# US 12,007,364 B2 · Systems and methods for robotic inspection with simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations with obstacle avoidance

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- Number: US 12,007,364 B2
- Document ID: US12007364B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/824,548
- Filed: 2022-05-25
- Published: 2022-10-27
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-22
- Assignees: Gecko Robotics, Inc.
- Applicants: Gecko Robotics, Inc.
- Inventors: Chase David; Kevin Y. Low
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007364B2

## CPC

- G01N 29/225: {Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation}
- G01N 29/265: by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material
- G01N 29/04: Analysing solids (using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14)
- G01N 29/043: {in the interior, e.g. by shear waves}
- G01N 29/07: by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
- G01N 29/262: {by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays (phased arrays per se G10K11/34)}
- G01N 2291/0289: Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture
- G01N 2291/106: one or more transducer arrays
- G01N 2291/267: Welds
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

Systems and methods for robotic inspection with simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations with obstacle avoidance are described. An example system may have an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel along an inspection surface. The robot may have a payload with first and second sensor holders, each sensor holder structured to hold a UT phased array. A sensor holder linking component holds the first and sensor holders such that the two phased arrays are parallel to one another along a long edge of both the phased arrays. The system may have a rastering device to move the payloads in a direction of inspection, whether the direction of inspection is distinct from the direction of travel and distinct from the parallel orientation of the two phased arrays.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface, the inspection robot including:
a payload comprising:
a first sensor holder structured to support a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a first orientation;
a second sensor holder structured to hold a second ultrasonic (UT) phased array at a second orientation; and
a sensor holder linking component interposed between the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder, the sensor holder linking component structured to interact with the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder such that the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array are placed in a parallel configuration along a long edge of both the first and second UT phased array; and
a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor holder is pivotably connected to a first side of the sensor holder linking component, and the second sensor holder is pivotably connected to a second side of the sensor holder linking component.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the first sensor holder and the second sensor holder are independently pivotable.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, the payload further comprising an arm, a first end of the arm pivotably connected to the sensor holder linking component.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein a location of the pivotable connection on the sensor holder linking component is interposed between a first side and a second side of the sensor holder linking component.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the direction of travel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the parallel configuration of the first and second UT phased arrays, and wherein the parallel configuration is parallel to the inspection surface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the rastering device is structured to maintain a fixed orthogonal orientation of the first and second UT phased arrays relative to the direction of inspection during an inspection mode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the inspection mode comprises moving the payload in the direction of inspection, then moving the inspection robot in the direction of travel, and then moving the payload in the direction of inspection.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first UT phased array is orthogonally oriented relative to the inspection surface, wherein the second UT phased array is obliquely oriented relative to the inspection surface.

### Claim 11

A method, comprising:
moving an inspection robot in a first inspection direction to a first inspection position of an inspection surface;
performing an inspection of the first inspection position of the inspection surface, the performing the inspection comprising:
moving a payload of the inspection robot in a second direction distinct from the first inspection direction, wherein the payload comprises a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array; and
interrogating the first inspection position with the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array during the moving the payload;
moving the inspection robot in the first inspection direction to a second inspection position of the inspection surface; and
performing an inspection of the second inspection position of the inspection surface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising lifting the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array to avoid an obstacle on the inspection surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising rotating the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array to a raised position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the first inspection direction is orthogonal to the second direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
wherein moving the payload of the inspection robot in the second direction comprises moving the payload from a first payload side to a second payload side, and
wherein performing the inspection of the second inspection position comprises moving the payload from the second payload side to the first payload side.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein interrogating the first inspection position with the first UT phased array further comprises interrogating the first inspection position in two directions with the first UT phased array.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the two directions comprise a first orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to the inspection surface, and a second steered direction, wherein the second steered direction is rotated in a plane comprising a first axis orthogonal to the second direction and a second axis orthogonal to the inspection surface at a position of the first UT phased array.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the interrogating the first inspection position in two directions comprises utilizing a first energizing data sequence to perform the interrogating in the first orthogonal direction, and utilizing a second energizing data sequence to perform the interrogating in the second direction.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the interrogating the first inspection position in two directions comprises utilizing a single energizing data sequence to perform the interrogating in both directions.