Tiny Cars Can Inspect and Repair Pipes
We can all agree that plumbing is the cat’s meow. You get water on demand, and once you’re done with it, whoosh, it’s gone. This magic is made possible with plumbing. But plumbing is not forever. It needs to be cared for, maintained, loved. Bad things happen if plumbing fails. Expensive things. This invention will take care of plumbing.
As the patent states, “The inspections of underground pipe systems are of utmost importance to preserve the integrity of distribution networks, prevent material loss, avoid environmental harm, and uphold infrastructure safety standards. However, traditional methods used for pipe inspection are often labor-intensive, expensive, and come with inherent risks for human workers.”
Imagine a column of little cars moving down an 8-inch pipe. Each car has its own mission, and they all talk to each other. The cars can have one of six functions: processing, network communication, power station, visual inspection, imaging, and a 3D printing function.
The visual car “also has an early Leak Detection system based on Acoustic sensors, which detects subtle changes in sound, indicating leaks in the pipes. This early detection helps to address leaks before they become significant problems. In addition, ultrasonic sensors for Pipe wall thickness measurement.” The 3D printing car “can be regarded as a mobile 3D printing device. It possesses the capacity to fabricate diminutive adhesive components designed to seal minor leaks. Upon detecting the dimensions of the fissure, the robot will generate a repair piece tailored to the specific size of the crack and apply it directly to the affected area.”
The cars are designed to either move together as a train (joined by electromagnetic couplings), or operate independently. Their design allows one car to roll over another car inside the pipe.
Claim 1: “A pipe inspection swarm robot system having one or more swarm robots, each of the one or more swarm robots comprising: a main control and monitoring unit managing and controlling operations of the swarm robot; robot actuators and an actuator drive module providing required power to drive the robot actuators; a geared DC motor connected to wheels allowing the swarm robot to move in any direction and turn up to 360 degrees; an electromagnet locking mechanism allowing for physical connection to another swarm robot; obstacle avoidance sensors; a navigation system; a power supply and management module; and a function module allowing each of the one or more swarm robots to perform a specified task, wherein the specified task is fabricating a component to seal leaks through a 3D printing device using a 3D printing module of at least one of the one or more swarm robots.”
The first Claim pretty much describes the invention in its entirety.
Title: “Transformable Swarm Robots For Pipe Inspection And Maintenance”
US Patent No: 11947362
Filed (USA Reg): 2023-07-31
Granted: 2024-04-02
Applicant: United Arab Emirates University
Vlad Shvarstman, Esq.
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