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US 10,309,949 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for robotic, in-pipe water quality testing
AssigneeRedZone Robotics, Inc.
InventorsJustin Starr, John Lettman, Todd Kueny, Foster J. Salotti, Galin Konakchiev
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Abstract
One embodiment provides a pipe inspection robot, including: a powered track system providing movement to the pipe inspection robot; a sensor component comprising a water quality probe; and a processor; said processor configured to: operate the water quality probe to collect water quality data related to a fluid contained within a pipe; and communicate the water quality data collected over a network connection. Other aspects are described and claimed.
Claims14
A pipe inspection robot, comprising:
- a chassis comprising one or more tracks;
- a sensor component coupled to the chassis;
- an extension piece that extends horizontally outward from a side of the sensor component;
- a water quality probe coupled to the side of the sensor component via the extension piece;
- an electric motor that imparts movement to the water quality probe to rotate the water quality probe about the extension piece such that an end of the water quality probe is repositioned from a horizontal position to a second position that is closer to a bottom part of the chassis;
- wherein, in the second position, the end of the water quality probe is able to contact fluid comprising water located in a bottom of the pipe proximate to a bottom of the one or more tracks;
- and
- a processor operatively coupled to the water quality probe;
- said processor configured to:
- operate the water quality probe to collect water quality data related to the fluid comprising water contained within the pipe;
- and
- communicate the water quality data collected over a network connection.
9 more elements
A method, comprising:
- positioning a pipe inspection robot within a pipe, the positioning comprising operating one or more tracks to move about a chassis of the pipe inspection robot;
- obtaining, from a sensor component of the pipe inspection robot comprising a camera, visual images of the interior of the pipe;
- collecting, using a water quality probe of the pipe inspection robot, water quality data;
- the collecting comprising operating an electric motor to rotate the water quality probe about an extension piece that extends horizontally outward from a side of the sensor component to contact a fluid comprising water within the pipe;
- wherein an end of the water quality probe is repositioned from a horizontal position to a second position that is closer to a bottom part of the chassis;
- and
- wherein, in the second position, the end of the water quality probe is able to contact the fluid located in a bottom of the pipe proximate to a bottom of the one or more tracks;
- and
- communicating, over a network connection, the water quality data to a remote device.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.