JP2022032429A - Inspection system and inspection method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an inspection technique which allows an inspection robot to perform inspection in the optimum order when a plurality of devices become abnormal simultaneously.SOLUTION: An inspection system 1 comprises: an importance setting unit 17 which sets each importance of a plurality of target devices 7 to be targets of inspection; a state information obtaining unit 20 which obtains state information showing states of the target devices 7 from sensors 11 provided in the target devices 7; an abnormality determination unit 21 which determines whether or not abnormality has occurred in the target devices 7 based on the state information; and a path generation unit 19 which generates a movement path of an inspection robot 2 inspecting the target devices 7 sequentially when abnormality has occurred in the plurality of target devices 7 based on at least the importance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to inspection techniques.

Although plants built in places that are not easily accessible by humans, such as in the mountains, are unmanned, daily inspections of equipment are carried out manually. Workers must take the time to travel to the plant to perform this routine inspection. Therefore, there is known a technique for arranging an inspection robot in a plant and patrolling it regularly to save labor in inspection work. In addition, if an abnormality occurs in the inspection target, it is necessary for the operator to confirm the site. However, if the location of the plant is poor, it will take time for the workers to arrive at the site. Therefore, there is known a technique of rushing an inspection robot that is patrolled regularly to an abnormality detection point.

International Publication No. 2019/176710 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-55362

The plant is equipped with many equipment that are related to each other. These devices may be monitored and multiple devices may be determined to be abnormal at the same time. However, some of these devices are important to the operation of the plant, while others are less important. When multiple devices become abnormal at the same time and the inspection robot inspects these devices in sequence, if the failure of important devices or the delay in grasping the signs is delayed, the operation of the plant may be hindered.

An embodiment of the present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and provides an inspection technique capable of performing an inspection by an inspection robot in an optimum order when a plurality of devices become abnormal at the same time. With the goal.

In the inspection system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the importance setting unit for setting the importance of each of the plurality of target devices to be inspected and the sensor provided on the target device indicate the state of the target device. A state information acquisition unit that acquires state information, an abnormality determination unit that determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the target device based on the state information, and a plurality of the targets based on at least the importance. It is provided with a route generation unit that generates a movement route of an inspection robot that sequentially inspects the target equipment when an abnormality occurs in the equipment.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an inspection technique capable of performing an inspection by an inspection robot in an optimum order when a plurality of devices become abnormal at the same time.

A block diagram showing an inspection system. A block diagram showing the target device. Block diagram showing the management server. A block diagram showing an inspection robot. Explanatory drawing which shows the target device management table. Explanatory drawing which shows the related equipment management table. A flowchart showing the inspection process executed by the management server. A flowchart showing an emergency route generation process.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the inspection system and the inspection method will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 is an inspection system of the present embodiment. The inspection system 1 includes an inspection robot 2, a management server 3, and a management terminal 4. These are connected to each other via a predetermined network 5 (communication line).

The inspection system 1 is used to inspect various facilities provided in a predetermined plant 6 such as a power plant. The predetermined plant 6 includes a power generation plant, a chemical plant, a factory, and the like. In the inspection area of such a plant 6, a plurality of target devices 7 to be inspected are provided. The target device 7 includes, for example, a generator, a control panel, a cooler, a distribution board, a substation facility, and the like. These target devices 7 are inspected using the inspection robot 2 deployed in the inspection area.

The inspection robot 2 can travel on the ground using, for example, wheels. The inspection robot 2 is an unmanned mobile robot that has a self-position estimation function and can autonomously travel to inspect the target device 7. The inspection robot 2 can be automatically traveled, and can also be manually traveled by remote control of the administrator M.

Normally, the inspection robot 2 periodically patrols the inspection area of the plant 6 to inspect the target device 7. Here, each target device 7 is connected to the management server 3 via the network 5. The management server 3 monitors the status of each target device 7. Further, the inspection robot 2 is connected to the management server 3 via the network 5. The operation of the inspection robot 2 is managed by the management server 3. If an abnormality occurs in the target device 7, the inspection robot 2 rushes to inspect the target device 7. Therefore, the management server 3 can quickly grasp the failure or sign of the important target device 7, and can minimize the subsequent adverse effect.

The manager M in the management office 8 located at a remote location from the plant 6 can remotely control the inspection robot 2 and inspect the target device 7 by this remote control. Further, the administrator M can grasp the state (presence / absence of abnormality) of the target device 7 via the management server 3.

The management office 8 is provided with a management terminal 4 handled by the manager M. The management terminal 4 is composed of a predetermined computer such as a desktop PC, a notebook PC, or a tablet PC. In this embodiment, a desktop PC is exemplified. The management terminal 4 is connected to a display 9 that the administrator M visually recognizes and a remote control terminal 10 that the administrator M uses when the inspection robot 2 is remotely controlled. The remote control terminal 10 is provided with a control stick used by the administrator M to operate the inspection robot 2.

The management terminal 4 is connected to the inspection robot 2 and the management server 3 via the network 5. When the administrator M remotely controls the inspection robot 2, communication is established between the management terminal 4 and the inspection robot 2 for sending and receiving signals for remote control. Then, the administrator M can manually operate the inspection robot 2 by using the remote control terminal 10. Communication between the management terminal 4 and the inspection robot 2 may be established via the management server 3, and the inspection robot 2 may be remotely controlled via the management server 3.

The predetermined network 5 exemplifies the Internet. The network 5 may be a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a mobile (mobile phone) communication network. The inspection robot 2 is connected to the network 5 by wireless communication. Further, the target device 7 is connected to the network 5 by wireless communication or wired communication.

The inspection robot 2 can measure its own position and its own posture. For example, the self-position can be measured by using a known satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). The inspection robot 2 can measure its own position and self-posture using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) or VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). Further, the self-position and the self-posture may be measured by using SfM (Structure from Motion) or the like.

Next, the system configuration of the inspection system 1 will be described with reference to the block diagrams shown in FIGS. 2 to 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the target device 7 includes a state sensor 11 and a data transmission unit 12. As the target device 7, various devices such as a generator, a control panel, a cooler, a distribution board, and a substation facility are assumed. Further, although various configurations of these devices can be considered, only the configurations necessary for the inspection system 1 of the present embodiment will be described here.

The state sensor 11 is a sensor provided in the target device 7 and acquires state information indicating the state of the target device 7. For example, the temperature, vibration, rotation speed, etc. of the target device 7 are detected. The state sensor 11 is used to detect an event that occurs in the target device 7, and the presence or absence of an abnormality in the target device 7 is grasped based on the detection result. Various events detected by the state sensor 11 can be considered depending on the mode of the target device 7. Therefore, as the state sensor 11, a vibration sensor, a microphone, an RGB camera, a thermo camera, a thermometer, a pressure gauge, a tachometer, or the like can be considered. At least one or more of these status sensors 11 are attached to the target device 7.

The data transmission unit 12 transmits data including the detection signal detected by the state sensor 11 to the management server 3 via the network 5. This data is transmitted from the management server 3 to the management terminal 4 or the inspection robot 2. Note that this data may be directly transmitted from the data transmission unit 12 to the management terminal 4 or the inspection robot 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the management server 3 includes a storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a server control unit 15.

The management server 3 has hardware resources such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, and HDD, and is composed of a computer in which information processing by software is realized by using hardware resources by executing various programs by the CPU. .. Further, the inspection method of the present embodiment is realized by causing a computer to execute various programs.

Each configuration of the management server 3 does not necessarily have to be provided in one computer. For example, one system may be realized by using a plurality of computers connected to each other by the network 5.

The storage unit 13 stores various information necessary for inspecting the target device 7. For example, an image taken by the inspection robot 2 or data acquired by the inspection robot 2 is stored. The storage unit 13 may include a database. A database is a collection of information stored in memory or HDD and organized for retrieval or storage.

The communication unit 14 communicates with the inspection robot 2 and the management terminal 4 via the network 5.

The server control unit 15 includes a map setting unit 16, an importance setting unit 17, a related setting unit 18, a route generation unit 19, a status information acquisition unit 20, an abnormality determination unit 21, a level determination unit 22, and an alarm issuing unit 23. Be prepared. These are realized by executing the program stored in the memory or the HDD by the CPU.

The map setting unit 16 sets an environment map including information indicating the position of the target device 7. This environmental map is stored in the storage unit 13. This environmental map is used to generate travel routes. Further, the same environment map as that of the management server 3 is sent to the inspection robot 2. The environment map is used when the inspection robot 2 autonomously moves.

The importance setting unit 17 sets the importance of each of the plurality of target devices 7 to be inspected based on the information about the plant 6 acquired in advance. Information about the target device 7 and its importance is stored in the storage unit 13. The importance setting unit 17 registers various information in the target device management table, for example.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the target device management table, the type of the target device 7, the importance of the target device 7, and the related device ID are registered in association with the target device ID.

In the item of the target device ID, the target device ID, which is the identification information that can individually identify each target device 7, is registered. A unique target device ID is assigned to each target device 7. These target device IDs are the primary keys of the target device management table.

In the item of the type of the target device 7, the type of the target device 7 corresponding to the target device ID is registered. For example, a generator, a control panel, a cooler, a distribution board, and the like are the types of the target device 7.

In the item of importance of the target device 7, a numerical value indicating the importance of the target device 7 corresponding to the target device ID is registered. For example, "1" is registered for the one with the lowest importance, and "5" is registered for the one with the highest importance. The numerical value indicating the importance gradually increases from the one with the lower importance to the one with the higher importance.

In this embodiment, the importance of the target device 7 which is indispensable for the operation of the plant 6 is set high. For example, "5", which has the highest importance, is set for the target device 7 in which the operation of the plant 6 is stopped when the plant 6 is stopped. Each importance is preset by the administrator M. Further, the importance may be changed according to the state of the target device 7.

In this embodiment, the importance is shown numerically, but other embodiments may be used. For example, the importance may be indicated by rank. The "A" rank may be registered for the one with the highest importance, and the "C" rank may be registered for the one with the lowest importance.

In the item of related device ID, the related device ID of the related device related to the target device 7 is registered. Related devices include those placed in the vicinity of the target device 7, those connected to the target device 7, those in the same system as the target device 7, and those necessary for the movement of the target device 7. .. When an abnormality occurs in the target device 7, the cause often exists in the related device. Therefore, if an abnormality occurs in the target device 7, the related device is also subject to inspection. In this way, the related equipment can be inspected together with the target equipment 7. Further, since it is not necessary to provide the state sensor 11 in the related equipment, the number of state sensors 11 installed can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, one target device 7 may be a related device of the other target device 7. In that case, the target device ID of one target device 7 is registered in the item of the related device ID corresponding to the target device ID of the other target device 7.

When one target device 7 is a related device of the other target device 7, the importance of one target device 7 is treated as the same as the importance of the other target device 7. For example, when a distribution board with an importance of "2" is registered as a related device of a control panel with an importance of "4", when an abnormality occurs in the control panel, the importance of the distribution board is changed. Treated as "4". In addition, when a control panel with an importance of "4" is registered as a related device of a distribution board with an importance of "2", if an abnormality occurs in the distribution board, the importance of the control panel is changed. Treated as "2".

In the target device management table, information indicating the position of the target device 7, information regarding the shape of the target device 7, and the like may be registered in association with the target device ID.

As shown in FIG. 3, the related setting unit 18 sets the target device 7 for which the importance is set and the related device related to the target device 7 in association with each other. Information about related devices is stored in the storage unit 13. The related setting unit 18 registers various information in the related device management table, for example.

As shown in FIG. 6, the type of the related device is registered in the related device management table in association with the related device ID.

In the item of the related device ID, the related device ID, which is the identification information that can individually identify each related device, is registered. A unique related device ID is assigned to each related device. These related device IDs are the primary key of the related device management table.

In the item of the type of the related device, the type of the related device corresponding to the related device ID is registered. For example, in the case of a generator, it may be a bearing, a brush, a shaft, a water wheel, or the like. In the case of a control panel, it is a valve opening / closing motor, a sensor, a storage battery, and the like. In the case of a cooler, it is a cooling pipe, a valve, or the like. In the case of a distribution board, it is a switch, wiring, etc.

In the related device management table, information indicating the position of the related device, information regarding the shape of the related device, and the like may be registered in association with the related device ID.

As shown in FIG. 3, the route generation unit 19 generates a movement route of the inspection robot 2 that sequentially inspects the target device 7. For example, when all of the target devices 7 are normal, the inspection robot 2 generates a movement route when performing an inspection in the normal mode. Further, when an abnormality occurs in at least one of the target devices 7, a movement route for the inspection robot 2 to perform an inspection in the emergency mode is generated.

When the inspection is performed in the normal mode, the inspection robot 2 patrols the plant 6 according to a predetermined inspection order. The movement path in the normal mode may be a pre-generated one. The movement route in the emergency mode is generated each time according to the situation of the abnormality.

Further, the route generation unit 19 generates a movement route of the inspection robot 2 that sequentially inspects the target devices 7 when an abnormality occurs in the plurality of target devices 7. The generated movement path is sent to the inspection robot 2. The route generation unit 19 generates a movement route based on the importance set by the importance setting unit 17.

For example, when an abnormality occurs in the target device 7 having a high importance and the target device 7 having a low importance at the same time, a movement route in which the target device 7 having a high importance can be inspected first is generated. The inspection robot 2 inspects according to this movement route. Therefore, the target device 7 having a high importance (priority) can be inspected preferentially. Then, the cause of the failure or sign of the target device 7 having high importance can be detected at an early stage.

When a plurality of devices become abnormal at the same time, the route generation unit 19 determines one of a plurality of movement paths having different inspection orders for the target device 7 as a movement path to be set in the inspection robot 2. .. By doing so, it is possible to generate a movement route having an optimum inspection order among the plurality of movement routes.

The route generation unit 19 generates a movement route based on the importance of the target device 7 and the movement time until the inspection robot 2 arrives at the target device 7 when a plurality of devices become abnormal at the same time. In this way, even if the target device 7 is of high importance, if it takes time for the inspection robot 2 to arrive, the inspection of the target device 7 is postponed and the other target devices 7 are inspected. Can be done. Therefore, it is possible to optimize the inspection of all the target devices 7 in which the abnormality has occurred.

The route generation unit 19 generates a movement route based on a calculation formula including a value indicating the importance of the target device 7 and a value indicating the movement time required for the inspection robot 2 to move to the target device 7 in variables. ..

For example, a movement route is generated based on the following formula 1. Here, J is an evaluation function. n is the number of target devices 7 in which an abnormality has occurred. i represents an index of the target device 7 from 1 to n. The importance i is a value registered in the importance item of the target device management table. The movement time i is the time required for the inspection robot 2 to move to the target device i. When the inspection robot 2 is in a predetermined standby position, it is time to move from the standby position to the target device i. When the target device i is inspected in the kth position, it is the time required to move via the target device 7 to be inspected in the 1st to k-1st positions.

The evaluation function J changes depending on the order of the target devices 7 to be inspected by the inspection robot 2. Then, the movement route is determined so as to maximize the evaluation function J. For example, when there are 10 target devices 7 in which an abnormality has occurred, a movement route according to the factorial of 10 can be considered. Among them, the movement route having the largest evaluation function J is determined. By doing so, it is possible to generate an optimum movement route while balancing the importance of the target device 7 and the movement time of the inspection robot 2.

The route generation unit 19 generates a movement route including the related equipment associated with the target equipment 7 in which the abnormality has occurred as an inspection target. In this way, the cause of the abnormality is not the target device 7 determined to be abnormal, and the abnormality of the related device related to the target device 7 is often the cause. Therefore, the cause of the failure or sign of the target device 7 is early. Can be found in.

For example, the formula 1 may include the value of the related device. n may include the number of related devices. The importance may include the importance of the target device 7 corresponding to the related device. The travel time may include the time required for the inspection robot 2 to move to the target related equipment.

The state information acquisition unit 20 acquires state information indicating the state of the target device 7. For example, the state sensor 11 provided in the target device 7 detects a predetermined event, and the state information including the detected value is sent to the management server 3. The state information acquisition unit 20 acquires state information from the target device 7.

The state information includes information capable of determining whether the target device 7 is operating normally or whether an abnormality has occurred in the target device 7. It also contains information that can determine the level of abnormality that has occurred in the target device 7.

The abnormality determination unit 21 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the target device 7 based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 20. When it is determined that the target device 7 has an abnormality, the management server 3 stops the inspection by the inspection robot 2 in the normal mode and performs the inspection in the emergency mode. Then, the inspection robot 2 is directed to the target device 7 in which the abnormality has occurred. The inspection robot 2 photographs the target device 7 and transmits information including the image to the management terminal 4 of the management office 8. Then, the administrator M can confirm the state of the target device 7 in which the abnormality has occurred.

The level determination unit 22 determines whether or not the level of the abnormality generated in the target device 7 is equal to or higher than the threshold value based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 20.

The alarm issuing unit 23 issues an alarm to the administrator M when the level of abnormality generated in the target device 7 is equal to or higher than the threshold value. This alarm is displayed, for example, on the display 9 of the management terminal 4. By doing so, when the level of the abnormality generated in the target device 7 is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the administrator M can switch to the inspection by remote control and perform a more detailed inspection by the inspection robot 2.

The management server 3 determines not only the presence / absence of an abnormality in the target device 7 but also the level of the abnormality. If it is a minor abnormality, only the automatic inspection by the inspection robot 2 is performed without issuing an alarm to the administrator M in the management office 8. When the abnormality level is equal to or higher than the threshold value, an alarm is issued to the administrator M. Then, the administrator M who receives the alarm confirms the target device 7 with the image sent from the inspection robot 2 performing the automatic inspection. Alternatively, the automatic inspection is stopped, the inspection robot 2 is remotely controlled using the remote control terminal 10, and the target device 7 is manually confirmed. The administrator M can grasp the situation in more detail by switching to the inspection by remote control according to the situation of the abnormality. The administrator M can arbitrarily select automatic inspection or manual inspection even if the alarm is not issued.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inspection robot 2 includes a camera 24, an inspection sensor 25, a three-dimensional measurement sensor 26, a motion sensor 27, a movement mechanism unit 28, a storage unit 29, a communication unit 30, and a robot control unit 31. ..

The camera 24 is mounted on the inspection robot 2 and photographs the target device 7 in the vicinity of the inspection robot 2 with visible light or infrared rays. The image taken by the camera 24 is stored in the storage unit 29 and sent to the management server 3.

The inspection sensor 25 is a sensor used for inspecting the target device 7. For example, the temperature, vibration, noise, etc. of the target device 7 are detected. As the inspection sensor 25, a thermo camera, a thermometer, a microphone, or the like can be considered.

The three-dimensional measurement sensor 26 measures the three-dimensional shape of an object around the inspection robot 2. As the three-dimensional measurement sensor 26, for example, a depth sensor is used. A laser sensor such as an infrared sensor or LiDAR may be used as the three-dimensional measurement sensor 26.

The three-dimensional measurement sensor 26 can measure the distance from the inspection robot 2 to surrounding objects, for example, by projecting a laser on an object and receiving the reflected light by a light receiving element. Further, the shooting direction by the camera 24 and the measurement direction by the three-dimensional measurement sensor 26 are the same. Further, the three-dimensional measurement sensor 26 measures the distance from the inspection robot 2 to surrounding objects by using a ToF (Time of Flight) method that converts the delay time of the received light pulse with respect to the floodlight pulse into a distance. By using the 3D measurement sensor 26, it is possible to generate 3D point cloud data including information on the distance and shape from the inspection robot 2 to surrounding objects.

The motion sensor 27 is a 9-axis sensor that combines an inertial sensor (3-axis acceleration sensor and 3-axis angular velocity sensor) and a 3-axis geomagnetic sensor. The motion sensor 27 is mounted on the inspection robot 2 and detects the acceleration generated when the inspection robot 2 moves. Further, the motion sensor 27 can also detect the gravitational acceleration. Further, the motion sensor 27 detects the angular velocity generated when the posture (direction of the machine body) of the inspection robot 2 changes. It is also possible to grasp the posture of the inspection robot 2 by the geomagnetism. The acceleration value and the angular velocity value detected by the motion sensor 27 are input to the robot control unit 31. The inspection robot 2 can measure the self-position and the self-posture by using the motion sensor 27.

The moving mechanism unit 28 drives the wheels to rotate, which is necessary for the inspection robot 2 to travel. The moving mechanism unit 28 is composed of, for example, a motor for driving the wheels, an actuator for changing the direction of the wheels, and the like.

The storage unit 29 stores various information necessary for inspecting the target device 7. For example, an image taken by the camera 24 or data acquired by the inspection sensor 25 is stored.

The communication unit 30 communicates with the management server 3 and the management terminal 4 via the network 5.

The robot control unit 31 includes a map setting unit 32, a route setting unit 33, an inspection switching unit 34, an automatic inspection unit 35, a remote inspection unit 36, and an autonomous movement control unit 37. These are realized by executing the program stored in the memory or the HDD by the CPU.

Similar to the management server 3, the map setting unit 32 sets an environment map including information indicating the position of the target device 7. This environmental map is stored in the storage unit 29 and is used when the inspection robot 2 autonomously moves.

The route setting unit 33 sets the movement route received from the management server 3. The set movement route is stored in the storage unit 29. The inspection robot 2 autonomously moves along the set movement path.

The inspection switching unit 34 performs a process of switching between an automatic inspection performed by the automatic inspection unit 35 and a manual inspection performed by the remote inspection unit 36. For example, the inspection switching unit 34 accepts the switching operation of the administrator M based on the information sent from the management terminal 4. Then, when the administrator M switches to the automatic inspection, the automatic inspection is set. On the other hand, when the administrator M switches to the manual inspection, the manual inspection (remote control) is set.

The automatic inspection unit 35 performs processing related to automatic inspection in which the inspection robot 2 automatically inspects the target device 7. For example, the inspection robot 2 autonomously moves based on the environmental map, and automatically takes a picture of the predetermined target device 7.

In the automatic inspection unit 35, the inspection robot automatically inspects when the level of abnormality generated in the target device 7 is less than the threshold value. By doing so, when the level of abnormality is low, the inspection robot 2 automatically inspects the robot, so that the administrator M does not have to bother. Even if the abnormality level is less than the threshold value, the administrator M can perform the inspection by remote control.

The remote inspection unit 36 performs a process related to the remote control when the administrator M remotely controls the manual inspection by the inspection robot 2.

The autonomous movement control unit 37 controls the autonomous movement by the inspection robot 2. The autonomous movement control unit 37 estimates the self-position of the inspection robot 2 and refers to the environment map to control the movement of the inspection robot 2.

Next, the inspection process executed by the management server 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The block diagram shown in FIG. 3 will be referred to as appropriate. The following steps are at least a part of the process included in the inspection process, and other steps may be included in the inspection process.

This inspection process is a process that is repeated at regular intervals. By repeating this inspection process, the inspection method is executed on the management server 3. It should be noted that this process may be interrupted and executed while the management server 3 is executing another main process.

As shown in FIG. 7, first, in step S11, the map setting unit 16 of the server control unit 15 executes the environment map setting process. In this environment map setting process, an environment map including information indicating the position of the target device 7 is set. The same environmental map is also set for the inspection robot 2.

In the next step S12, the importance setting unit 17 of the server control unit 15 executes the importance setting process. In this importance setting process, for example, the importance of each of the plurality of target devices 7 to be inspected is set based on the information about the plant 6 acquired in advance. For example, the importance is registered in the target device management table (FIG. 5).

In the next step S13, the related setting unit 18 of the server control unit 15 executes the related setting process. In this related setting process, the target device 7 for which the importance is set and the related device related to the target device 7 are set in association with each other. For example, the related device ID is registered in the target device management table (FIG. 5).

In the next step S14, the route generation unit 19 of the server control unit 15 executes the normal time route generation process. In this normal time route generation process, when all of the target devices 7 are normal, the inspection robot 2 generates a movement route for inspection in the normal mode. The server control unit 15 transmits the generated movement route to the inspection robot 2. This movement route is set in the inspection robot 2.

In the next step S15, the route generation unit 19 of the server control unit 15 executes the emergency route generation process (FIG. 8). In this emergency route generation process, when an abnormality occurs in at least one of the target devices 7, the inspection robot 2 generates a movement route for performing an inspection in the emergency mode. The server control unit 15 transmits the generated movement route to the inspection robot 2. This movement route is set in the inspection robot 2. Then, the management server 3 ends the inspection process.

Next, the emergency route generation process executed by the server control unit 15 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S21, the state information acquisition unit 20 acquires the state information sent from the target device 7.

In the next step S22, the abnormality determination unit 21 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the target device 7 based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 20. Here, if no abnormality has occurred in the target device 7 (NO in step S22), the server control unit 15 ends the emergency route generation process. On the other hand, if an abnormality has occurred in the target device 7 (YES in step S22), the process proceeds to step S23.

In step S23, the level determination unit 22 determines whether or not the level of the abnormality generated in the target device 7 is equal to or higher than the threshold value based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 20. Here, if the level of abnormality generated in the target device 7 is less than the threshold value (NO in step S23), the process proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, when the level of the abnormality generated in the target device 7 is equal to or higher than the threshold value (YES in step S23), the process proceeds to step S24.

In step S24, the alarm issuing unit 23 issues an alarm to the administrator M. For example, control is performed so that an alarm is displayed on the display 9 of the management terminal 4.

In step S25, the route generation unit 19 refers to the target device management table (FIG. 5) and identifies related devices registered in association with the target device 7 in which the abnormality has occurred.

In step S26, the route generation unit 19 determines whether or not there are two or more target devices 7 in which the abnormality has occurred. Here, if the number of target devices 7 in which the abnormality has occurred is two or more (YES in step S26), the process proceeds to step S28. On the other hand, if the number of target devices 7 in which the abnormality has occurred is not two or more (NO in step S26), the process proceeds to step S27.

In step S27, the route generation unit 19 executes the type 1 route generation process. Then, the process proceeds to step S29. In the type 1 route generation process, a movement route to one target device 7 in which an abnormality has occurred is generated. The server control unit 15 transmits the generated movement route to the inspection robot 2. This movement route is set in the inspection robot 2.

In step S28, the route generation unit 19 executes the type 2 route generation process. Then, the process proceeds to step S29. In the type 2 route generation process, a movement route for sequentially inspecting the target equipment 7 when an abnormality occurs in the plurality of target equipment 7 is generated. For example, a movement route is generated based on the importance registered in the target device management table (FIG. 5) and the movement time until the inspection robot 2 arrives at the target device 7. The server control unit 15 transmits the generated movement route to the inspection robot 2. This movement route is set in the inspection robot 2. Then, the server control unit 15 ends the emergency route generation process.

In the present embodiment, the determination of an arbitrary value (abnormal level) using the reference value (threshold value) may be the determination of "whether or not the arbitrary value is equal to or higher than the reference value" or "the arbitrary value is". It may be determined whether or not the reference value is exceeded. Alternatively, it may be a determination of "whether or not an arbitrary value is equal to or less than a reference value" or a determination of "whether or not an arbitrary value is less than a reference value". Further, the reference value is not fixed but may change. Therefore, a value in a predetermined range may be used instead of the reference value, and it may be determined whether or not an arbitrary value falls within the predetermined range. Further, the error generated in the apparatus may be analyzed in advance, and a predetermined range including the error range centered on the reference value may be used for the determination.

Although the flowchart of the present embodiment illustrates a mode in which each step is executed in series, the context of each step is not necessarily fixed, and even if the context of some steps is exchanged. good. Also, some steps may be executed in parallel with other steps.

The system of this embodiment includes a control device in which a dedicated chip, a controller such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is highly integrated, and a ROM (Read Only). Storage devices such as Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), external storage devices such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), display devices such as displays, and input devices such as mice or keyboards. , With a communication interface. This system can be realized by a hardware configuration using a normal computer.

The program executed by the system of the present embodiment is provided by incorporating it into a ROM or the like in advance. Alternatively, the program may be a non-transient storage medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, memory card, DVD, flexible disk (FD) that can be read by a computer in an installable or executable format file. It may be stored in the computer and provided.

Further, the program executed by this system may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded and provided via the network. The system can also be configured by connecting and combining separate modules that independently exert the functions of the components to each other via a network or a dedicated line.

In the present embodiment, the inspection robot 2 provided with wheels travels on the ground to perform inspection, but other embodiments may be used. For example, the inspection robot 2 may be a drone equipped with a flight mechanism such as a propeller, or the inspection robot 2 may move in the air to inspect the target device 7. The movement route in that case is the flight route of the drone.

According to the embodiment described above, by providing a route generation unit that generates a movement path of an inspection robot that sequentially inspects the target devices when an abnormality occurs in a plurality of target devices, at least based on the importance. , When multiple devices become abnormal at the same time, the inspection robot can perform inspections in the optimum order.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof, as are included in the scope and gist of the invention.

1 ... Inspection system, 2 ... Inspection robot, 3 ... Management server, 4 ... Management terminal, 5 ... Network, 6 ... Plant, 7 ... Target equipment, 8 ... Management office, 9 ... Display, 10 ... Remote control terminal, 11 ... Status sensor, 12 ... Data transmission unit, 13 ... Storage unit, 14 ... Communication unit, 15 ... Server control unit, 16 ... Map setting unit, 17 ... Importance setting unit, 18 ... Related setting unit, 19 ... Route generation Unit, 20 ... status information acquisition unit, 21 ... abnormality determination unit, 22 ... level determination unit, 23 ... alarm alarm unit, 24 ... camera, 25 ... inspection sensor, 26 ... 3D measurement sensor, 27 ... motion sensor, 28 ... mobile mechanism unit, 29 ... storage unit, 30 ... communication unit, 31 ... robot control unit, 32 ... map setting unit, 33 ... route setting unit, 34 ... inspection switching unit, 35 ... automatic inspection unit, 36 ... remote inspection Department, 37 ... Autonomous movement control unit, M ... Administrator.

Claims (7)

The importance setting unit that sets the importance of each of the multiple target devices to be inspected,
A state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating the state of the target device from a sensor provided in the target device, and a state information acquisition unit.
An abnormality determination unit that determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the target device based on the state information.
A route generation unit that generates a movement route of an inspection robot that sequentially inspects the target equipment when an abnormality occurs in a plurality of the target equipment, at least based on the importance.
To prepare
Inspection system. The route generation unit generates the movement route based on the importance and the movement time until the inspection robot arrives at the target device.
The inspection system according to claim 1. The route generation unit generates the travel route based on a calculation formula including a value indicating the importance and a value indicating the travel time in variables.
The inspection system according to claim 2. The route generation unit determines any one of the plurality of movement routes having a different order of inspecting the target device as the movement route to be set in the inspection robot.
The inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. It is provided with a related setting unit for setting the target device and the related device related to the target device in association with each other.
The route generation unit generates the movement route including the related device associated with the target device in which the abnormality has occurred as an inspection target.
The inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A level determination unit that determines whether or not the level of abnormality generated in the target device is equal to or higher than the threshold value.
An automatic inspection unit that automatically inspects the inspection robot when at least the level is less than the threshold value.
An alarm issuing unit that issues an alarm when the level is equal to or higher than the threshold value.
The remote inspection unit, in which the administrator remotely controls the inspection by the inspection robot,
An inspection switching unit that allows the administrator to switch between inspections performed by the automatic inspection unit and inspections performed by the remote inspection unit.
To prepare
The inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Steps to set the importance of each of the multiple target devices to be inspected,
A step of acquiring state information indicating the state of the target device from a sensor provided in the target device, and
A step of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the target device based on the state information, and
A step of generating a movement path of an inspection robot that sequentially inspects the target devices when an abnormality occurs in a plurality of the target devices, at least based on the importance.
including,
Inspection method.

Images