Underwater mobile inspection apparatus and underwater inspection equipment

• Main Authors: Enomoto, Masayuki, Kubota, Tetsuya, Mukaida, Minehiko, Kimura, Akira, Kagaya, Hiroaki, Sumino, Kazuya, Hamamatsu, Masanori, Saiki, Akiyoshi, Okaya, Noriyuki
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.10.2019
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT CARRIERS; CONTROLLING; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING; LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; REGULATING; RELATED EQUIPMENT; SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; SUBMARINES; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRANSPORTING

An underwater mobile inspection apparatus capable of inspecting an inspection object on a seafloor while cruising includes a cruising body configured to submerge under-water and cruise along the inspection object so as to not come into contact with the inspection object, a first movable arm provided on the cruising-body, and an inspection tool unit provided on the first movable arm and including at least one of an image-capturing camera for use in visually inspecting the inspection object and a device configured to inspect a wall thickness of the inspection object by using an ultrasonic wave. A controller is configured to, when the cruising-body cruises along the inspection object so as to not come into contact with the inspection object, operate the first movable arm to move the inspection tool unit, such that a positional relationship of the inspection tool unit with the inspection object becomes a predetermined target positional relationship.