US 11,833,667 B2
Ground based robot with an OGI camera module and cooling system
Dylan Duke, Dripping Springs, TX (US); and Jason Acerbi, Dripping Springs, TX (US)
Assigned to MFE Enterprises, Inc., Dripping Springs, TX (US)
Filed by MFE Enterprises, Inc., Dripping Springs, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/400,020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/219,279, filed on Jul. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0011503 A1, Jan. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. B25J 13/08 (2006.01); B25J 19/02 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G06F 16/95 (2019.01); G06N 3/08 (2023.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G06F 16/532 (2019.01)
CPC B25J 13/087 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1664 (2013.01); B25J 9/1674 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B25J 19/023 (2013.01); G05D 1/0094 (2013.01); G06F 16/532 (2019.01); G06F 16/95 (2019.01); G06N 3/08 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robot system for patrolling a facility and detecting gas leaks, the robot system comprising:
a sensor system attached to a robot, the sensor system comprising:
a cooling system;
an optical gas imaging (OGI) camera comprising a sensor and a refrigeration system configured to cool the sensor;
a red green blue (RGB) camera; and
the robot comprising one or more processors and computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the robot to perform operations comprising:
receiving inspection path information indicating a path for the robot to travel, and a plurality of locations along the path to inspect with the sensor system;
determining, based on information received via a location sensor, that a distance between a location of the robot and a first location of the plurality of locations is greater than a threshold distance;
in response to determining that the distance is greater than the threshold distance, sending a first command to the sensor system, wherein the first command causes the refrigeration system of the OGI camera to decrease cooling;
moving along the path;
in response to determining that the robot is within a threshold distance of a first location of the plurality of locations, sending a second command to the sensor system, wherein the second command causes the refrigeration system of the OGI camera to increase cooling and remove thermal energy from the sensor;
causing the sensor system to record a first video with the OGI camera and a second video with the RGB camera; and
causing the sensor system to store the first video and the second video in memory.