US 12,235,185 B2
Probe guiding
David I Palmer, Nottingham (GB)
Assigned to ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB)
Filed by ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB)
Filed on Mar. 13, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/817,701.
Claims priority of application No. 1903781 (GB), filed on Mar. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0370997 A1, Nov. 26, 2020
Int. Cl. G01M 15/14 (2006.01); G01M 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 15/02 (2013.01) [G01M 15/14 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for guiding a probe inside a constrained space (16), wherein the probe is a hyper-redundant manipulator (30) comprising a plurality of independently-orientable connected segments (33) extendable between a proximal end and a distal end inside the constrained space, the method including the steps of:
determining: an initial point (pi) where the probe intersects a predetermined curve (C) which defines a circle or part circle within said constrained space; and an initial bend for the probe between an entry point (40) on a surface of the constrained space and the initial point;
and, repeatedly:
determining a new orientation of said segments which results in an advancement of the distal end to a new position which is on said curve, the new orientation being determined so as to minimise a deviation between each of: a) a point on the probe where the probe starts to follow said curve and the initial point, and b) a point (p2) on the probe closer to the distal end than the point where the probe starts to follow said curve; and
adjusting an orientation of said segments to said new orientation and advancing the probe so that the distal end is located at the new position.