Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a robotic sewer cleaning system. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a robotic sewer cleaning system for cleaning a sewer environment.

Background

[0002] With rise in population and industrialization, societies around the world are generating an increasing amount of waste materials. These waste materials may include solid waste, liquid waste, soil deposits, clothes, diapers, stones, etc. Sewer environments, including sewer lines and manholes, and the like, are commonly built to handle such waste materials i.e. to receive and transport waste materials from one location to another. However, often, these waste materials are known to cause blockage within the sewer environments, such as within one or more sewer lines of the sewer environment. Generally, workers are employed for clearing such blockages within sewer environments. However, workers (i.e., human workers) may encounter difficulties while cleaning the sewer line and the manhole due to reasons such as: (a) lack of training to recognize confined space hazards, and to take appropriate protective measures, (b) unavailability of protective and emergency equipment at the worksite, (c) lack of information related to the atmospheric conditions inside the manhole before or during entry of the worker, (d) improper ventilation to control atmospheric hazards within the manhole, (e) unavailability of emergency support staff stationed outside the manhole to monitor the situation and call for emergency services, (f) low oxygen level in the sewer environment, and (g) the lack of information about the exact atmospheric conditions inside the manhole. For these reasons, robotic cleaning systems, that minimize human intervention in situ, are employed.

[0003] Robotic cleaning systems may include a variety of mechanisms, which may be applied to clean the sewer environment. However, since blockages may also include and/or be caused by relatively heavy and bulky stones, large-sized objects, and the like, conventional robotic cleaning systems find it laborious to wade through and clear the blockages. On several occasions, robotic cleaning systems are not able to effectively remove the blockages, thus wasting time, energy, and capital, in cleaning the sewer environment.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one aspect, the disclosure is directed towards a robotic sewer cleaning system. The robotic sewer cleaning system includes a sewer cleaner assembly, one or more sensors, and a control unit. The sewer cleaner assembly is configured to clean a sewer environment. The sewer cleaner assembly includes a body, a plurality of leg assemblies, and a hand assembly. The plurality of leg assemblies is coupled to the body. Each leg assembly of the plurality of leg assemblies include a plurality of interconnected linkages and one or more actuators. The one or more actuators are configured to expand and contract the plurality of interconnected linkages relative to the body for supporting and balancing the sewer cleaner assembly against a wall of the sewer environment. The hand assembly includes at least one arm movably coupled to the body, and an end effector coupled to the at least one arm. Further, the one or more sensors configured to detect one or more parameters associated with one or more objects within the sewer environment. Furthermore, the control unit is configured to control one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies, the hand assembly, or the end effector. The control unit controls the one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies, the hand assembly, or the end effector based on the one or more parameters associated with the one or more objects.

[0005] In some embodiments, the one or more sensors include an ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic sensor is configured to detect portions of an ultrasonic wave reflected from the one or more objects. The one or more parameters include a period by which the portions of the ultrasonic wave returns to the ultrasonic sensor by reflection.

[0006] In some embodiments, the one or more sensors include an inclination sensor. The one or more parameters include an inclination of one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies and the body.

[0007] In some embodiments, the one or more sensors include a force sensor. The one or more parameters include a force exerted on one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies, the hand assembly, or the end effector, upon a contact of the one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies, the hand assembly, or the end effector, with the one or more objects.

[0008] In some embodiments, each leg assembly of the plurality of leg assemblies include a four bar linkage mechanism.

[0009] Further, the sewer cleaner assembly includes a collecting unit coupled to the body. The collecting unit is configured to collect the one or more objects.

[0010] In some embodiments, the end effector include at least one of a shovel and a water jet holder.

[0011] Also, the robotic sewer cleaning system further includes a winch unit. The winch unit is configured to selectively lower, suspend, or raise, the sewer cleaner assembly relative to the manhole of the sewer environment. [0012] In some embodiments, the robotic sewer cleaning system further includes a user interface. The user interface is configured to be disposed outside the sewer environment for being fed with user input pertaining to a movement and function of the sewer cleaner assembly inside the sewer environment.

[0013] In another aspect, the disclosure is directed towards a method for cleaning a sewer environment. The method includes a step of inserting a sewer cleaning assembly into a sewer environment. The sewer cleaner assembly includes a body, a plurality of leg assemblies, and a hand assembly. The plurality of leg assemblies is coupled to the body. The hand assembly includes at least one arm movably coupled to the body, and an end effector coupled to the at least one arm. Next, the method includes a step of detecting the one or more parameters associated with the one or more objects within the sewer environment. The detection of the one or more parameters is performed by one or more sensors. The method includes a further step of controlling the one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies, the hand assembly, or the end effector. The controlling of the one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies, the hand assembly, or the end effector is performed by a control unit. The controlling of the one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies, the hand assembly, or the end effector is performed based on the one or more parameters associated with the one or more objects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] FIG. 1A and FIG. IB illustrate a robotic sewer cleaning system, and diagrammatic views of different work states of the robotic sewer cleaning system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a diagrammatic view of the robotic sewer cleaning system, indicating a state of performing a scavenge operation inside the sewer environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the robotic sewer cleaning system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a sewer cleaner assembly of the robotic sewer cleaning system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a hand assembly with an end effector configured as a shovel of the sewer cleaner assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; [0019] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the hand assembly with the end effector configured as a water jet holder of the sewer cleaner assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a hand assembly along with an arm rotating unit of the sewer cleaner assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIGS. 8 A and 8B illustrate perspective views of the rotating arm unit, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the robotic sewer cleaning system with a magnetic holder, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of the robotic sewer cleaning system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0024] FIGS. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method for cleaning the sewer environment using the robotic sewer cleaning system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

[0025] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well- known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

[0026] FIG. 1A and FIG. IB illustrate a robotic sewer cleaning system 100 for cleaning a sewer environment 102 having a manhole 102a and a plurality of sewer lines 102b attached to the manhole 102a, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The manhole 102a includes a manhole cover 104 for accessing the manhole 102a and the plurality of sewer lines 102b for cleaning purposes. The robotic sewer cleaning system 100 is configured to detect and remove one or more objects 106 from the sewer environment 102. In an embodiment, the robotic sewer cleaning system 100 is manually controlled for cleaning the sewer environment 102. In some other embodiments, the robotic sewer cleaning system 100 may operate semi- autonomously or fully autonomously to clean the sewer environment 102. The one or more objects 106 include but may not be limited to sewage sludge, stones, rocks, mud, and debris. In an embodiment, one or more cleaning support units like a jetting truck 108 supplying a water jet pipe 110 along with a water jet nozzle 112 is provided for cleaning the sewer environment 102.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the robotic sewer cleaning system 100 is further configured to perform a scavenging operation within the manhole 102a to clean the sewer environment 102. The robotic sewer cleaning system 100 employs a hand assembly as a shovel (discussed below in detailed description of FIG. 5), to scavenge the one or more objects 106 from a bottom surface of the manhole 102a.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1A, IB, 2, and 3, the robotic sewer cleaning system 100 includes a first operating unit 114 and a second operating unit 116. In an embodiment, the first operating unit 114 is an upper unit of the robotic sewer cleaning system 100, and the second operating unit 116 is a lower unit of the robotic sewer cleaning system 100. In operation, the first operating unit 114 is configured to be disposed outside of the sewer environment 102 above a surface level 118 of a cleaning site, and the second operating unit 116 is configured to be disposed inside the sewer environment 102 below the surface level 118 of the cleaning site.

[0029] The first operating unit 114 includes a supporting stand 120, a winch unit 122, and a control unit 124. The supporting stand 120 is a rigid frame configured to provide structural support to the winch unit 122 and the control unit 124. The supporting stand 120 may include a plurality of wheels 126 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 9) that enables the robotic sewer cleaning system 100 to transmit from one cleaning site to another cleaning sites. The winch unit 122 may be operatively connected to the control unit 124. The winch unit 122 is configured to selectively lower, suspend, or raise, the second operating unit 116 relative to the manhole 102a of the sewer environment 102. The control unit 124 may include a microprocessor unit 130, and a plurality of pneumatic solenoid valves 132 (discussed below in the detailed description of FIG. 10). In an embodiment, the winch unit 122 and the control unit 124 are arranged on the supporting stand 120.

[0030] The second operating unit 116 includes a sewer cleaner assembly 134 and one or more sensors 136. In an embodiment, the sewer cleaner assembly 134 is operatively connected to the control unit 124 through a pneumatic pipeline 138. The pneumatic pipeline 138 is configured to transmit pressurized fluid from a pneumatic source (not shown) to the sewer cleaner assembly 134. The control unit 124 utilizes the plurality of pneumatic solenoid valves 132 to provide a controlled amount of pressurized fluid to the sewer cleaner assembly 134 through the pneumatic pipeline 138 to control the movement of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 during operation. In an embodiment, the pressurized fluid supplied to the sewer cleaner assembly 134 is air. In another embodiment, the sewer cleaner assembly 134 is operatively connected to the control unit 124 through an electronic circuit system. Also, the sewer cleaner assembly 134 is operatively connected to the winch unit 122 through a crane cable 140. The crane cable 140 enables the winch unit 122 to selectively lower, suspend, or raise, the sewer cleaner assembly 134 relative to the manhole 102a of the sewer environment 102. In an example, the crane cable 140 enables at least one of lifting up the sewer cleaner assembly 134 from the manhole 102a or the sewer lines 102b, and lowering the sewer cleaner assembly 134 into the manhole 102a, and towards any of the sewer lines 102b.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the sewer cleaner assembly 134 includes a body 142, a plurality of leg assemblies 144, and a hand assembly 146. The body 142 includes an upper plate 142a configured to receive and enclose a plurality of pneumatic lines 148 associated with the pneumatic pipeline 138, and a central longitudinal axis 150 passing through a geometrical center of the sewer cleaner assembly 134. The plurality of leg assemblies 144 is coupled to the body 142, and is configured to facilitate walking and holding of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the manhole 102a or the sewer lines 102b. Each of the plurality of leg assemblies 144 is movably coupled to the body 142 through a leg mounting unit 152 interposed between each leg assembly 144 and the body 142. In an embodiment, four leg assemblies 144 are coupled to the body 142. In another embodiments, any suitable number of leg assemblies are coupled to the body 142. In an embodiment, the plurality of leg assemblies 144 may be positioned in a format of letter "X" relative to the body 142 to increase the stability of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 during walking.

[0032] Each leg assembly 144 includes a plurality of interconnected linkages 154 and one or more actuators 156. Each of the plurality of interconnected linkages 154 include a hip link 158, a thigh link 160, damping springs 162, a shin link 164, a knee joint 166, a locking rubber bush 168, a rubber foot 170. The shin link 164 is provided with the locking rubber bush 168, and is configured to establish a high friction contact against the wall of the manhole 102a. In operation, the locking rubber bush 168 provides stability during ascending or descending the sewer cleaner assembly 134 against the wall of the manhole 102a. The shin link 164 is connected to the rubber foot 170 at an end which enables the sewer cleaner assembly 134 to walk through angular surfaces inside the sewer environment 102. The thigh link 160 is pivotably coupled to the shin link 164 at one end through the knee joint 166, and to the hip link 158 at an opposite end. The hip link 158 is coupled to the one or more actuators 156 at an end opposite to the thigh link 160. The damping springs 162 are coupled to the hip link 158 and the one or more actuators 156, and are configured to retract the leg assemblies 144 during operation. In an embodiment, each leg assembly 144 may include a four bar linkage mechanism. The one or more actuators 156 along with the hip link 158, the thigh link 160, and the shin link 164 collectively forms the four bar linkage mechanism for each leg assembly 144.

[0033] The one or more actuators 156 are coupled to the plurality of interconnected linkages 154. In an embodiment, each actuator 156 is connected to the hip link 158. The one or more actuators 156 are configured to expand and contract the plurality of interconnected linkages 154 relative to the body 142 for supporting and balancing the sewer cleaner assembly 134 against the wall of the manhole 102a. In an example, the one or more actuators 156 may actuate the interconnected linkages 154 to shorten a diameter of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 when inserted inside the manhole 102a. In another example, the one or more actuators 156 may actuate the interconnected linkages 154 to expand the diameter of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 after the sewer cleaner assembly 134 is inserted inside the manhole 102a.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 4, each leg assembly 144 of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 is further coupled to one or more rotating actuators 172 disposed on the body 142. The one or more rotating actuators 172 are configured to provide rotational motion to each leg assembly 144 about an axis parallel to the central longitudinal axis 150. Further, the one or more actuators 156 and the one or more rotating actuators 172 are operatively coupled to the plurality of pneumatic lines 148. Each of the one or more actuators 156 and the one or more rotating actuators 172 may receive the controlled amount of pressurized fluid, through the plurality of pneumatic lines 148, to control the plurality of leg assemblies 144. In operation, the one or more actuators 156 may lift up the leg assemblies 144 and the one or more rotating actuators 172 may rotate the leg assemblies 144 simultaneously to perform walking of the sewer cleaner assembly 134.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the hand assembly 146 includes at least one arm movably coupled to the body 142 of the sewer cleaner assembly 134. The hand assembly 146 includes an upper arm 174, a lower arm 176, and an end effector 178. In an embodiment, the upper arm 174 is movably coupled to the body 142 at one end, and is movably coupled to the lower arm 176 at an opposite end. The lower arm 176 includes a slider guide 176a coupled to the upper arm 174, and a slider 176b coupled to the slider guide 176a to slide to-and-fro relative to the slider guide 176b during operation. The end effector 178 is coupled to at least one arm of the hand assembly 146. In an embodiment, the end effector 178 is coupled to the slider 176b of the lower arm 176 through a four-bar linkage mechanism 180. In an embodiment, the end effector 178 includes a shovel 178a configured to collect the one or more objects 106 present inside the manhole 102a or the sewer lines 102b.

[0036] Further, the hand assembly 146 includes a sliding actuator 182, a plurality of pins 184, an end effect actuator 186, one or more lower arm actuators 188, an infrared camera casing 190, and a stem 192. The sliding actuator 182 is coupled to the lower arm 176, and is configured to provide to-and-fro motion to the slider 176b relative to the slider guide 176b. The end effect actuator 186 is attached to the lower arm 176, and is configured to actuate the end effector 178 to collect the one or more objects 106 from the sewer environment 102. The one or more lower arm actuators 188 are coupled to the upper arm 174 at one end and to the lower arm 176 at the opposite end, and are configured to move the lower arm 176 relative to the upper arm 174. The infrared camera casing 190 is attached to the lower arm 176, and is configured to enclose one or more image capturing devices. The stem 192 is coupled to the upper arm 174, and is configured to transfer a torque from an arm rotating unit to the hand assembly 146 (discussed below in detailed description of FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B). Further, the hand assembly 146 includes one or more search lights 194 coupled to the upper arm 174. The one or more search lights 194 are configured to illuminate the sewer environment 102 during the cleaning operation.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the hand assembly 112 with the end effector 178 including a water jet holder 178b is shown, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. The water jet holder 178b is configured to accommodate and hold the water jet nozzle 112 utilized for cleaning the sewer lines 102b. The water jet holder 178b includes a fixed jaw 196a, an adjustable jaw 196b, a jaw adjusting actuator 198, and a rubber pad 200. The fixed jaw 196a is fixedly coupled to the four-bar linkage mechanism 180 of the hand assembly 146. The adjustable jaw 196b is controlled by the jaw adjusting actuator 198 in order to accommodate a water jet nozzle 112. The rubber pad 200 is configured to provide a cushion to protect the water jet nozzle 112 from the damages during installation.

[0038] The hand assembly 146 has three rotational degrees of freedom and one sliding degree of freedom. In another embodiment, the hand assembly 146 may have "n" number of degrees of freedom. Referring to FIGS. 7, an arm rotating unit 202 is shown, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The arm rotating unit 202 is disposed within the body 142 of the sewer cleaner assembly 134, and is coupled to the stem 192 of the hand assembly 146. The arm rotating unit 202 is configured to rotate the hand assembly 146 relative to the body 142 of the sewer cleaner assembly 134. In an embodiment, the arm rotating unit 202 utilizes a pneumatically actuated rack and pinion assembly for rotating the hand assembly 146. In another embodiment, the arm rotating unit 202 may utilize one or more electric motor assemblies for rotating the hand assembly 146. In yet another embodiment, the arm rotating unit 202 may utilize one or more hydraulically actuated assemblies for rotating the hand assembly 146.

[0039] FIGS. 8A and 8B, illustrates a perspective views of the arm rotating unit 202, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The arm rotating unit 202 includes a first pinion 204a, a first one-way bearing 206a, a first rack 208a, a first rack guide 210a, a first rack actuator 212a, a first key 214a, a second pinion 204b, a second one-way bearing 206b, a second rack 208b, a second rack guide 210b, a second rack actuator 212b, and a second key 214b. The first one-way bearing 206a is arranged inside the first pinion 204a, and the second one-way bearing 206b is arranged inside the second pinion 204b. The first rack 208a is attached to a pneumatic piston (not shown) of the first rack actuator 212a using a sliding pin 216a, and the second rack 208b is attached to a pneumatic piston (not shown) of the second rack actuator 212b using a sliding pin 216b. The first rack actuator 212a is configured to linearly actuate the first rack 208a along the first rack guide 210a, and the second rack actuator 212b is configured to linearly actuate the second rack 208b along the second rack guide 210b. The first rack 208a and the second rack 208b along with the first pinion 204a and the second pinion 204b respectively are configured to convert the linear motion, provided by the corresponding pneumatic pistons, into a rotational motion. The first pinion 204a is coupled to an outer race 218a of the first one-way bearing 206a by using the second key 214b. Similarly, the second pinion 204b is coupled to an outer race 220a of the second one-way bearing 206b by using the second key 214b. The outer race 218a is coupled to an inner race 218b of the first one-way bearing 206a in such a way that the inner race 218b and the outer race 218a may get locked to each other only in one direction. Similarly, the outer race 220a is coupled to an inner race 220b of the second one-way bearing 206b in such a way that the inner race 220b and the outer race 220a may get locked to each other only in one direction. Further, each of the inner race 218b and the inner race 220b are coupled to the stem 192 of the hand assembly 146 using the first key 214a.

[0040] In operation, when the pneumatic piston associated with the first rack actuator 212a performs one full stroke to linearly actuate the first rack 208a in a first direction 222, the first pinion 204a achieves a portion of full rotation in a clockwise direction 224. Similarly, the first pinion 204a may achieve one full rotation in "n" number of strokes of the pneumatic piston of the first rack actuator 212a. The first pinion 204a transmits the clockwise rotational motion to the outer race 218a using the second key 214b. During rotation along the clockwise direction 224, the inner race 218b and the outer race 218a gets locked to each other resulting in transfer of the clockwise rotational motion to the stem 192 of the hand assembly 146. At the same time, the inner race 220b and the outer race 220a may rotate independent to each other in the clockwise direction 224. Similarly, to rotate the hand assembly 146 in an anti-clockwise direction 226, the inner race 218b and the outer race 218a may rotate independent to each other, and at the same time, the inner race 220b and the outer race 220a may get locked to each other to transmit the anti-clockwise rotational motion to the stem 192 of the hand assembly 146.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 9, the sewer cleaner assembly 134 further includes a collecting unit 228 coupled to the body 142. The collecting unit 228 is configured to collect the one or more objects 106 present inside the sewer environment 102. The collecting unit 228 includes one or more collecting buckets 228a and a four-bar linkage 228b. The one or more collecting buckets 228a are configured to move along a pre-defined path to collect the one or more objects 106 from bottom surface of the manhole 102a. The four-bar linkage 228b enables the movement of the one or more collecting buckets 228a along the pre-defined path. Further, the sewer cleaner assembly 134 may include a magnetic holder 230 configured to remove and hold the manhole cover 104 from the manhole 102a. In another embodiment, a mechanical holder may be attached to the sewer cleaner assembly 134 for removing and holding the manhole cover 104.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 10, the one or more sensors 136 are coupled to the sewer cleaner assembly 134. The one or more sensors 136 are configured to detect one or more parameters associated with the one or more objects 106 within the sewer environment 102. In an embodiment, the one or more sensors 136 include an ultrasonic sensor 136a configured to detect portions of an ultrasonic wave reflected from the one or more objects 106. The ultrasonic sensor 136a is further configured to detect a period by which the portions of the ultrasonic wave returns to the ultrasonic sensor 136a by reflection. In an example, the ultrasonic sensor 136a transmits ultrasonic signals at a definite time intervals inside the sewer environment 102, and receives the echo signals reflected back from the sewer environment 102. The echo signals reflected from the sewer environment 102 may be used to generate a three-dimensional image of the manhole 102a and the sewer lines 102b.

[0043] In another embodiment, the one or more sensors 136 include an inclination sensor 136b configured to detect an inclination of one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies 144 and the body 142 about three-axes of the sewer cleaner assembly 134. The inclination is detected to achieve stability of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 during the cleaning operation. [0044] In yet another embodiment, the one or more sensors 136 include a force sensor 136c configured to detect a force exerted on one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies 144, the hand assembly 146, or the end effector 178. The force may be exerted on one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies 144, the hand assembly 146, or the end effector 178 upon physical contact of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 with at least one of the one or more objects 106 and the walls of the manhole 102a or the sewer lines 102b. The force exerted on the sewer cleaner assembly 134 is detected to safely maneuver the one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies 144, the hand assembly 146, or the end effector 178 within the sewer environment 102. Also, the force is detected to limit the cleaning force applied through the hand assembly 146 or the end effector 178 without damaging the walls and floor of the manhole 102a and the sewer lines 102b.

[0045] In yet another embodiment, the one or more sensors 136 include an image capturing device 136d configured to capture images and video footages of the sewer environment 102. The images and video footages captured are processed for live streaming of the cleaning operation performed by the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the sewer environment 102.

[0046] Additionally, the one or more sensors 136 include a position sensor 136e configured to detect position coordinates of the one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies 144, the hand assembly 146, or the end effector 178 with respect to some reference. Also, the one or more sensors 136 include a chemical sensor 136f configured to detect poisonous gases present inside the sewer environment 102. In addition, the one or more sensors 136 include a temperature sensor 136g configured to detect temperature of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 and the ambient temperature of the sewer environment 102.

[0047] The one or more sensors 136 detects the one or more parameters and generate corresponding signals which can be further processed by the control unit 124 to control the robotic sewer cleaning system 100. The control unit 124 is configured to receive the signals corresponding to the one or more parameters transmitted by the one or more sensors 136. The control unit 124 includes the microprocessor unit 130 and the plurality of pneumatic solenoid valves 132. The microprocessor unit 130 may be an embedded development kit which may include a graphics processing unit (hereinafter as "GPU") to control hardware elements running with UNIX based operating system that serves as a platform to run image processing algorithms. In an embodiment, a huge computational power of GPU is harnessed to process the real time images and video footages captured by the image capturing device 136d.

[0048] Further, the control unit 124 is configured to control one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies 144, the hand assembly 146, or the end effector 178, based on the one or more parameters associated with the one or more objects 106. In an embodiment, the microprocessor unit 130, which may include a custom design shield for connectors, along with the plurality of pneumatic solenoid valves 132 are configured to control a general purpose input-output pin (hereinafter as "GPIO") for the one or more sensors 136, the one or more actuators 156, the one or more rotating actuators 172, the sliding actuator 182, the end effect actuator 186, the first rack actuator 212a, the second rack actuator 212b, and communication modules. In an example, the control unit 124 processes the one or more parameters to control the hand assembly 146 to remove the obstacle detected inside the sewer environment 102. In another example, the control unit 124 processes the one or more parameters to control the plurality of leg assemblies 144 to balance the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the sewer environment 102. In yet another example, the control unit 124 processes the one or more parameter to safely maneuver and position the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the sewer environment 102 without causing any damage to the sewer environment 102 and the sewer cleaner assembly 134. In yet another example, the control unit 124 processes the one or more parameters to terminate the cleaning operation when an abnormal signal is received from the one or more sensors 136.

[0049] Continuing with FIG. 10, the robotic sewer cleaning system 100 further includes a user interface 232 operatively coupled to the control unit 124. In an embodiment, the user interface 232 is disposed outside the sewer environment 102 above the surface level 118. The user interface 232 may include a displaying unit, a joystick, and one or more input buttons. In an embodiment, the displaying unit may be an LED display with multi-touch features. The joystick and the one or more input buttons may enable the user to manually operate the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the sewer environment 102. The user interface 232 is configured to display the one or more parameters associated with the one or more objects 106 and the sewer environment 102. The user interface 232 is further configured to receive user inputs pertaining to a movement and function of the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the sewer environment 102. In an example, during the cleaning operation, the user interface 232 displays the real time images and video footages of the manhole 102a and the sewer lines 102b to the user, and simultaneously allows the user to provide user inputs for controlling the sewer cleaner assembly 134.

[0050] The robotic sewer cleaning system 100 may include one or more application modules 234 configured to control the robotic sewer cleaning system 100. In an embodiment, the application modules 234 may include a customized server, an open source computer vision library (hereinafter as "open CV"), a bash script, an android application, a database manager, and a firewall and security applications. The server application enables the user to control the sewer cleaner assembly 134 using a web application. In an embodiment, the server application may be used for video live streaming. The open CV mainly aimed at real time computer vision, and may be used to detect and track a desired object inside the sewer environment 102. The open CV may provide various functions with a compute unified device architecture support (hereinafter as "CUDA") which may facilitate image processing of the images and the video footages of the sewer environment 102 captured by the image capturing device 136d. The bash script is configured to run at a booting time to initialize the processing, and stream the video footages received from the image capturing device 136d to an IP address in the communication network. The android application enables the user to remotely control the robotic sewer cleaning system 100. The android application may be deployed on any android devices that are equipped with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The database manager is configured to provide users with an ability to control read/write access, specifies report generation, and analyze the usage of the robotic sewer cleaning system 100. In an embodiment, the database provides an atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability (hereinafter as "ACID") compliance to guarantee that the data is consistent and the transactions are complete. The firewall and security application is configured to examine electronic data transferring in or out of the communication network. The firewall and security application compares the electronic data to rules that are defined in the firewall and security application. The firewall and security application send the electronic data into the communication network when the electronic data matches the rules. The firewall and security application block the electronic data passing into the communication network when the electronic data do not match the rules, hence defense of computers against intrusion and unauthorized use of resources is secured. Similarly, the defense of computer networks is also secured using the firewall and security application.

Industrial Applicability

[0051] FIG. 11 are flow diagrams illustrating a method 300 for cleaning the sewer environment 102 using the robotic sewer cleaning system 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 300 starts the process at a step 302. The method 300 includes a step 304 of inserting the sewer cleaner assembly 134 into the sewer environment 102. In an embodiment, the control unit 124 commands the winch unit 122 to suspend the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the manhole 102a. Further, the method 300 includes a next step 306 of detecting the one or more parameters associated with the one or more objects 106 present inside the sewer environment 102. In an embodiment, the one or more parameters is detected by using the one or more sensors 136 to generate one or more signals and communicating the one or more signals to the control unit 124 for further processing (as discussed above in the detailed description of FIG. 10). Further, the method 300 includes a step 308 of controlling the one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies 144, the hand assembly 146, or the end effector 178 by using the control unit 124. The one or more of the plurality of leg assemblies 144, the hand assembly 146, or the end effector 178 are controlled based on the signals corresponding to the one or more parameters of the one or more objects 106. In an example, the control unit 124 may control the hand assembly 146 to remove an obstacle detected inside the sewer environment 102. In another example, the control unit 124 may control the plurality of leg assemblies 144 to balance the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the sewer environment 102. In yet another example, the control unit 124 may maneuver and position the sewer cleaner assembly 134 inside the sewer environment 102 without causing any damage to the sewer environment 102 and the sewer cleaner assembly 134. In yet another example, the control unit 124 may terminate the cleaning operation when an abnormal signal is received from the one or more sensors 136. The control unit 124 may compare the signals received with a corresponding threshold signals stored to detect the abnormal signals. Further, the method 300 stops the process at a step 310. In an example, the control unit 124 may terminate the cleaning operation when the cleaning operation is completed. In another example, the control unit 124 may terminate the cleaning operation when one or more abnormal signals are received from the one or more sensors 136.

[0052] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the system of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the system disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalent.