, SA;
Fadl Abdellatif, Thuwal, SA;
Hesham A. Jifri, Thuwal, SA;
Sahejad Patel, Thuwal, SA;
Amjad Felemban, Thuwal, SA;
Jeff S. Shamma, Thuwal, SA;
Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran, SA;
King Abdullah University Of Science And Technology, Thuwal, SA;
Abstract
A magnetic crawler configured to navigate on and inspect a ferromagnetic cylindrical surface is provided. The crawler includes a chassis, a controller configured to control the crawler, a probe configured to inspect the cylindrical surface under the control of the controller, and only three articulated magnetic wheels configured to tangentially contact and magnetically adhere to the cylindrical surface. The wheels include two drive wheels respectively coupled to the chassis by two articulation joints and configured to drive the crawler in a desired direction on the cylindrical surface by actively rotating the two drive wheels independently about respective drive axes of rotation by respective drive motors under the control of the controller; and a rear wheel coupled to the chassis by a rear articulation joint and configured to passively rotate about a rear drive axis of rotation in response to the active rotations of the two drive wheels.