Description:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
and
THE PATENTS RULE, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10, rule 13)
1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION
AN INSPECTION AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR STRAIGHT HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS
2. APPLICANTS
(a) Name : BITMAPPER INTEGRATION TECHNOLOGIES PVT LTD.
(b) Nationality : An Indian company
(c) Address : Shewale Centre, MIDC, Pimpri Colony, Pimpri-
Chinchwad, Pune – 411019, Maharashtra, India

3.PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
PROVISIONAL
The following specification describes the invention COMPLETE
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present subject matter relates generally to the field of robotic systems for inspecting straight hollow cylindrical objects, and more specifically, to an inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects such as internal gun barrel surface of large caliber gun barrels.
BACKGROUND
[002] Large caliber guns normally serve as the primary ordnance system due to their extended firing range and enhanced accuracy. The category of large caliber guns encompasses a range of systems, from 76-caliber Naval guns to 155-caliber artillery and tank guns, as well as various mortar systems. Each time a round is fired, the gun barrel is exposed to high pressure, temperature, shocks, and friction, in addition to a corrosive mixture of gases and residue generated after the combustion of propellants. This process causes wear and erosion on the internal surface of the gun barrel. Wear and erosion represent one of several failure mechanisms impacting the operational effectiveness and lifespan of large caliber gun barrels. Barrel wear is inevitable and progresses with each firing, directly influencing chamber pressures and, consequently, the muzzle velocities of the fired shells. The loss of muzzle velocity affects range, accuracy, and other factors, often leading to the condemnation of a barrel due to wear before it reaches the end of its fatigue life.
[003] Despite ongoing efforts to develop and modernize gun systems, the inspection and measurement of gun barrels remain relatively unexplored. Various methods are employed for gun barrel inspection, including the gun borescope, which allows investigators to closely examine the gun barrel surface along its length but lacks the ability to measure the depth of erosion. Pullover gauges, star gauges, and dial gun barrel gauges are indicator-type devices used to inspect dimensional variations inside a barrel by measuring the gun barrel diameter at different axial locations.
[004] These measurement tools aid in the initial estimation of wear or erosion. Star gauges find use in gun barrel manufacturing units for acceptance after manufacturing, initial proof-firing tests, and developmental tests. Dial gun barrel gauges can be utilized at any time after firing to check for wear. Consistent recording after routine checkups provides information on when barrel wear occurs, facilitating the calculation of the decisive time to consider replacing the barrel. Following are the important limitations of the existing methods.
[005] Regarding visual inspection of gun barrel using gun borescope or mirror gauge, the inspector must insert the gun borescope attached to a long pole manually and either view the gun barrel surface through eyepiece on the scope or the camera feed on the display screen. In a typical inspection process, pushing or pulling the gun borescope into the gun barrel manually with a watch on the axial distance of camera inside the barrel and an angle at which the camera is aiming and performing inspection simultaneously is difficult, time consuming and error prone. Also, all inspection parameters are recorded or noted manually, which is also time-consuming and error prone. The judgment on gun barrel erosion or any possible surface defect is based on operators’ skills and experience. The method is purely qualitative and does not provide quantitative assessment of gun barrel erosion.
[006] A gauge-based measurement can only provide the data of change in gun barrel diameter at specified location inside the barrel. In this case also the precision of measurement depends on operators’ skills. Moreover, the measurement process is manual, tiresome and time consuming. The method does not provide information on surface condition, defect type, count, size, and location of the defect inside the gun barrel. The data is mostly recoded on hard copies hence performing the analysis, and keeping the traceability of historical records and interpreting the data is difficult.
[007] All the mentioned methods are either based on visual examination or the measurement of changes in gun barrel size dimensions at specific locations or the entire gun barrel length. Moreover, a skilled and experienced operator is required to inspect and interpret the observation and careful measurement. All the above-mentioned methods need human assistance due to which the accuracy and repeatability of data acquisition is difficult to achieve.
[008] Besides wear and erosion, the fatigue life of large caliber gun barrels is affected by surface defects formed on the gun barrel surface during firing, which propagates with successive firings. Excessive temperature, pressure, friction, and interaction with corrosive gases, and their cumulative effects, can introduce various surface defects such as heat cracks, deep scoring and scratches, cracks, pitting, and deformation on the barrel surface. If not periodically monitored, these defects not only impact gun performance, affecting range and accuracy but also pose serious risks like explosions and barrel bursts, threatening the lives of gun operators.
[009] Thus, there is need of a more advanced method that not only provide features of visual inspection and accurate objective measurement but also provides a less complex way to analyze and interpret the inspection data for accurate estimation of remaining useful life of gun barrels.
OBJECTIVES OF INVETION
[0010] An objective of the present invention is to provide technological solutions for the limitation in prior art and to solves the problems depicted in the background by providing a smart inspection and measurement device.
[0011] Another objective of the present invention is to inspect the defects in an internal surface of a cylindrical hollow cylindrical object.
[0012] Yet another objective of the present invention is to oversee the weapon's health through the examination of its barrel.
[0013] Yet another objective of the present invention is to streamline the process of inspecting and measuring the weapon's health by integrating automation.
[0014] Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a single device that combines vision inspection and objective measurement methods for monitoring the weapon's health.
[0015] Yet another objective of the present invention is to inspect the gun barrel surface as a safety assessment for detection, localization and measurement of any surface defects present on the gun barrel surface, wherein the surface defects can be pits, erosion, wear, scratches, dents or cracks.
[0016] Yet another objective of the invention is to impart AI based defect detection and localization features using image processing and machine learning computer algorithms that perform the tasks of a skilled operator performing gun barrel inspection.
[0017] Yet another objective of the invention is to create a digital database of inspection and measurement data of gun barrels to perform prediction and estimation of remaining useful life of gun barrel before its fatigue` failure based on the various parameters.
SUMMARY
[0018] Embodiments of the present disclosure put forward technological improvements as solutions to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems.
[0019] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to an AI based robotic system for inspection and measurements of the straight hollow cylindrical object especially large caliber gun barrels. This summary is neither intended to identify essential features of the present invention nor intended to determine or limit the scope of the present invention.
[0020] Before the present subject matter relating to a system for inspection and measurements of a straight hollow cylindrical object, it is to be understood that this application is not limited to the system described, as there can be multiple possible embodiments that are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is to describe the implementations or versions or embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present subject matter.
[0021] A system for inspection and measurement of a straight hollow cylindrical objects comprises an inspection device, and a controller connected to the inspection device with or without a cable. The inspection device comprises an inspection head comprising an image acquisition unit, a laser scanner and a motorized rotating mechanism, The rotating mechanism rotates the inspection head around its own axis. The inspection device further comprises a crawling unit to provide linear displacement of inspection device inside the hollow cylindrical object.
[0022] During operation, the inspection head rotates and collects real time videos and a plurality of 2D images data associated with an internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object via the image acquisition unit and perform a 3D depth measurement to generate 3D topology of the internal surface of straight hollow cylindrical object with help of the laser scanner. The crawling unit maintains continuous contact with the inner surface of the hollow cylinder and provide linear displacement to the inspection device inside the straight hollow cylindrical object. The controller is connected to the inspection device via the main control cable. The controller controls the linear and rotary movement of inspection device and performs tasks like receiving, analyzing, and processing the data collected by the inspection device, perform various computations to detect, identify, classify and localize surface defects using artificial intelligence and image processing based deep learning algorithms, measure and quantify the geometric parameters of internal surface of straight hollow cylindrical object and provides a means of visualization and interpretation of inspection and measurement data. The data thus collected can be used to quantify amount of erosion and wear and estimation of health and remaining useful life of straight hollow cylindrical object especially large caliber gun barrel.
[0023] This summary is provided to introduce aspects related to an AI based robotic system for inspection and measurement of the straight hollow cylindrical object. It is to be understood that this application is not limited to the system(s) and methodologies described, as there can be multiple possible embodiments which are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the implementations or versions or embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present subject matter. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the present subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0024] The foregoing detailed description of embodiments is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings for illustrating the disclosure, there are figures in the present document that are just shown as example constructions of the disclosure; however, the disclosure is not limited to the specific system or method disclosed in the document and the drawings.
[0025] The present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to various features of the present subject matter.
[0026] Figure 1 illustrates a pictorial view of an inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0027] Figure 2 illustrates an internal view of an inspection device in the inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0028] Figure 3A illustrates a pictorial view of inspection head assembled in the inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0029] Figure 3B illustrates an exploded view of the inspection head assembly in the in the inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0030] Figure 4 illustrates an exploded view of the crawling unit in the inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0031] Figure 5 illustrates an internal view of the inspection device with a radially expandable mechanism in the inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0032] Figure 6 illustrates an assembly view of inspection head in the inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0033] Figure 7A&7B illustrates a pictorial view of the crawling unit with expansion mechanism in the inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in open and closed position in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0034] Figure 8 illustrates a closer view of a radially expandable drive unit assembly in the inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0035] Figure 9 illustrates a process flow diagram for the method of inspection and measurement of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] Figure 10 illustrates a view of data architecture of the inspection and measurement of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical objects in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0037] Figure 11A illustrates a sample 2D image of an internal surface of rifled bore captured by the image acquisition unit in the inspection device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0038] Figure 11B illustrates a processed 2D image of an internal surface of rifled bore of figure 11A in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0039] Figure 12A illustrates 3D point-cloud data of an internal surface of rifled bore captured by a laser scanning unit in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0040] Figure 12B illustrates processed 3D point-cloud data of figure 12A in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0041] Figure 13A illustrates a view of an unwrapped surface topology of raw and processed 3D point-cloud data of an internal surface of rifled bore captured by a laser scanner in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0042] Figure 13B illustrates a view of processed unwrapped surface topology of 3D point-cloud data in figure 13A in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
[0043] Figure 14 illustrates a software depiction of a graphical user interface (GUI) with a dashboard showing different views, plots, and tables to provide better visualization and interpretation of inspection and measurement data in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0044] In the above accompanying drawings, a non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.
[0045] Further, the figures depict various embodiments of the present subject matter for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the present subject matter described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0046] Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although a device for inspecting a hollow cylinder, similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the exemplary, the device for inspecting the hollow cylinder is now described.
[0047] Various modifications to the embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. For example, although the present disclosure will be described in the context of a device for inspecting a straight hollow cylinder, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that a system can be utilized in any situation, such as in inspection device for a hollow cylinder. The invention is capable of inspecting a barrel gun surface as a safety assessment for detection, localization and measurement of any surface defects present on the gun barrel surface, wherein the surface defects can be pits, erosion, wear, scratches, dents or cracks. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.
[0048] In one aspect, a system for AI based automated inspection and measurement of a straight hollow cylindrical objects is disclosed.
[0049] The system comprises a robotic inspection and measurement device connected to a main controller unit in a wired or wireless manner.
[0050] In an embodiment, the main controller unit consists of a main computer having a central processing module, a graphical processing module, a memory storage module. The main controller hosts a software application module which communicates with computing system and inspection and measurement device and provides a graphical user interface module to select the switching, speed controlling and overall programming of the inspection and measurement operations of the said device. The application module includes various software modules such as a 2D and 3D graphics module, image processing and deep learning module, an AI module, data analytics and visualization module are installed in the controller. The controller also provides power and data interface to the robotic inspection and measurement device. The main controller unit receives electric power either from an external battery or from the external power source with a suitable adapter known in art.
[0051] The robotic inspection and measurement device, hence further referred as an “Inspection Device” is essentially a cylindrically shaped vehicle body. The Inspection device comprises an inspection head, and a crawling unit.
[0052] The inspection head comprises of an image acquisition unit, and a laser scanning unit, both coupled to an electronic unit, particularly an electronic sensor fusion unit and a rotating mechanism.
[0053] The image acquisition unit comprises of a plurality of cameras integrated with LED lights. The scanning unit uses a laser distance sensor. The image acquisition unit captures real-time images or videos of an internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. The images captured by the image acquisition unit helps in generating a 2D surface map of internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object.
[0054] The laser distance sensor uses a laser to scan and measure the internal surface and provides point cloud data to generate a 3D map of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. The image acquisition unit and a laser scanning unit are configured to provide a measurement of internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object in terms of geometric parameters and measurements of surface defects in two and three dimensions.
[0055] The electronics unit comprises of a micro-controller-based electronics interface for various digital and analog inputs and outputs and an interface for power and data signals. The electronics unit uses the micro-controller that performs high speed data acquisition and synchronization to integrate and fuse data collected by various sensors. The micro-controller can be a high-speed processor like FPGA or the like. The digital and analog inputs and outputs comprise of various sensors types not limited to an inertial measurement sensor or IMU, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyro-sensor, a rotary and a linear encoder and other sensors known in art.
[0056] The rotating mechanism includes a motor, the rotary encoder, a slip ring, and the linear encoder. The motor allows the inspection head to freely rotate 360 degrees along its own axis. The motor is connected with the inspection head. The motor is configured to provide a 360-degree rotation to the inspection head to inspect and measure the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. As the inspection head rotates, the image acquisition unit provides real time video feed to the main controller and captures plurality of 2D images. The laser scanning unit scans the internal radial surface based on the detected defect coordinates captured by an image acquisition unit to generate the 2D and the 3D topology of the internal surface of the hollow cylindrical object.
[0057] The crawling unit comprises a plurality of drive wheels, a plurality of idler wheels, a radial expansion unit, an additional rotary encoder, a gear, a drive motor, a plurality of connectors for power signal, and for data signal. The plurality of drive wheels is configured to maintain continuous contact with an inner surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object.
[0058] In one embodiment, the crawling unit comprises a plurality of radially expandable arms. The expandable arms provide flexibility and adoptability to suite to a range of straight hollow cylindrical objects of different diameters or calibers. The plurality of expandable arms includes the plurality of drive wheels and a gear. The plurality of drive wheels is connected to an encoder. The plurality of expandable arms expands radially to maintain concentricity and anchoring on an inner surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. The drive wheel unit includes, a fix end, a motor mounting bracket, a drive motor, a main drive gear, a rocker arm with gear train housing, a drive wheel, a pivot bracket, a movable end, a ball screw, a drive shaft, and a motor adapter. The plurality of wheels, maintain a continuous contact with an inner surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. Each of the wheels is configured to provide a linear displacement. The controller is connected to the radially expandable inspection device. The controller controls the movement of the crawling unit and the inspection head for inspecting a straight hollow cylindrical object.
[0059] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for inspection and measurement of straight hollow cylindrical objects, preferably a gun barrel, for generating the inspection and measurement data to monitor the condition of the gun barrel that can be further used for estimation of effective service life of the gun barrels.
[0060] During operation, initially, a calibration unit is attached to a straight hollow cylindrical object preferably the gun barrel by means of plurality of bolts and locking nuts attached radially or by some other means known in the art. The calibration unit is essentially a straight hollow cylindrically shaped object of specific known dimensions. The calibration unit is concentric with the straight hollow cylindrical object.
[0061] In the first stage, the inspection device is connected to a main control unit with a main cable and then inserted inside the calibration unit. The main controller is then powered ON. Once the main controller is powered ON, and the calibration process is initiated by the user through a graphical user interface, a predefined set of software instructions actuates the inspection device and drives it along the length of calibration unit while rotating the inspection head on its own axis.
[0062] During the calibration process, all sensors connected to the inspection device as described in the previous section are calibrated with respect to calibration unit in terms of inspection head position and angle of rotation, linear position along the axis of calibration unit, camera calibration and laser distance sensor calibration, proximity sensor zeroing etc. At the end of calibration process, the inspection device resets itself automatically to a home position with respect to the calibration unit and gets ready for actual inspection and measurement cycle.
[0063] In a second stage, the plurality of wheels of the crawling unit provides a linear displacement while the inspection head rotates along its own axis inside of the straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected. During this stage, the inspection head captures a plurality of images and videos using the image acquisition unit. The videos and images captured can be viewed on the display screen for real-time visualization of internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object on GUI and store the data in the main controller computer memory for further analysis. The image data is fed to a defect detection AI model. The defect detection model is based on an artificial intelligence and image processing - deep learning based algorithm to perform analysis of images. The defect detection model is trained to detect various types of surface defects like scratches, pits, dents, deformation, erosion, protrusions, and cracks. The defect detection model analyzes the captured images and performs tasks like detection, identification, 2D measurement and localization of surface defects mentioned above in synchronization with sensor fusion data. The defect detection algorithm also performs tagging and labeling of defects for each section of the straight hollow cylindrical object scanned along its length.
[0064] For each section scanned, the tagged and labeled defect coordinates are used to position the inspection head for laser scanning. The laser scanning unit scans each tagged and labeled section and captures 3D point cloud data with high precision and accuracy. Thus, the obtained 3D point cloud data is fed to an integrated 3D graphic software to generate the 3D topology of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. The graphic software superimposes 2D images and 3D point cloud data and plot the surface map to provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of geometric parameters and surface defects.
[0065] The software implements a unique method for 3D point cloud compression, prioritizing compression without losses and spatial precision to significantly expand data storage capacity. Additionally, it emphasizes seamless integration with standard point cloud file formats, streamlining the import process and promoting compatibility across diverse systems and software applications.
[0066] The software generates analytical reports in terms of plots in 2D and 3D environments and tabulated data for better visualization and interpretation. The report provides section wise measurement data of geometric parameters of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. The parameters may include and are not limited to changes in internal diameter at various sections, expansion, ovality, erosion, straightness, elongation, volumetric losses, volumetric changes, defect types, counts, sizes, and locations etc. The data thus generated can be used to monitor condition and health of straight hollow cylindrical object especially important in case of gun barrels. The invention creates and stores of inspection and measurement database in local memory or optionally can be stored in the central server for traceability and further analysis.
[0067] Although it is not fully covered in the scope of present invention, the periodically collected data can be used to perform prediction and estimation of the remaining useful life of gun barrel before its fatigue failure based on the various parameters.
[0068] It should be noted that the above advantages and other advantages will be better evident in the subsequent description. Further, in the subsequent section, the present subject is better explained with reference to the figures. To maintain consistency and brevity of reading, all the figures from 1 to 10 are explained jointly. Further, the following table lists of nomenclature and numberings are used in the figure to illustrate the invention and the nomenclature is further used to describe in the invention the subsequent paragraph.
[0069] Figure 1 illustrates an inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects (100) where inspection device (200) connected to a main controller (400) via a cable (300). The system comprises an inspection device (200) inserted into the gun barrel (150) for inspecting a hollow cylinder, in accordance with an embodiment of the present claimed subject matter.
[0070] In an embodiment, Figure 2 illustrates an internal view of the inspection device. In an embodiment, the inspection device is a robotic inspection device. This embodiment is related to an inspection device for inspection and measurement of straight hollow cylindrical object of specific caliber or diameter. The robotic inspection device, hence further referred to as an inspection device (200), comprises an inspection head (202), and a crawling unit (204). The inspection head (202) is rotatably connected to the crawling unit (204). The inspection head (202) can freely rotate 360 degrees in both clockwise or anticlockwise on its own axis to inspect and scan internal radial surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object preferably a gun barrel. The construction of the inspection head (202) and the crawling unit (204) can be better explained by referring Figure 3, 4 and 5.
[0071] Figure 3A illustrates an assembly view of Inspection head (202), which comprises of freely rotating head (202a) (‘rotating head (202a’ hereinafter) and its rotary drive mechanism (202b). The rotating head (202a) comprises of an image acquisition unit (302), a laser scanning unit 304 and an electronics unit (306).
[0072] The image acquisition unit (302), the laser scanning unit 304 and the electronics unit (306) are mounted on a metallic base and are housed in a cylindrical shape metallic enclosure (Not shown) with a small window on it for laser beam. In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the electronics unit (306) includes a fusion of a plurality of sensors coupled to a processing unit.
[0073] The image acquisition unit (302) is essentially a camera or plurality of cameras with an integrated illumination or LED lights. The image acquisition unit is operatively connected to electronics unit (306). The image acquisition unit captures real-time images or videos of an internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. The images captured by the image acquisition unit helps in generating a 2D surface map of internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object.
[0074] The laser scanning unit (304), employs a laser distance sensor to scan and measure the internal surface. When the inspection device (200) moves longitudinally with the help of the crawling unit (204) and the inspection head (202) rotates with the help of rotary drive mechanism (202b), in synchronized manner creates a spiral progression of scan. With this synchronized spiral movement, the scanning unit provides a point cloud data to generate a 3D topography of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object.
[0075] The image acquisition unit (302) and the laser scanning unit (304), are configured to provide mapping and measurement of internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object in terms of geometric parameters and measurements of surface defects in two and three dimensions respectively.
[0076] The rotary drive mechanism (202b) is connected to the rotating head (202a) at one end. It houses a slip ring (308) and gear assembly mounted with a set of bearings (not shown) and is driven by a motor with a rotary encoder (310). The slip ring, 308 is configured to carry the power and data signal connecting wires to provide power and data connectivity to the electronics unit (306) and enables free rotation of rotating head (202a) without twisting of the wires.
[0077] The electronics unit (306) comprises of a controller interfaced with various digital and analog inputs and outputs for power and data signals. The electronics unit (306) collect and fuse high frequency data from various sensors. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electronics unit (306) employs a high-speed micro-controller based electronic circuitry that performs high speed data acquisition and synchronization to integrate and fuse data collected by a plurality of sensors connected thereto. The micro-controller may be a high-speed processor like FPGA or like known in the art. The digital and analog inputs and outputs comprise of various sensor types including but not limited to an inertial measurement sensor or IMU, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyro-sensor, a rotary and a linear encoder and other sensors known in the art.
[0078] Figure 3B illustrates an exploded view for better visualization of construction of the inspection head assembly (202).
[0079] Figure 4 illustrates an exploded view of crawling unit (204) configured for inspecting defects in the straight hollow cylindrical object. The exploded view of the crawling unit includes a plurality of driving wheels (402), a plurality of idler wheels (410), a motor with a rotary encoder (408), a gear (404), a linear encoder (412), a plurality of connectors. The plurality of connectors includes a first connector (414) supplying power and a signal (414) and a second connecter for data connectivity (416). The plurality of driving wheels (402) is configured radially on the crawling unit (204) and maintain a continuous contact with an inner surface of the hollow cylinder. The driving wheels (402) are spring loaded and help in maintaining the concentricity with the longitudinal axis of straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected. The driving wheels rotate parallel to the longitudinal axis of straight hollow cylindrical object to provide a smooth and stable linear movement of the inspection device (200) inside the hollow cylindrical object. The rotation of driving wheels (402) is achieved by a gear mechanism (404) and is driven by a motor with rotary encoder (408). The plurality of idler wheels (410) is configured radially on the crawling unit (204) and maintains a continuous contact with an inner surface of the hollow cylinder, provides balance and stability to the inspection device (200). A linear encoder (412) is connected to one of the idler wheels that accurately measure the linear displacement of the inspection device (200) inside the straight hollow cylindrical object. One end of the crawling unit (204) is connected to the inspection head (202) and the other end is free. The power and signal connector (414) and the data connector (416) are disposed at the free end of the crawling unit (204). The power and signal connector (414) and data connector (416) are electrically connected with electronics unit (306) to provide power and data connectivity through an internal cable harness (Not shown) passed through a central channel provided throughout the inspection device.
[0080] Like the first embodiment as explained above, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the robotic inspection device with a radially expandable mechanism is disclosed. The embodiment can be better explained by referring Figures from figure 5 to figure 8 in conjunction with description in following sections.
[0081] Figure 5 illustrates an internal view of the robotic inspection device (500) with a radially expandable mechanism. The robotic inspection device (500), hence further again referred as an inspection device (500), comprises an inspection head (502), and a crawling unit with an expansion mechanism (504). The inspection head (502) is rotatably connected to the crawling unit with expansion mechanism (504). The inspection head (502), can freely rotate 360 degrees in both clockwise or anticlockwise on its own axis to inspect and scan internal radial surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object preferably the gun barrel of different diameters ranging from 105mm to 155mm. The construction of the inspection head (502) and the crawling unit with expansion mechanism (504) can be better explained by referring Figure 6, 7 and 8.
[0082] Figure 6 illustrates an assembly view of inspection head (502), which comprises of freely rotating inspection head (502a) and its rotary drive mechanism (502b). The rotating inspection head (502a) comprises of an image acquisition unit (600), a laser scanning unit (602) and an electronics unit (604). The construction and working of the inspection head (502) are exactly the same as explained in the previous embodiment for the inspection head (202). One skilled in the art can easily find similarities in the construction and working of the inspection head in both the embodiments. It is recommended to read paragraph 68 to 75 for detailed construction of the inspection head (202) explained for first embodiment.
[0083] Now the construction and working of the crawling unit with expansion mechanism (504) can be better explained by referring Figure 7 and 8.
[0084] Figure 7 illustrates the construction and assembly of a crawling unit with expansion mechanism (504). The crawling unit with expansion mechanism (504) comprises a radially expandable drive unit (700), a junction unit (702) connecting the radially expandable drive unit (700) with a radially expandable idler unit (704), a central ball screw (706) to actuate radial expansion and a motor (708) to rotate the ball screw (706).
[0085] When the motor (708) rotates the ball screw (706), the ball screw (706) simultaneously actuates the expansion mechanism for both the drive unit 700 and idler unit (704) via a scissor mechanism.
[0086] Figure 7 illustrates the fully closed and fully expanded configurations of the radially expandable drive unit assembly (504a) and (504b) respectively.
[0087] The radially expandable mechanism can be better explained by referring Figure 8.
[0088] Figure 8 illustrates the detailed view of a radially expandable drive unit assembly (700). The radially expandable drive unit assembly (700) includes a fix end (802), a motor mounting bracket (804), a drive motor (806), a main drive gear (808), a rocker arm 810, a plurality of drive wheels (812), a plurality of pivot brackets (814), a movable end 816, a central ball screw (706), a drive shaft 820 and a motor adapter (822). Each of the plurality of drive wheels (812) maintain a continuous contact with the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder. Each of the wheels is configured to provide a linear motion. The expandable arms are configured to extend at an internal surface of the hollow cylinder to provide perfect anchoring, stability, and concentricity with the straight hollow cylindrical object of different diameters. Each of the extendable arms is configured to match diameters of the hollow cylinder. The motor adapter (822) is mounted on the driver shaft (820). The rocker arms are coupled to the drive wheels (812) and to the movable end (816). The pivot bracket 814 are coupled to the drive wheel (812). The main drive gear (808) is coupled to the rocker arm (810) with gear train housing. The fix end (802), and the motor mounting bracket (804) are coupled to the drive motor (806). One in known in are can easily identify the similarity of the radially expandable mechanism for idler unit (704) with the radially expandable mechanism for drive unit (700).
[0089] The distinct advantages of this expansion mechanism include flexibility and suitability of the same device for inspection and measurement of straight hollow cylindrical objects of different calibers or diameters. With a little modification in the mechanism or using any other suitable mechanism one having ordinary skills in the art can increase the range of expansion to suite to even higher calibers of guns or different sizes of straight hollow cylindrical objects and for other non-military applications such as inspection and measurement of pipes in oil and gas or chemical industries. Many such applications can be thought of for inspection and measurements of straight hollow cylindrical objects.
[0090] Figure 9 indicates the inspection and measurement process flow. The process starts with connecting the inspection device (200) to the controller (400) by means of the connecting medium (300). The inspection device (200) is calibrated using standardized calibration unit (170) attached to the object before actual measurements. Thereafter performing automated the data acquisition, inspection and measurement of internal surface of straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected by the inspection device (200). Then the data synchronization, data analysis, defect detection and localization, defect measurements, data visualization, and data interpretation are performed by the controller. The data acquisition involves image capturing by the plurality of sensors and are analyzed by the electronic unit inside the inspection device (200).
[0091] Figure 10 indicates an inspection and measurement data architecture right from data acquisition using inspection device (200), fed to the main controller 400 through a connecting medium (300). where the main controller performs the tasks like data storage, data cleansing, data analysis, defect detection, classification and identification through feature recognition, defect localization and measurement, data visualization and interpretation and report generation. The raw and processed data can be then fed to the cloud server for data warehousing which further opens immense flexibility to use the data to perform detailed analysis like, time series forecasting, trend analysis, health assessment and estimation of remaining useful life inspected objects particularly large caliber gun barrels. For example, in an army unit it is possible to have different field artillery guns and tank guns of different calibers ranging from 105mm caliber guns to 155mm large caliber howitzers. With the expansion mechanism features a same inspection device can be used to inspect and measure geometric parameters of gun barrels of different caliber weapons within the range from 105mm to 155mm.
[0092] Figure 11 shows a sample 2D image captured by the image acquisition unit 302, wherein Figure 11A shows a sample raw image and Figure 11B shows a sample processed image where the detected and identified defects are can be seen with bounding box and are tagged and labeled with position coordinates.
[0093] Figure 12 shows a section of the rifled barrel with a surface topology mapped with raw 3D point cloud data 12A generated by the laser scanning unit (304) and the processed data with defect measurement highlighting the defects based on the depth of each defect shown as a heat map in the figure 12B.
[0094] Like Figure 12, Figure 13 shows the raw and processed laser scanned data and surface topology, defect detection and measurement in unwrapped format for better visualization.
[0095] Figure 14 shows a software depiction of a graphical user interface (GUI) with a dashboard showing different views, plots, and tables to provide better visualization and interpretation of inspection and measurement data.
[0096] Exemplary embodiments discussed above may provide certain advantages. Though not required to practice aspects of the disclosure, these advantages may include those provided by the following features.
[0097] Some embodiments enable the inspection and measurement of the straight hollow cylindrical objects of specific diameter or caliber and some embodiments enables the inspection and measurement of the straight hollow cylindrical objects of different diameters or calibers with the same device. The system can be used to inspect gun-barrels of the large caliber guns. This helps to perform health assessment, operational effectiveness, operational safety, and estimation remaining useful life of large caliber gun barrels.
[0098] Some embodiments enable the system for inspecting a straight hollow cylindrical object will help to detect the defects in the gun barrels. The gun barrel is exposed to high pressure, temperature, shocks, and friction, in addition to a corrosive mixture of gases and residue generated after the combustion of propellants. The device will help to detect internal defects.
[0099] Some embodiments enable a system for inspecting straight hollow cylindrical object by analyzing a 2D image and 3D laser scan data and measures a geometric parameter of the internal surface of the gun barrel.
[00100] In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the controller is configured to receive 2D image and 3D laser scan data captured by the image acquisition unit (302), and a laser scanning unit (304) and to measure a geometric parameter of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object. Thereafter provides the visualization and interpretation of the final inspection and measurement data or provide the inspection and measurement data in a human readable format.
[00101] Although implementations of the said system for inspecting and measurement of straight hollow cylindrical object have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as examples of implementations for the inspection of the hollow cylinder.
Component Number Description
100 an inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects
150 hollow cylindrical object/Gun Barrel
170 Calibration unit
200 Inspection Device
204 Crawling Unit
202 Inspection Head
202a Rotating head
202b Rotary drive mechanism
300 Cable
302 Image Acquisition Unit
304 Laser Scanning Unit
306 Electronics Unit
308 Slip ring
310 Motor with rotary encoder
306 Sensor Fusion Electronic Unit
400 Controller
402 Self -adjusting drive wheels
404 Gear assembly
406 Main drive motor for forward and backward axial motion
408 Linear Encoder
410 Free Idler wheel assembly
412 First connector
414 Second connector
500 Self- Adjusting universal inspection and measurement device for gun barrels of different caliber sizes
502 Rotating inspection and measurement unit
504 Crawling Unit
502 Rotating inspection and measurement Unit Assembly
502a Rotating head
502b Rotary Drive Unit
600 Integrated Camera and lights
600a Forward looking camera with integrated lights
600b Side looking camera with integrated lights
602 Laser distance sensor
604 Electronics module
606 Bearing Hub
608 Slip ring
610 Motor adapter
612 Motor with Encoder
700 Radially expandable Main Drive wheel unit
702 Junction Unit
704 idler wheel unit
708 Motor for radial expansion unit
802 Fix end
804 Motor mounting bracket
806 Drive motor
808 Main drive gear
810 Rocker arm with gear train housing
812 Drive wheel
814 Pivot bracket
816 Movable end
820 Drive shaft
822 Motor adapter
3000 User Interface
3002 3D visualization of laser scanned section of gun barrel surface
3004 Surface topology and visualization of laser scanned unwrapped section of gun barrel surface
3006 Longitudinal and lateral coordinates of scanned gun barrel section
3008 Cross sectional view of Geometric parameter and measurements of barrel surface

[00102] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the scope of the present invention.

We claim:
1. An inspection and measurement system (100) for straight hollow cylindrical objects comprising:
an inspection device (200,500) operatively connected to a controller (400), the inspection device (200,500) includes, a crawling unit (204), and an inspection head (202) rotatably connected to a crawling unit (204), wherein the inspection device (200) is securely placed to be in close proximity with the surface of a straight hollow cylindrical object and is configured to inspect and scan the internal radial surface thereof.
wherein the controller is configured to control the movements of the inspection device (200) and perform tasks of receiving, analyzing, and processing the data collected by the inspection device (200), perform computations to detect, identify, classify and localize surface defects by means of artificial intelligence and image processing and deep leaning modules, measure and quantify the geometric parameters of internal surface of straight hollow cylindrical object and provide a means of visualization and interpretation of inspection and measurement data.
2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection head (202) includes a rotating mechanism, an image acquisition unit (302), and a laser scanning unit (304) operatively coupled to an electronics unit (306) performing high speed data acquisition and synchronization to integrate and fuse data collected by a plurality of sensors therein.
3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection head (202) is configured to map and measure the surface defects of an internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object in terms of geometric parameters and measurements of surface defects in two and three dimensions respectively.
4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection device (200) is connected to the controller (400) in a wired manner by means of a connecting medium (300).
5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection device (200) is connected to the controller (400) in a wireless manner.
6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection head (202) is configured to rotate 360 degrees in both clockwise or anticlockwise directions on its own axis.
7. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection head (202) includes a rotary drive mechanism (202b) that drives a rotating head (202a).
8. The system (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rotary drive mechanism (202b) houses a slip ring (308) and gear assembly mounted with a set of bearings and is driven by a motor with a rotary encoder (310).
9. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the image acquisition unit (302) includes at least one camera with an integrated illumination or LED lights.
10. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the image acquisition unit (302) is configured to capture real-time images or videos of an internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object for generating a 2D surface map thereof.
11. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the laser scanning unit (304) includes a laser distance sensor.
12. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronics unit (306) includes a high-speed micro-controller based electronic circuitry operatively coupled to an inertial measurement sensor (IMU), a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyro-sensor, a rotary and linear encoder but not limited thereto.
13. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crawling unit (204) includes,
a plurality of driving wheels (402) and a plurality of idler wheels (410) configured radially to maintain a continuous contact with an inner surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected;
a motor with a rotary encoder (408) that drives the plurality of driving wheels (402);
a linear encoder (412) connected to one of the idler wheels, the linear encoder (412) measures linear displacement of the inspection device (200); and
a plurality of connectors electrically coupled to the electronics unit (306).
14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the driving wheels (402) are spring loaded wheels that maintains concentricity with the longitudinal axis of straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected.
15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of connectors includes a first connector (414) for power and signal (414) and a second connecter for data connectivity (416).
16. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of driving wheels (402) are configured to provide smooth and stable linear movement of the inspection device (200,500) when passing through the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected.
17. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of idler wheels (410) are configured to provide balance and stability to the inspection device (200) when passing through the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected.
18. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the motor with a rotary encoder (408) drives the plurality of driving wheels (402) by means of a gear 404.
19. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crawling unit is coupled to an expansion mechanism (504) having
a radially expandable drive unit (700);
a radially expandable idler unit (704);
a junction unit (702) connecting the drive unit (700) with the idler unit 704; and
a motor 708 rotatably coupled to a ball screw (706) that actuates radial expansion of the drive unit (700).
20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the ball screw (706) actuates radial expansion of the drive unit (700) and the idler unit (704) by means of a scissor mechanism.
21. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the radially expandable drive unit (700) includes,
a drive motor (806) coupled to a fix end (802) and a motor mounting bracket (804);
a main drive gear (808) coupled to the rocker arm (810);
a plurality of drive wheels (812), each of the plurality of drive wheels (812) maintains a continuous contact with the inner diameter of the straight hollow cylindrical objects, and provide a linear motion;
a rocker arm (810) coupled to the drive wheels (812) and to a movable end (816);
a plurality of pivot brackets (814), each of the plurality of pivot brackets (814) coupled to one drive wheel (812);
a central ball screw 706 fitted on a driver shaft (820); and
a motor adapter (822) mounted on the driver shaft (820).
22. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller includes a central processing module, a graphical processing module, graphical user interface module, a memory storage module and an application module having a 2D and 3D graphics module, an image processing and deep leaning module, an AI module and a data analytics and visualization module.
23. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection device (200,500) is a cylindrically shaped vehicle body.
24. A method for inspection and measurement of a straight hollow cylindrical object (250) comprising an inspection device (200,500) operatively connected to a controller (400) the method comprising steps of:
coupling the inspection device (200) to the controller (400);
calibrating the inspection device (200) by means of a standardized calibration unit (170);
attaching the inspection device (200) to the straight hollow cylindrical object;
performing data acquisition, by the inspection device (200);
performing data synchronization by an electronics unit (306) in the inspection device (200);
performing data analysis and visualization in 2D and 3D environment, by the controller; and
performing data interpretation by the controller.
25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to receive realtime 2D image and 3D laser scan data captured by the inspection device (200,500) to generate 2D and 3D maps of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object.
Dated this on 22nd day of April 2024

Ragitha. K
(Agent for Applicant) IN-PA/2832
AN INSPECTION AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR STRAIGHT HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS
Abstract
Disclosed is an inspection and measurement system for straight hollow cylindrical objects (100) such as internal gun barrel surface of large caliber gun barrels (150). The system (100) comprises an inspection device (200,500) operatively connected to the controller (400). The controller (400) is configured to receive realtime 2D image and 3D laser scan data captured by the inspection device (200,500) to generate 2D and 3D maps of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object and provide a means of visualization and interpretation of inspection and measurement data.

Ref. Figure 1

, Claims:We claim:
1. An inspection and measurement system (100) for straight hollow cylindrical objects comprising:
an inspection device (200,500) operatively connected to a controller (400), the inspection device (200,500) includes, a crawling unit (204), and an inspection head (202) rotatably connected to a crawling unit (204), wherein the inspection device (200) is securely placed to be in close proximity with the surface of a straight hollow cylindrical object and is configured to inspect and scan the internal radial surface thereof.
wherein the controller is configured to control the movements of the inspection device (200) and perform tasks of receiving, analyzing, and processing the data collected by the inspection device (200), perform computations to detect, identify, classify and localize surface defects by means of artificial intelligence and image processing and deep leaning modules, measure and quantify the geometric parameters of internal surface of straight hollow cylindrical object and provide a means of visualization and interpretation of inspection and measurement data.
2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection head (202) includes a rotating mechanism, an image acquisition unit (302), and a laser scanning unit (304) operatively coupled to an electronics unit (306) performing high speed data acquisition and synchronization to integrate and fuse data collected by a plurality of sensors therein.
3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection head (202) is configured to map and measure the surface defects of an internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object in terms of geometric parameters and measurements of surface defects in two and three dimensions respectively.
4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection device (200) is connected to the controller (400) in a wired manner by means of a connecting medium (300).
5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection device (200) is connected to the controller (400) in a wireless manner.
6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection head (202) is configured to rotate 360 degrees in both clockwise or anticlockwise directions on its own axis.
7. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection head (202) includes a rotary drive mechanism (202b) that drives a rotating head (202a).
8. The system (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rotary drive mechanism (202b) houses a slip ring (308) and gear assembly mounted with a set of bearings and is driven by a motor with a rotary encoder (310).
9. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the image acquisition unit (302) includes at least one camera with an integrated illumination or LED lights.
10. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the image acquisition unit (302) is configured to capture real-time images or videos of an internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object for generating a 2D surface map thereof.
11. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the laser scanning unit (304) includes a laser distance sensor.
12. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronics unit (306) includes a high-speed micro-controller based electronic circuitry operatively coupled to an inertial measurement sensor (IMU), a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyro-sensor, a rotary and linear encoder but not limited thereto.
13. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crawling unit (204) includes,
a plurality of driving wheels (402) and a plurality of idler wheels (410) configured radially to maintain a continuous contact with an inner surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected;
a motor with a rotary encoder (408) that drives the plurality of driving wheels (402);
a linear encoder (412) connected to one of the idler wheels, the linear encoder (412) measures linear displacement of the inspection device (200); and
a plurality of connectors electrically coupled to the electronics unit (306).
14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the driving wheels (402) are spring loaded wheels that maintains concentricity with the longitudinal axis of straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected.
15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of connectors includes a first connector (414) for power and signal (414) and a second connecter for data connectivity (416).
16. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of driving wheels (402) are configured to provide smooth and stable linear movement of the inspection device (200,500) when passing through the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected.
17. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of idler wheels (410) are configured to provide balance and stability to the inspection device (200) when passing through the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object to be inspected.
18. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the motor with a rotary encoder (408) drives the plurality of driving wheels (402) by means of a gear 404.
19. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crawling unit is coupled to an expansion mechanism (504) having
a radially expandable drive unit (700);
a radially expandable idler unit (704);
a junction unit (702) connecting the drive unit (700) with the idler unit 704; and
a motor 708 rotatably coupled to a ball screw (706) that actuates radial expansion of the drive unit (700).
20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the ball screw (706) actuates radial expansion of the drive unit (700) and the idler unit (704) by means of a scissor mechanism.
21. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the radially expandable drive unit (700) includes,
a drive motor (806) coupled to a fix end (802) and a motor mounting bracket (804);
a main drive gear (808) coupled to the rocker arm (810);
a plurality of drive wheels (812), each of the plurality of drive wheels (812) maintains a continuous contact with the inner diameter of the straight hollow cylindrical objects, and provide a linear motion;
a rocker arm (810) coupled to the drive wheels (812) and to a movable end (816);
a plurality of pivot brackets (814), each of the plurality of pivot brackets (814) coupled to one drive wheel (812);
a central ball screw 706 fitted on a driver shaft (820); and
a motor adapter (822) mounted on the driver shaft (820).
22. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller includes a central processing module, a graphical processing module, graphical user interface module, a memory storage module and an application module having a 2D and 3D graphics module, an image processing and deep leaning module, an AI module and a data analytics and visualization module.
23. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection device (200,500) is a cylindrically shaped vehicle body.
24. A method for inspection and measurement of a straight hollow cylindrical object (250) comprising an inspection device (200,500) operatively connected to a controller (400) the method comprising steps of:
coupling the inspection device (200) to the controller (400);
calibrating the inspection device (200) by means of a standardized calibration unit (170);
attaching the inspection device (200) to the straight hollow cylindrical object;
performing data acquisition, by the inspection device (200);
performing data synchronization by an electronics unit (306) in the inspection device (200);
performing data analysis and visualization in 2D and 3D environment, by the controller; and
performing data interpretation by the controller.
25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to receive realtime 2D image and 3D laser scan data captured by the inspection device (200,500) to generate 2D and 3D maps of the internal surface of the straight hollow cylindrical object.
Dated this on 22nd day of April 2024

Ragitha. K
(Agent for Applicant) IN-PA/2832