Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-sonic inspection of surface

{
  "publication_number": "US2022341886A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-sonic inspection of surface",
  "abstract": "Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-sonic inspection of a surface are described. An example system may include an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The inspection robot may include a payload including a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array being arranged in a parallel configuration. The inspection robot may include a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system, comprising: an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface, the inspection robot comprising: a payload comprising a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array being arranged in a parallel configuration, and a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the direction of travel. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the direction of inspection is orthogonal to the parallel configuration of the first and second UT phased arrays, and wherein the parallel configuration is parallel to the inspection surface. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the rastering device is structured to maintain a fixed orthogonal orientation of the first and second UT phased arrays relative to the direction of inspection during an inspection mode. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the inspection mode comprises moving the payload in the direction of inspection, then moving the inspection robot in the direction of travel, and then moving the payload in the direction of inspection. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UT phased array is orthogonally oriented relative to the inspection surface, wherein the second UT phased array is obliquely oriented relative to the inspection surface. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second UT phased array is oriented at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, inclusive, relative to inspection surface. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first UT phased array comprises a first plurality of elements arranged linearly and the second UT phased array comprises a second plurality of elements arranged linearly, and wherein the first plurality of elements and the second plurality of elements are arranged in the parallel configuration. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of elements and the second plurality of elements comprise an equal number of elements arranged linearly. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of elements and the second plurality of elements each comprise 64 elements. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the inspection robot is configured to repeatedly perform an operation set in order until the payload reaches an end of a traversing region of the inspection surface, the operation set consisting of: cease movement in the direction of travel, emit a first beam with the first UT phased array at a first angle, emit a second beam with the first UT phased array at a second angle, emit a third beam with the second UT phased array, and move the payload one increment in the direction of inspection. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first angle is 0 degrees relative to the first UT phased array and the second angle is between 15 and 45 degrees relative to the first UT phased array. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the emitting the first beam and the emitting the second beam occurs while the first UT phased array maintains an orientation relative to the inspection surface. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the emitting the second beam comprises steering the second beam. 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first payload does not include a UT phased array oriented orthogonally or obliquely relative to the parallel configuration of the first UT phase array and the second UT phased array. 16. A method, comprising: moving an inspection robot in a first inspection direction to a first inspection position of an inspection surface; performing an inspection of the first inspection position of the inspection surface, the performing the inspection comprising: moving a payload of the inspection robot in a second direction distinct from the first inspection direction, wherein the payload comprises a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array; and interrogating the first inspection position with the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array during the moving the payload; moving the inspection robot in the first inspection direction to a second inspection position of the inspection surface; and performing an inspection of the second inspection position of the inspection surface. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first inspection direction is orthogonal to the second direction. 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: wherein moving the payload of the inspection robot in the second direction comprises moving the payload from a first payload side to a second payload side, and wherein performing the inspection of the second inspection position comprises moving the payload from the second payload side to the first payload side. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein interrogating the first inspection position with the first UT phased array further comprises interrogating the first inspection position in two directions with the first UT phased array. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the two directions comprise a first orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to the inspection surface, and a second steered direction, wherein the second steered direction is rotated in a plane comprising a first axis orthogonal to the second direction and a second axis orthogonal to the inspection surface at a position of the first UT phased array. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the interrogating the first inspection position in two directions comprises utilizing a first energizing data sequence to perform the interrogating in the first orthogonal direction, and utilizing a second energizing data sequence to perform the interrogating in the second direction. 22. The method of claim 19, wherein the interrogating the first inspection position in two directions comprises utilizing a single energizing data sequence to perform the interrogating in both directions. 23.- 143. (canceled)"
  ],
  "cpc": [
    "G01N 29/265",
    "G01N 2291/0289",
    "G01N 2291/106",
    "G01N 2291/267",
    "G01N 29/04",
    "G01N 29/043",
    "G01N 29/07",
    "G01N 29/225",
    "G01N 29/262"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "GECKO ROBOTICS INC"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2022-04-21",
  "publication_date": "2022-10-27",
  "priority_date": "2021-04-22",
  "application_number": "US-202217726336-A",
  "family_id": "83694030",
  "citations": [
    "US11327052B2",
    "US2022341887A1",
    "US2022341892A1",
    "US8833169B2",
    "US9310482B2",
    "US9664652B2"
  ]
}