公开(公告)号：US20230173551A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-08

申请号：US17916485

申请日：2021-04-02

Applicant: Square Robot, Inc.

Inventor： Jerome Vaganay ,  William O'Halloran ,  Eric Levitt

IPC: B08B3/08 ,  B65D90/44 ,  B08B9/093 ,  B65D90/48 ,  G01N21/954

CPC classification number: B08B3/08 ,  B65D90/44 ,  B08B9/093 ,  B65D90/48 ,  G01N21/954 ,  G05D2201/0207 ,  G01N2021/9518

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for launching and recovering a vehicle via a side manway of a tank are provided. A launcher is coupled to a vertical side of the tank via a manway adapter. The launcher includes a first side having a lid and a second side configured to couple with the manway adapter. The lid is removed from the first side of the launcher. An autonomous vehicle is loaded into the launcher via the first side of the launcher. The lid is placed on the first side of the launcher. The launcher can be pressurized with the autonomous vehicle inside the launcher. The manway adapter is opened at the second side of the launcher to release the flammable fluid into the launcher. Subsequent to opening the manway adapter, the autonomous vehicle launches from the launcher into the tank to perform a tank inspection process.

公开(公告)号：US10508968B1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-17

申请号：US16534009

申请日：2019-08-07

Applicant: SQUARE ROBOT, INC.

Inventor： Jerome Vaganay ,  Eric Levitt ,  William O'Halloran

IPC: G01M3/32 ,  B65D90/50 ,  B65D88/12 ,  G01M3/24

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatuses for inspecting a tank containing a flammable fluid are provided. A vehicle configured to inspect the tank can include a propeller, a battery, a control unit, an inspection device, and a ranging device. The battery provides power to the propeller, the control unit, the inspection device, and the ranging device. The control unit generates a map of the tank. The control unit determines a first position of the vehicle on the map of the tank. The propeller moves the vehicle through the flammable fluid in the tank. The inspection device determines a quality metric of a portion of the tank. The control unit causes the propeller to move the vehicle from the first position to a second position within the tank. The control unit determines the quality metric for the portion of the tank at the second position within the tank, and stores the quality metric.