FR3160339A1 - Robot for renovation by stripping, painting, inspection of large curved surface walls or high heights; for hulls, ship bottoms, tanks, oil tanks or pipelines. - Google Patents

Abstract

Robot for renovating by stripping and/or repainting, and/or inspecting at least one wall with a large curved surface and/or high height, more particularly a structure with circular cross-section(s). Application to the stripping and painting of ship hulls or bottoms, tanks, such as oil tanks, or pipelines. The present invention essentially relates to an autonomous robot (1) based on a scissor lift (2), which may be standard, on which is installed a Cartesian robot (3) whose supporting structure (30) slides on the platform of the lift and supports a tool-carrying assembly that is robust, precise, and reliable. Figure for abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Robot for renovation by stripping, painting, inspection of large curved surface walls or high heights; for hulls, ship bottoms, tanks, oil tanks or pipelines.

The present invention relates to the general field of inspection and/or renovation by surface treatment and painting of large works/objects.

It concerns more particularly the field of renovation by stripping and where appropriate coating with paint of a large surface area and/or high wall, more particularly a curved surface, in particular a structure with one or more circular cross-section(s). This may in particular concern hulls, ship bottoms, tanks, such as oil tanks, or pipes.

By "large surface area and/or high height wall" we mean any object whose inspection and/or renovation cannot be carried out by an individual alone and usually requires at least the use of scaffolding and/or any handling means to move an individual.

The present invention aims more particularly to propose an autonomous robot intended for the renovation and/or inspection of such a wall, in order to reduce intervention times, related costs and risks for operators and the environment.

Although described with reference to an advantageous application of renovating a cylindrical tank, the invention applies to any robot intended for any type of inspection and/or repair work on large structures.

It is necessary to regularly maintain the hulls of ships which must undergo after a period of commissioning, generally a maintenance operation involving a plurality of works intended to (re)give them the desired aesthetic appearance, such as surface preparation such as stripping (by water or abrasive) and painting.

This maintenance operation, due to its mandatory nature, requires the vessels to be placed in dry dock.

Essentially, it involves removing the existing exterior coating and any oxidation and replacing it with a new one.

In general, maintenance or renovation involves carrying out surface preparation in line with the application of a new paint coating. This preparation may, for example, consist of stripping with an abrasive blast, also generally called shot blasting, or ultra-high pressure (UHP) water spraying, which creates or restores a certain surface roughness for the adhesion and application of a new paint coating.

Each step of the process of renovating a given ship must be carried out with extreme care in order to avoid the presence of defects that could significantly alter the final aesthetic quality.

Although numerous and varied in their constraints and implementations, all shipyards carrying out a ship hull renovation process face the same challenges: high repair costs, major service interruptions, major impact on the ship, personnel safety, and repair efficiency.

Until now, the various stages of renovation have usually been carried out manually by operators or using several appropriate tools to strip the coatings and spray the paint onto the desired surface of the hulls.

These manual steps have a number of major drawbacks.

First of all, each of them requires a long execution time, which has an impact on the final cost of the work. Thus, each step must be relatively precise because the tools used, for example for stripping, ultra-high pressure (UHP) water lances, at around 3000 bars or shot blasting lances, have a relatively limited action zone and the operator's attention must be sustained. As a result, these operations can take a considerable amount of time both for the work and the checks, especially since the surface areas of ship hulls are very large.

Then, the effectiveness of the steps depends heavily on the skills of the operators who carry them out.

Also, regarding the painting stage, this is implemented using a paint spraying tool that generates an atomization of the paint particles, some of which do not adhere to the surface to be painted, thus dispersing into the environment. Given that the anti-corrosion paints used for these applications generally contain toxic or polluting substances, it is easy to understand how their dispersion can be harmful to the environment and people working near the painting areas.

In this regard, recent Community standards provide for increasingly restrictive measures regarding the emission of such substances into the environment.

The applicant therefore wished to automate this maintenance or renovation of these ship hulls and implement a robot which could carry out these renovation operations.

However, the specifications imposed for such a robot are strict and substantial, particularly due to the strong constraints intrinsic to the dry docking of ships.

The inventors of the present invention have thus taken inventory of existing solutions.

They first concluded that none of the existing robotic or mechanized systems was able to meet all the requirements for the renovation of ship hulls.

Certain devices for painting ship hulls or the like are known from patent documents.

WO01/34309 describes a device for spraying paint onto a ship hull in dry dock, comprising a row of spray nozzles housed in a bell mounted at the end of a telescopic arm itself pivotally mounted on a chassis which can move in translation on a rail along the hull.

US5398632 proposes a scaffolding system placed in the hold around the hull with cradles which can be moved in height and towards/away from the hull and in which painters can be installed.

US4890567 describes a cleaning system with a cleaning head that can move and be fixed to the hull of ships by electromagnetic tracks and which integrates cleaning means by applying ultrasound.

EP2090506B1 discloses a platform with two wheel sets and a double scissor-type lift supporting an elongated table equipped with a travel rail on which a six-axis robot carrying a paint gun can slide to paint the surface of a ship's hull.

CN105643587 discloses a ship hull painting system with a six-axis robot carrying the painting tool mounted at the end of an articulated arm of a nacelle which moves in the hold.

CN2019158233 discloses a cable-driven painting robot system along ship hulls, in which the frames supporting the movement motors and the cables are installed in situ in and around the dry dock, the movement of the paint spray nozzles in altitude being ensured by the cables while the horizontal movement is ensured by a telescopic arm supporting said nozzles.

CN108942897 discloses a ship hull painting system comprising a robotic painting head moving by cable along the hulls of ships, the cables being fixed on two bogies, one moving on the ground the other on top of the ship.

CN108313237 discloses a ship hull blasting system comprising a robot that moves by a winch on board the ship and attaches to the hull surface by suction with suction cups.

CN107253147 and CN107081771 each describe a sandblasting system comprising a sandblasting robot which moves by rolling on the hull of the vessel and is held by permanent magnets, with an anchor point on the hull and a cable winch for movement.

KR101444392B1 concerns a paint application system with a 6-axis robot mounted at the end of a crane arm.

WO2012/080448 discloses a complete maintenance system (UHP cleaning, painting) with a scaffolding tower near the hull on which a telescopic arm system can move vertically to support the work tools.

WO2010/057942 discloses a system similar to WO2012/080448, with the essential differences that the scaffolding tower carries several work cabins, one of which is directly controlled by an individual inside and which carries an articulated arm supporting the work tools.

WO2018/209367 describes a system of rails assembled together to move maintenance assemblies (cleaning, painting) of the hull along a ship's hull.

EP2618942B1 discloses the implementation of a 6-axis robot that carries a paint gun and is supported by the nacelle of a lifting platform for the purpose of painting ship hulls in dry dock. The nacelle is equipped with distance sensors to measure the distance of the latter from the hull surface to be painted, the operation of the sensors being controlled by the platform movement control and command unit. In addition, the proposed system necessarily includes air suction along the surface to be painted and the defined control-command makes it possible to adjust the distance between the nacelle and the surface to be painted in order to optimize the flow of sucked air.

Not all proposed solutions can be fast, inexpensive and effective in eliminating stubborn defects on the surface of hulls, particularly those resulting from their corrosion, nor in applying a homogeneous coating over the entire surface of a ship's hull, whatever its profile (flat, concave, convex).

Furthermore, the proposed solutions do not allow for sufficiently precise spatial location to guarantee uniform renovation treatment across the entire surface of a ship's hull to be renovated.

Finally, it is far from certain that among all the proposed solutions, at least one can be implemented completely autonomously over the entire surface of a ship's hull, that is to say without any human intervention.

To overcome these drawbacks, in particular in order to considerably reduce intervention times and related costs, reduce the arduousness of the work, and increase the efficiency and homogeneity of surface treatments over the entire surface of the walls to be renovated, the inventors of the present invention have proposed a robot according to patent application WO2021/074327. This robot is made on the basis of a lifting platform, which may be standard, instrumented by a plurality of sensors which precisely compensate for the lack of instrumentation by the platform manufacturers, in order to be able to provide the control-command unit with the information useful for determining the very precise location in space, in real time, of the platform of the platform and therefore of the tool holder mounted on the platform.

While this robot is entirely satisfactory in most surface configurations to be renovated, the inventors have been able to observe that certain other surface configurations could not be treated, at least with a suitable intervention time, due to the physical impossibility of access by the robot and/or a complex surface, in particular with a significant curvature and/or with a slope to be reached. Such a specific configuration is encountered, for example, for hulls or ship bottoms.

There is therefore a need to improve robots intended for the renovation by stripping and/or painting of large and/or high walls, more particularly walls with complex surfaces, such as hulls or bottoms of ships in dry dock or mechanical assemblies with slopes to be reached.

The aim of the invention is to meet at least part of this need.

To this end, the invention relates, in one of its aspects, to a robot for renovation by stripping and/or coating with paint, and/or inspection of at least one wall of a structure with a curved surface, in particular of a structure with circular cross-section(s), comprising:

- a scissor lift comprising as components:

• a mobile base comprising at least one steering axle defining a first axis (Axis 1) and a translational movement motor defining a second axis (Axis 2),

• a platform mounted in vertical translation on the mobile base along a third axis (Axis 3),

- a Cartesian robot comprising:

• a supporting structure mounted in horizontal translation on the platform along a fourth axis (Axis 4),

• a tool holder assembly, suitable for carrying a renovation and/or inspection tool, the tool holder assembly being mounted in rotation on the supporting structure around a fifth axis (Axis 5) orthogonal to the fourth axis (Axis 4), in horizontal translation on the supporting structure along a sixth axis (Axis 6) orthogonal to the fifth axis (Axis 5), in rotation on the supporting structure around a seventh axis (Axis 7) parallel to the sixth axis (Axis 6) and in translation on the supporting structure along an eighth axis (Axis 8) orthogonal to the seventh axis (Axis 7);

- a plurality of sensors comprising:

• at least one linear displacement sensor, suitable for measuring the vertical deployment of the platform relative to the mobile base along the third axis (Axis 3),

• at least one angular measuring sensor, suitable for measuring the angular position of the tool holder assembly relative to the supporting structure around the fifth axis (Axis 5),

• au moins deux capteurs de mesure de distance adaptés pour mesurer une inclinaison de l’ensemble porte-outil par rapport à la paroi à rénover et/ou à inspecter ;

• at least two distance measuring sensors each adapted to measure a distance from a point of the tool holder assembly relative to the wall to be renovated and/or inspected;

• at least two distance measuring sensors adapted to measure an inclination of the tool holder assembly relative to the wall to be renovated and/or inspected;

- a control-command unit connected to the plurality of sensors and to the means for moving the components of the nacelle and the Cartesian robot along the first to eighth axes, the control-command unit being adapted to automatically move the components of the nacelle and the Cartesian robot along one and/or the other of the first to eighth axes, depending on the information delivered by the plurality of sensors and according to a predefined sequence of renovation and/or inspection of areas of the wall without the mobile base of the nacelle having to be moved.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the tool holder assembly comprises:

- a first support mounted in rotation on the supporting structure around the fifth axis (Axis 5),

- a second support mounted in translation on the first support along the sixth axis (Axis 6),

- a third support mounted in rotation on the second support around the seventh axis (Axis 7),

- a fourth support mounted in translation on the third support along the eighth axis (Axis 8) and on which the renovation and/or inspection tool is intended to be fixed.

With these supports, the tool holder assembly is both mechanically robust and very precise and reliable in tool movements. In addition, these supports can be made with profiles assembled together, which lightens the tool holder assembly.

According to this mode and an advantageous variant, the robot comprises an electric motor, fixed to the supporting structure and whose output shaft defining the fifth axis (Axis 5) is fixed to the first support to drive it in rotation.

According to this mode and another advantageous variant, the robot includes:

- an electric motor, fixed on the first support;

- a ball screw defining the sixth axis (Axis 6), fixed on the first support so as to be rotated by the electric motor of the first support;

- a nut forming with the ball screw a nut system to drive the second support in translation.

According to this mode and another advantageous variant, the robot includes:

- an electric motor, fixed on the second support;

- a shaft defining the seventh axis (Axis 7), fixed on the third support so as to be rotated by the electric motor of the second support to drive the third support in rotation.

According to this mode and another advantageous variant, the robot comprises a jack, fixed on the third support and whose rod defining the eighth axis (Axis 8) is fixed to the fourth support to drive it in translation.

This means that the kinematics of the various axes of the tool holder assembly can be achieved with few electrical components that are robust, precise and reliable.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the robot comprises:

- an electric motor, fixed on the platform of the nacelle;

- a ball screw defining the fourth axis (Axis 4), fixed to the supporting structure so as to be rotated by the electric motor of the platform;

- a nut fixed to the supporting structure and forming with the ball screw a nut system to drive the supporting structure in translation. Here too, the kinematics of movement of the supporting structure relative to the nacelle can be achieved with a screw-nut system coupled to an electric motor, which is robust, reliable and precise.

Advantageously, the linear displacement sensor for measuring the vertical deployment of the platform is an absolute cable encoder comprising an encoder fixed to the platform and a cable mechanism comprising a drum fixed to the mobile base and around which is wound a cable whose free end is fixed to the platform.

Advantageously, the angular measurement sensor comprises two first laser rangefinders fixed at a distance from each other on the tool holder assembly.

Advantageously, the at least one linear displacement sensor for measuring the horizontal displacement of the tool holder assembly relative to the supporting structure comprises a plurality of inductive sensors fixed to the supporting structure.

Advantageously, the at least two distance measuring sensors between the tool holder and the wall to be renovated and/or inspected are two second laser rangefinders fixed at a distance from each other on the tool holder assembly.

Advantageously, the at least two sensors for measuring the inclination of the tool holder assembly relative to the wall to be renovated and/or inspected are two second laser rangefinders fixed at a distance from each other on the tool holder assembly.

The mobile base preferably comprises at least one other steering axle defining a ninth axis (Axis 9).

According to an advantageous embodiment, the control-command unit comprises a control-command automaton connected to each of the plurality of sensors, preferably by CAN bus, a nacelle automaton, connected to the control-command automaton, preferably by Ethernet link, the control-command automaton being adapted to send its control instructions on the one hand to the nacelle automaton which controls the movement of the components of the nacelle along one and/or the other of the first to third axes, and where appropriate along the ninth axis and on the other hand to the Cartesian robot for the movement of the supporting structure and/or the tool holder assembly along one and/or the other of the fourth to eighth axes.

Preferably, the control unit is adapted to automatically move the mobile base along one and/or the other of the first and second axes and, where appropriate, along the ninth axis, once the predefined sequence has been completed.

According to an advantageous arrangement mode, the robot comprises a cabinet housing all the electrical components and the control-command unit, fixed on the nacelle platform, at the longitudinal end opposite that where the Cartesian robot is arranged.

Advantageously, the tool holder assembly is suitable for carrying a shot blasting nozzle equipped with a suction bell for recycling the shot or a high-pressure water projection nozzle with a bell for re-suction of the projected water or a paint projection nozzle with a device for re-suction of the paint not deposited on the structural wall.

The invention also relates to a method for operating a robot as described above, along a wall of a structure with a curved surface, in particular a structure with circular cross-section(s), comprising the following steps carried out automatically by the control-command unit:

i/ positioning of the nacelle, if necessary by remote operation, and therefore of the tool holder assembly carrying the renovation tool opposite a given point on the wall around a first work zone;

ii/ distance measurement by at least the two measuring sensors and calculations by the control unit so as to position the tool holder assembly parallel to the wall and centered around the first work area;

iii/ renovation of the first work area by moving the supporting structure relative to the nacelle and/or the tool holder assembly along a first curved strip of limited height along the wall;

iv/ once the renovation of the first work area is completed, automatic sliding of the robot's supporting structure towards the nacelle platform and retraction of the nacelle away from the wall;

v/ repetition of steps i/ and iv/ according to one or more work zones in addition to the first, until an entire first curved strip of the entire wall height has been renovated;

vi/ moving the robot parallel to the wall, in one step, to repeat steps i/ to v/ so as to renovate at least a second curved strip of the entire height of the wall, in continuity with the first.

In other words, according to the operating method of the invention, it is sequential, based on the information delivered by the sensors installed with their calibration or correction, in order to produce a vertical and curved strip of work (cleaning, stripping or painting in the case of a hull or bottom of a ship), over a limited height then over the entire height of a strip and to repeat this operation along the wall to be renovated.

By allowing remote operation for the movements of the mobile base of the nacelle, these can be constantly under the control of an operator, which limits the safety constraints of using the robot.

Once the scissor lift is positioned, preferably so as to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the curved wall, and the Cartesian robot is positioned relative to the wall based on the measurement of the additional distance sensors and calculations, the control unit can execute the movement orders of the different axes of the tool holder assembly based on precise real-time knowledge of the position in space.

The invention finally relates to the use of the robot as described above, for renovation with stripping, preferably by abrasive blasting or water stripping, and where appropriate with paint coating of a hull or bottom of a ship or a cylindrical tank, such as an oil tank, or a pipe, in particular a penstock.

Thus, the invention essentially consists of an autonomous robot made on the basis of a scissor lift, which can be standard, on which is placed a Cartesian robot whose supporting structure slides on the platform of the lift and which supports a tool holder assembly which is at the same time robust, precise and reliable.

Due to the possibility of implementation from a standard scissor lift, the robot according to the invention is not specific to a given application. A standard scissor lift can thus typically raise from the ground to heights of up to 18m above the ground.

The robot is perfectly suited for the renovation of curved wall surfaces, even large curvatures, which start at a relatively low height from the ground.

Typically, the robot according to the invention is perfectly suited to the renovation of ship hulls in dry dock, which may have a significant minimum radius of curvature, typically 3 to 4 m, and whose low point is at a height of 2 m above the ground and the high point up to a height of 10 m above the ground.

The compact size of the scissor lift robot and Cartesian robot is perfectly suited to the very limited accessibility around a ship under renovation, in particular due to the presence of scaffolding, tools, etc. In addition, this compact size allows for numerous activities, in particular maintenance, around the work area in which the robot according to the invention operates.

• la possibilité d’une rénovation, notamment par décapage, nettoyage, peinture d’une paroi incurvée, notamment circulaire de grandes dimensions et/ou de grand incurvation, dont le point bas peut être très près du sol, comme une coque de navire en cale sèche d’un rayon de courbure minimal de 3,8 mètres, depuis une hauteur de 2m jusqu’à une hauteur de 10 m au-dessus du sol ;
• un robot qui peut être aisément réalisé à partir d’une nacelle ciseaux standard ;
• un robot à encombrement très réduit qui permet de réaliser des rénovations même dans des environnements à accessibilité restreinte et/ou qui nécessitent des opérations simultanées autour, comme un chantier naval ;
• la possibilité d’une télé-opération pour le déplacement de la nacelle ciseaux ce qui sécurise l’utilisation du robot ;
• un déplacement du robot cartésien qui peut être entièrement automatisé avec l’unité de contrôle-commande ce qui rend très précis et fiable les opérations de rénovation faites par les outils portés par l’ensemble porte-outil du robot cartésien.

The advantages of the invention are numerous, among which we can cite:

• the possibility of renovation, in particular by stripping, cleaning, painting of a curved wall, in particular a circular wall of large dimensions and/or a large curvature, the low point of which may be very close to the ground, such as a ship's hull in dry dock with a minimum radius of curvature of 3.8 meters, from a height of 2m to a height of 10m above the ground;
• a robot that can be easily made from a standard scissor lift;
• a very compact robot that allows renovations to be carried out even in environments with restricted accessibility and/or which require simultaneous operations around them, such as a shipyard;
• the possibility of remote operation for moving the scissor lift, which makes the robot safer to use;
• a movement of the Cartesian robot which can be fully automated with the control-command unit which makes the renovation operations carried out by the tools carried by the tool holder assembly of the Cartesian robot very precise and reliable.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of examples of implementation of the invention given by way of illustration and not limitation with reference to the following figures.

FIG. 1 there FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a robot according to the invention intended for the inspection and renovation of a wall of large curved surfaces, in particular circular and of high height, in particular of a cylindrical tank, the FIG. 1 showing the robot's scissor lift in its extreme folded position.

FIG. 2 there FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the robot according to the FIG. 1 , there FIG. 2 showing the supporting structure of the Cartesian robot and its means of movement relative to the nacelle platform.

FIG. 3 there FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the Cartesian robot according to the invention.

FIG. 4 there FIG. 4 takes into perspective the FIG. 3 but only by showing the supporting structure.

FIG. 5 there FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first support of the tool holder assembly of the robot, rotatably mounted on the supporting structure and which supports laser rangefinders as well as means for translational movement of a second support of the tool holder assembly.

FIG. 6 there FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the supporting structure and the means of rotational movement on a first support on the supporting structure.

FIG. 7 there FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the first support mounted in rotation on the supporting structure as well as the second support mounted in translation on the first support.

FIG. 8 there FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the second support as well as the means for rotating a third support of the tool holder assembly.

FIG. 9 there FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the third support as well as the laser rangefinders carried by this third support.

FIG. 10 there FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the second, third and a fourth support mounted in translation on the third support and on which the renovation and/or inspection tool is intended to be fixed.

FIG. 11 there FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the fourth support mounted in translation on the third support and on which the renovation and/or inspection tool is intended to be fixed.

FIG. 12 there FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the fourth support on which the renovation and/or inspection tool is intended to be fixed.

FIG. 13 there FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of a robot according to the invention, showing the robot's scissor lift in its extreme deployed position as well as the electrical cabinet it supports and a cable encoder as a linear displacement measuring sensor for measuring the vertical deployment of the platform relative to the mobile base.

FIG. 14 there FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing a renovation area of a cylindrical tank which can be reached by a robot according to the invention, which corresponds to the position most unfavorable to the stability of the robot.

FIG. 15 there FIG. 15 is a synoptic view of the connections between the position and distance sensors of the robot according to the invention with the automatons of the control-command unit as well as between the latter.

FIG. 16 , FIG. 16 , FIG. 16 Figures 16A to 16C are schematic views showing different renovation areas of a cylindrical tank which can be reached by a robot according to the invention.

FIG. 17 there FIG. 17 is a synopsis of a method of operating the robot according to the invention for carrying out an automatic cycle of renovation of a curved wall, in particular a structure of circular cross-section such as a cylindrical tank.

FIG. 18 , FIG. 18 Figures 18A and 18B are schematic views showing the steps of releasing the robot according to the invention from the wall, before carrying out the automatic cycle.

FIG. 19 , FIG. 19 , FIG. 19 Figures 19A to 19C are schematic views showing different stages of positioning the Cartesian robot relative to a work area, i.e. a wall to be renovated, before the initiation of the automatic cycle.

FIG. 20 there FIG. 20 schematically illustrates the different sequences of movement and automatic cycle according to adjacent renovation bands which it is envisaged to carry out according to the operating method of the robot in accordance with the invention.

Detailed description

It is specified here that throughout the present application, the terms “below”, “above”, “bottom”, “top”, “lower” and “upper” refer to an operating configuration of a scissor lift of a robot according to the invention. Thus, for example, the uppermost position of the platform of the lift is the highest altitude that it can reach by maximum deployment relative to the mobile base.

It is also specified that in all the figures where they are represented, the wheels supported by the fourth support of the tool holder assembly should not be considered as a renovation tool. These wheels are used for wall curvature monitoring tests, such as a wall of a cylindrical tank in order to allow work in contact with the wall without damaging it. These wheels are not to be taken into consideration for the fourth support on which an inspection (camera) or renovation (stripping, cleaning, painting) tool is directly fixed. They are therefore not commented on below.

We represented at the FIG. 1 , a robot according to the invention 1 intended to carry out an inspection by camera and/or a renovation with stripping by shot blasting or high-pressure water projection followed, where appropriate, by a paint coating of a wall C of a cylindrical tank, or of a ship hull as part of maintenance.

A tank or ship hull may have several circular cross-sections typically at least 3.5 m long and from 2 meters high to 10 meters above ground level.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the robot 1 firstly comprises a scissor lift 2. This scissor lift 2 comprises, in a manner known per se, respectively a mobile base 20 with two axles 21, 22 of which at least one is a pivoting axle forming a steering axle defining a first axis “Axis 1”, and a motor, not shown, for translational movement defining a second axis “Axis 2”, and a platform 23 mounted in vertical translation on the mobile base along a third axis “Axis 3”.

The nacelle 2 used may be a standard nacelle already on the market, in particular it may be remotely operated, i.e. controlled using a wired or wireless remote control. Typically, in the extreme deployed position of its platform 23, the nacelle 2 can reach a height of 12 meters. The elevation of the platform 23 may be achieved by means of hydraulic cylinders, arranged in the scissor structure.

The mobile base 20 can be equipped with stabilizers to distribute its mass evenly on the ground and ensure great stability when fully deployed.

According to the invention, the robot according to the invention comprises a Cartesian robot 3 mounted on the scissor lift 2.

More specifically, the Cartesian robot 3 comprises a supporting structure 30 mounted in horizontal translation on the platform along a fourth axis “Axis 4” and a tool holder assembly 31, adapted to carry a renovation and/or inspection tool. The tool, not shown, may be a shot blasting nozzle equipped with a suction bell for recycling the shot or a high-pressure water projection nozzle with a bell for re-suction of the projected water or a paint projection nozzle with a device for re-suction of the paint not deposited on the structure wall.

The translation along Axis 4 allows the tool holder assembly 31 to be brought closer to the hull C to be renovated. The translation stroke can typically be of the order of 800 mm and restricted to a value lower than 600 mm for safety. As illustrated, the supporting structure 30 is advantageously made of square-section profiles, particularly made of steel, and welded together.

As shown in more detail in the FIG. 2 , this translation along Axis 4 can be ensured by an electric motor 24 fixed on the platform and which drives in rotation, in particular by a remote transmission, for example with a belt, a screw 25 of a screw-nut system, the nut, not visible, being fixed on the supporting structure 30. The platform 23 is further provided with a pair of rails 230 on which at least one pair of pads 300, for example two in number, fixed to the supporting structure 30 can slide.

As shown in more detail in the FIG. 3 , the tool holder assembly 31 is mounted in rotation on the supporting structure 30 around a fifth axis “Axis 5” orthogonal to Axis 4 which is in horizontal translation on the supporting structure along a sixth axis “Axis 6” orthogonal to Axis 5, in rotation on the supporting structure around a seventh axis “Axis 7”, which is parallel to Axis 6 and in translation on the supporting structure along an eighth axis “Axis 8” orthogonal to the seventh axis at Axis 7.

At the end of the tool holder assembly 3 is fixed a tool (not shown) for renovating and/or inspecting the wall to be renovated. Preferably, for stripping operations, the tool is a shot blasting nozzle equipped with a suction bell for recycling the shot or a high-pressure water projection nozzle with a bell for re-suction of the projected water.

Rotation along Axis 5 allows the tool holder assembly 31 to be oriented parallel to the hull with a stroke angle that can typically range from -30 to +30°.

The translation along Axis 6 will allow the tool to be moved horizontally to carry out a renovation along a strip with a horizontal displacement, typically a maximum of 610 mm, which can be limited to 500 mm for safety.

Rotation along Axis 7 will allow the tool to be oriented parallel to the hull with an angle that can typically range from -45 to +90°.

The translation along Axis 8 will allow the tool to be moved in or out relative to the hull C over a distance typically of 200 mm. This translation will thus allow the tool to be pressed against the hull during a renovation operation.

According to an advantageous variant, as illustrated in the FIG. 1 , the mobile base 20 may comprise at least one other steering axle 22 defining a ninth axis (Axis 9). An additional steering axle may make it easier to maneuver the scissor lift 2, particularly in a cluttered environment, which may be the case on a renovation site, particularly in the case of other operations carried out around it, particularly which require scaffolding.

Several embodiments can be envisaged for the production of the tool holder assembly 31 on the supporting structure 30 of the Cartesian robot 3.

According to a mode illustrated in figures 3 to 12, the tool holder assembly 31 is made up of four supports 32, 33, 34, 35 mounted to move relative to each other along the different Axes 5 to Axis 8.

More precisely, the first support 32 is mounted in rotation on the supporting structure around the Axis 5.

To do this, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, an electric motor 320, fixed to the supporting structure and whose output shaft 321 defines the Axis 5 is fixed to the first support 32 to drive it in rotation. This output shaft 321 can be mounted through a bushing stop 322 and an axis recovery 323, both mounted in plates 324 spaced apart from each other and fixed directly to the supporting structure 30. As illustrated, the second support 32 can be made of a folded sheet metal, in particular aluminum, with reinforcements in profiles, in particular aluminum.

The second support 33 is mounted in translation on the first support 32 along the Axis 6. To do this, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, an electric motor 330 is fixed on the first support 32 and a ball screw 331 defining the Axis 6 is fixed on the first support 32 so as to be rotated by the electric motor 330. A nut 332, such as a ball bearing, forms with the screw 331 a nut system for driving the second support 32 in translation. An elastic coupling 333 can advantageously be provided between the output of the shaft of the electric motor 330 and the screw 331.

For the translation of the second support 33 on the first support 32, it is possible to provide the first support 32 with a pair of rails 325 on which at least one pair of pads 333, advantageously two, of the second support 32 can slide. As illustrated, this second support can be made up of two metal plates, in particular aluminum, with reinforcements, spaced apart from each other and connected to each other by another metal plate, in particular aluminum.

The third support 34 is rotatably mounted on the second support 33 around the Axis 7. To do this, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, an electric motor 340 is fixed on the second support 33, which can rotate a shaft 341 defining the Axis 7, fixed on the third support 34. This shaft 341 can be rotatably mounted in a ball bearing 334 fixed in the second support 33.

The fourth support 35 is mounted in translation on the third support 34 along the Axis 8. To do this, as shown in Figures 9 to 12, a jack 350 fixed on the third support and whose rod 351 defines the Axis 8 is fixed to the fourth support 35 to drive it in translation. For robust translational guidance of the fourth support 35, the latter may comprise guide rods 352 fixed to a plate 353 of the fourth support 35 and slidably mounted, parallel to the rod 351 of the jack 350, in ball bushings 342 fixed in the third support 34. As illustrated, the third support 34 may be in the form of a protective cage for the jack 350, which may consist of two metal plates, in particular aluminum, and four metal profile bars, in particular aluminum, in order to ensure the rigidity of the cage while lightening the tool holder assembly 31.

To optimize the compliance of the fourth support 35 and therefore ultimately of the tool that it will support, relative to the curvature of the wall to be renovated, it is advantageous to provide this support 35 in the form of two plates 353, 354, articulated together by means of at least one cardan device 355. It is also possible to provide return means 356 in a rest position where the two plates 353, 354 are parallel to each other. These return means 356 may consist of compression springs, for example three in number distributed at 120° from each other. Thus, with this articulated system with cardan 355 and return 356, the fourth support 35 and therefore the tool that it will support for a renovation operation will best match the curvature of the wall to be renovated C. In other words, the return means 356 make it possible to absorb the forces absorbed by the tool, to absorb the surface irregularities of the wall, and with the cardan 355 make it possible to guarantee a certain compliance with the tool. As illustrated, the plates 353, 354 can be metal plates, in particular aluminum.

The inventors carried out calculations to verify that the robot 1 according to the invention was stable in any working position, i.e. renovation around a wall with curved section C.

This verification was thus carried out in the most unfavorable use case which is that in which the robot 1 is positioned with the Cartesian robot 3 in a working position at -90° with the supporting structure 30 completely deployed, as illustrated in FIG. 14 .

• la masse m de l’ensemble du robot cartésien 3, à savoir celui de la structure porteuse et de l’ensemble porte-outils 31 et tous les composants qu’il supporte (moteurs, composants mécaniques, capteurs), a été dimensionnée à 170 kg ;
• la distance d1 du centre de gravité de l’ensemble par rapport au centre de la roue avant 21 de la nacelle a été dimensionnée à 1840 mm ;
• la force F d’application du vérin 350 a été dimensionnée à 483 N ;
• la distance d2 du centre d’application du vérin 350 a été dimensionnée à 2455 mm.

The input data considered were as follows:

• the mass m of the entire Cartesian robot 3, namely that of the supporting structure and the tool holder assembly 31 and all the components it supports (motors, mechanical components, sensors), was dimensioned at 170 kg;
• the distance d1 of the center of gravity of the assembly in relation to the center of the front wheel 21 of the nacelle was dimensioned at 1840 mm;
• the application force F of the 350 cylinder was dimensioned at 483 N;
• the distance d2 from the center of application of the 350 cylinder was dimensioned at 2455 mm.

Thus, the torque C1 generated by the weight of the Cartesian robot 3 applied to the center of the wheel 21 is equal to m x d1, or 3100 Nm.

The torque C2 generated by the 350 cylinder on the hull is equal to Fxd2, or 1186 Nm.

Thus, the Cartesian robot 3 generates on the nacelle 2 a total torque Ct equal to 4286 Nm.

Based on data from a scissor lift manufacturer, which indicates a lift mass of 2940 kg, and a distance between the centre of gravity of the lift and the centre of the front wheel 21 of 1015 mm, the torque Cnac generated by the weight of the lift 2 is equal to 29274 NM, a value equal to approximately 6.8 times the torque Ct, or a safety coefficient of the same amount.

It should be noted that for the calculation, the inventors assumed that the center of gravity of the nacelle is located at the physical center of the nacelle 2.

Thus, the moment generated by the weight of the scissor lift is large enough for it to support the weight of the Cartesian robot 3 on its own when its supporting structure 30 is fully deployed. It is therefore not necessary to add a counterweight to the lift.

The robot 1 according to the invention is furthermore instrumented by a plurality of sensors 5 which on the one hand precisely compensate for the absence of instrumentation by the manufacturers of scissor lifts and on the other hand measure all of the movements of the Cartesian robot in order to position with a very large position the different components of the Cartesian robot 3 and therefore the tool in space.

Thus, at least one linear displacement sensor 50 makes it possible to measure the vertical deployment of the platform 23 relative to the mobile base 20 along the Axis 3. As illustrated in FIG. 13 , this sensor 50 is preferably in the form of an absolute cable encoder allowing the height of the platform 23 relative to the mobile base 20 to be measured in real time. This type of sensor evolves continuously relative to the lifting of the scissors and allows this measurement to be calibrated relative to the reality of the deployment of the platform 23. In addition, a cable encoder allows a precise measurement to be obtained while being mechanically robust.

The absolute cable encoder 50 comprises an encoder 500 fixed to the platform and a cable mechanism comprising a drum 501 fixed to the mobile base 20 and around which is wound a cable 502 whose free end is fixed to the platform 23.

At least one angular measurement sensor 51 makes it possible to measure the angular position of the tool holder assembly relative to the supporting structure around the Axis 5. As illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, it may advantageously be a plurality of inductive sensors 51, fixed on a plate 322 of the supporting structure. These inductive sensors 51 arranged at a distance from each other make it possible to initialize and follow the rotation path of the axis 5 with great precision.

At least two sensors 52, 53 make it possible to measure the distance between the tool holder assembly 31 and the wall C to be renovated and/or inspected. As illustrated in Figures 5 and 7, these may advantageously be two second rangefinders 52, 53 fixed at a distance from each other on the first second support 32 of the tool holder assembly, i.e. along Axis 6.

At least two distance measuring sensors 54, 55 make it possible to measure the inclination of the tool holder assembly 31 relative to the wall to be renovated and/or inspected. As illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, these may be two second rangefinders 54, 55 fixed at a distance from each other on the third support 34 of the tool holder assembly, i.e. rotating along Axis 7.

All the sensors 50 to 55 which have just been described and which are installed in the scissor lift 2 and the Cartesian robot 3 make it possible to provide the dedicated automaton of the control-command unit of the robot according to the invention with the information useful for determining the location of the tool in space.

The robot 1 according to the invention finally comprises a control-command unit 10 connected to the plurality of sensors 50 to 53 and to the means for moving the components of the nacelle and for moving the Cartesian tool-carrying robot along the first to eighth axes, the control-command unit being adapted to automatically move the components of the nacelle and of the Cartesian robot along one and/or the other of the first to eighth axes, depending on the information delivered by the plurality of sensors and according to a predefined sequence of renovation and/or inspection of areas of the wall without the mobile base 20 of the nacelle having to be moved.

An advantageous embodiment of the architecture of the control-command unit 12 is illustrated in FIG. 15 : it comprises a main automaton 10 connected to each of the plurality of sensors 5. These connections are preferably by CAN bus.

The main automaton 10 is further connected to the nacelle automaton 11 already integrated in the nacelle 2, to the plurality of means of movement of the Cartesian robot as well as to the renovation tool which is put in place.

In the operation of the robot, the main automaton 10 communicates with the automaton 11 of the nacelle 2 so as to control the vertical deployment or folding of the platform 23 relative to the mobile base 20 depending on the renovation work area previously selected on the wall C.

The main controller 10 also controls the five axes of the Cartesian robot 3, i.e. Axis 4 to 8, based on feedback from the various sensors 50 to 55 and the selected work area.

Finally, the main automaton 10 controls each renovation tool O as well as the associated stations according to the trajectories and tool specificities (stripping by shot blasting, water, painting, etc.).

The electrical network of the robot 1 can be grouped in a single electrical cabinet 24 containing all the electrical components. This cabinet 24 is advantageously fixed on the platform 23 of the nacelle 2, preferably opposite the Cartesian robot 3 for reasons of both mass distribution and space requirement, as illustrated in FIG. 3 . This cabinet 24 can house in particular the main PLC 10 and the associated input and output cards, used for controlling the robot, the variators and the motor starter used for controlling the different motors in particular the electric motors 320, 330, 340 and the cylinder 320, the power supply and a transformer making it possible to obtain the different voltages necessary for powering the components. In addition, the cabinet 24 can house a radio control connected to the PLC which can take control of the robot, if necessary. Finally, different components used for protecting the equipment such as circuit breakers and fuses or even relays and safety relays can be installed in the cabinet 24.

The operation of a robot 1 which has just been described, makes it possible to follow the profile of the wall C by moving from the top to the bottom of it, in all possible configurations, such as the following positions:

- robot 1 is in a working position, high with the tool oriented at -45° ( FIG. 16 ) ;

- robot 1 is in a working position, vertically with the tool oriented at 0° ( FIG. 16 );

- robot 1 is in a low position with the tool oriented at +90° ( FIG. 16 ).

The work zone Z swept by the Cartesian robot 3 corresponds to a vertical strip of width l defined by Axis 6 (horizontal movement) and height H which is a function of the output of Axis 4 (translation of the supporting structure 30) and the travel of Axis 3 (deployment of the platform 23). The work is carried out from top to bottom in horizontal passes. As an indication, the width l can be equal to 200 mm and the height H of the order of 610 mm.

The operation of the robot 1 can be carried out automatically by the control-command unit 10 to follow the profile of a wall C, starting from its upper part and going to the lowest part of the wall.

An operator can perform a remote operation only to move the nacelle 2 closer to or further away from the hull between two cycles limited by the deployment of the supporting structure 30 along Axis 4.

• un pilotage dit local qui est effectué avec la télécommande d’origine de la nacelle 2 et qui reprend toutes les commandes de base de la nacelle ;
• un pilotage dit distant qui est effectué depuis une radiocommande connectée à l’automate principal 10.

Manual control is also provided to allow the user to move the nacelle 2 and the Cartesian robot 3 as desired. Two manual control modes can be chosen, for example, using a two-position selector, implemented on a remote control:

• so-called local control which is carried out with the original remote control of the nacelle 2 and which takes over all the basic controls of the nacelle;
• so-called remote control which is carried out from a radio control connected to the main controller 10.

This remote control mode allows the Cartesian robot 3 to be operated and can also allow the nacelle 2 to be directly controlled.

The fully automatic operating cycle of the Cartesian robot 3 allows the robot 1 to carry out a complete renovation cycle (stripping, cleaning, painting) autonomously, the synopsis of which is illustrated in FIG. 17 .

This cycle takes place according to the following sequence of steps:

(0) Initialization step : PLC 10 waits for the operator to launch automatic mode.

(1) Step of choosing the Z work zone : the operator indicates the Z work zone where he wishes to position himself in order to allow good initialization of the positioning of the axes to cover the largest possible surface. Two cases can occur:

- if the work area is located on the upper part of hull C, axis 5 will be completely extended and will have to retract as platform 23 of the nacelle descends;

- if the work area is located on the lower part of the hull C, the supporting structure 30 (Axis 4) is completely folded and must be deployed as the platform 23 is lowered from the nacelle.

(2) Operator guidance step ( optional ) : the operator can correctly position the nacelle 2 and the Cartesian robot 3 before the renovation work begins.

(3) Cartesian robot position calculations 3 : the calculations allow positioning instructions to be returned and thus the Cartesian robot to position itself correctly in relation to the hull C and the selected work zone Z.

(4) Verification of achievable position instructions : the position instructions returned by the calculations are checked to ensure that they are physically achievable by the Cartesian robot 3. If this is not the case, the cycle stops and the nacelle 2 must be repositioned to allow the robot 3 to renovate the desired area.

(5) Robot positioning : Robot 3 is correctly positioned facing the selected Z work area.

(6) Launch of the operating cycle of robot 3: the Cartesian robot 3 carries out the renovation work, by taking out the tool O and moving it at a constant speed along the horizontal translation X, parallel to the central axis of the shell C, in order to cover a strip Z of width l.

(7a) Folding (optional) of the supporting structure 30 : when the robot 1 is in a position as illustrated in FIG. 16 , the tool O must be brought back before lowering the platform 23 to the next work area. This step is skipped if it is not necessary to retract the supporting structure 30 in order to save cycle time.

(7b) Move the nacelle 2 away from the hull C : if it is necessary to retract the supporting structure 30 and it reaches the end of its travel, then the cycle stops and the operator must manually control the nacelle 2 to move it away from the hull C.

(8a) Lowering the nacelle 2 : until the nacelle is completely lowered or has not reached the stopping point, robot 3 descends until it reaches the next work zone Z.

(8b) End of cycle : this end is activated when platform 23 of nacelle 2 is completely lowered. The operator must reset the program to continue using the robot and the initialization step (0) is activated while waiting for the next automatic cycle launch

As indicated above, the operator must choose a work zone Z when launching the cycle in order to correctly initialize the axes of robot 1. This step allows the PLC to be told that it is necessary to enter ( FIG. 18 ) or exit ( FIG. 18 ) the supporting structure 30 (Axis 4), at the start of the cycle.

The optional step of guiding the operator to allow him to correctly position robot 1 so that the cycle can start in the right conditions. Thus, the operator must be able to control the robot 1 axis by axis by indicating in particular the desired positioning characteristics and distances: the robot must be placed in front of the work zone Z and the operator must orient the tool O so that it is parallel to the wall C. Operator guidance can be carried out from an independent HMI, such as a screen or from a screen on the radio control.

The robot positioning calculation step allows the robot to be correctly positioned in relation to its working area so that the strip l x H is processed uniformly over the entire required working length.

Figures 19A, 19B and 19C represent the intermediate steps of repositioning the robot facing the requested work area.

The curvature diameter of a wall C being of the order of several meters, this wall C can therefore be assimilated to a flat surface on the scale of a work area which is of the order of a decimeter, as illustrated.

The positioning calculations are made solely from the information returned by the telemeters 54, 55, respectively at the top and bottom and from the orientation of Axis 7 which is known in the cycle. These data make it possible to determine the slope of hull C and therefore the orientation instruction of Axis 7.

Then, the vertical and horizontal offsets are determined using trigonometric equations. The positioning results returned by these calculations are satisfactory since the positioning accuracy facing the work area is of the order of a centimeter.

Once the robot is correctly positioned in front of the work area, the cycle of the Cartesian robot 3, which consists of processing a horizontal strip l x H, can begin.

The calculations required to move the robot to the next work area then follow the same logic as those performed for positioning the robot facing the work area Z.

The automatic cycle ends once all desired areas have been treated or once the platform 23 of the nacelle has lowered to its minimum height.

The operator then drives the nacelle 2 to move it longitudinally along the hull C, so as to position the renovation tool at the edge of the space already renovated. A laser pointer can, for example, be used for visual validation of the movement step.

Then the tool is moved without changing the orientation of the mobile base 20 of the nacelle 2.

The operator then starts the automatic cycle as mentioned above.

There FIG. 20 shows the sequence of processing steps (renovation) and movement of robot 1 along hull C.

Other variants and modifications may be envisaged for the robot according to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, other types of sensors than those described can be implemented for the measurement instrumentation of the different axes of movement of the components of a scissor lift and the Cartesian robot.

Claims (18)

Robot (1) for renovation by stripping and/or coating with paint, and/or inspection of at least one wall of a structure with a curved surface, in particular of a structure with circular cross-section(s), comprising:
- a scissor lift (2) comprising as components:

• a mobile base (20) comprising at least one steering axle defining a first axis (Axis 1) and a translational movement motor defining a second axis (Axis 2),

• a platform (21) mounted in vertical translation on the mobile base along a third axis (Axis 3),

- a Cartesian robot (3) comprising:

• a supporting structure (30) mounted in horizontal translation on the platform along a fourth axis (Axis 4),
• a tool holder assembly (31), adapted to carry a renovation and/or inspection tool (O), the tool holder assembly being mounted in rotation on the supporting structure around a fifth axis (Axis 5) orthogonal to the fourth axis (Axis 4), in horizontal translation on the supporting structure along a sixth axis (Axis 6) orthogonal to the fifth axis (Axis 5), in rotation on the supporting structure around a seventh axis (Axis 7) parallel to the sixth axis (Axis 6) and in translation on the supporting structure along an eighth axis (Axis 8) orthogonal to the seventh axis (Axis 7);

- a plurality of sensors (5) comprising:

• at least one linear displacement sensor (50) adapted to measure the vertical deployment of the platform relative to the mobile base along the third axis (Axis 3),
• at least one angular measuring sensor (51), adapted to measure the angular position of the tool holder assembly relative to the supporting structure around the fifth axis (Axis 5),
• at least two distance measuring sensors (52) each adapted to measure a distance from a point of the tool holder assembly relative to the wall to be renovated and/or inspected;
• at least two distance measuring sensors (53) adapted to measure an inclination of the tool holder assembly relative to the wall to be renovated and/or inspected;

- a control-command unit (10) connected to the plurality of sensors and to the means for moving the components of the nacelle and the Cartesian robot along the first to eighth axes, the control-command unit being adapted to automatically move the components of the nacelle and the Cartesian robot along one and/or the other of the first to eighth axes, depending on the information delivered by the plurality of sensors and according to a predefined sequence of renovation and/or inspection of areas of the wall without the mobile base of the nacelle having to be moved. Robot (1) according to claim 1, the tool holder assembly comprising:

• a first support mounted in rotation on the supporting structure around the fifth axis (Axis 5),
• a second support mounted in translation on the first support along the sixth axis (Axis 6),
• a third support mounted in rotation on the second support around the seventh axis (Axis 7),
• a fourth support mounted in translation on the third support along the eighth axis (Axis 8) and on which the renovation and/or inspection tool is intended to be fixed.

Robot (1) according to claim 2, comprising an electric motor, fixed to the supporting structure and whose output shaft defining the fifth axis (Axis 5) is fixed to the first support to drive it in rotation. Robot (1) according to claim 2 or 3, comprising:

• an electric motor, fixed on the first support;
• a ball screw defining the sixth axis (Axis 6), fixed on the first support so as to be rotated by the electric motor of the first support;
• a nut forming with the ball screw a nut system to drive the second support in translation.

Robot (1) according to one of claims 2 to 4, comprising:

• an electric motor, fixed on the second support;
• a shaft defining the seventh axis (Axis 7), fixed on the third support so as to be rotated by the electric motor of the second support to drive the third support in rotation.

Robot (1) according to one of claims 2 to 5, comprising a jack, fixed on the third support and whose rod defining the eighth axis (Axis 8) is fixed to the fourth support to drive it in translation. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising:
- an electric motor, fixed on the platform of the nacelle;
- a ball screw defining the fourth axis (Axis 4), fixed to the supporting structure so as to be rotated by the electric motor of the platform;
- a nut fixed to the supporting structure and forming with the ball screw a nut system to drive the supporting structure in translation. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the linear displacement sensor for measuring the vertical deployment of the platform being an absolute cable encoder comprising an encoder fixed to the platform and to a cable mechanism comprising a drum fixed to the mobile base and around which is wound a cable whose free end is fixed to the platform. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the angular measurement sensor comprising two first laser rangefinders fixed at a distance from each other on the tool holder assembly. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the at least one linear displacement sensor for measuring the horizontal displacement of the tool holder assembly relative to the supporting structure comprising a plurality of inductive sensors fixed to the supporting structure. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the at least two distance measuring sensors for measuring two distances between the tool holder and the wall to be renovated and/or inspected being two second laser rangefinders (52) fixed at a distance from each other on the tool holder assembly. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the at least two distance measuring sensors (53) for measuring an inclination of the tool holder assembly relative to the wall to be renovated and/or inspected being two second laser rangefinders (53) fixed at a distance from each other on the tool holder assembly. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the mobile base (20) comprising at least one other steering axle defining a ninth axis (Axis 9). Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the control-command unit comprising a control-command automaton (10) connected to each of the plurality of sensors, preferably by CAN bus, a nacelle automaton (11), connected to the control-command automaton, preferably by Ethernet link, the control-command automaton being adapted to send its control instructions on the one hand to the nacelle automaton which controls the movement of the components of the nacelle along one and/or the other of the first to third axes, and where appropriate along the ninth axis and on the other hand to the Cartesian robot for the movement of the supporting structure and/or the tool holder assembly along one and/or the other of the fourth to eighth axes. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the control-command unit being adapted to automatically move the mobile base along one and/or the other of the first and second axes and, where appropriate, along the ninth axis, once the predefined sequence has been completed. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a cabinet housing all of the electrical components and the control-command unit (10), fixed on the nacelle platform, at the longitudinal end opposite that where the Cartesian robot is arranged. Robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the tool holder assembly being adapted to carry a shot blasting nozzle equipped with a suction bell for recycling the shot or a high-pressure water projection nozzle with a bell for re-suction of the projected water or a paint projection nozzle with a device for re-suction of the paint not deposited on the structural wall. Use of the robot according to any one of the preceding claims for renovation with stripping, preferably by abrasive blasting or water stripping, and where appropriate with paint coating of a hull or bottom of a ship or a cylindrical tank, such as an oil tank, or a pipe, in particular a penstock.