Patent ID: 11867009
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 18:
19. A method, comprising:
interconnecting a plurality of modules to be a mobility platform having a mobility platform longitudinal axis, the plurality of modules including a computing module, a first drive module, a second drive module, and, at a forward end of the modules, a navigation module, wherein the navigation module has a first processor executing first code therein configured to detect a feature of the downhole environment, to generate a data signal corresponding to the detected feature, and to direct the plurality of interconnected modules comprising the mobility platform toward the feature with the downhole environment, the navigation module including a front end having a socket, an articulating arm having a spherical end rotatably mounted in the socket, a sensor disposed at a forward end of the articulating arm configured to detect the feature, and an actuator connected to bend the articulating arm in a selected lateral direction, wherein the computing module having a second processor executing second code therein configured, responsive to the data signal, to determine a first width of an upcoming portion in the selected direction, wherein the first drive module has a first drive module longitudinal axis coincident with the mobility platform longitudinal axis, and three first tractor treads spaced 120 degrees apart from each other about the first drive module longitudinal axis, with the three first tractor treads extendable radially out from the first drive module longitudinal axis, and retractable radially in towards the first drive module longitudinal axis, wherein the second drive module has a second drive module longitudinal axis coincident with the mobility platform longitudinal axis, and three second tractor treads spaced 120 degrees apart from each other about the second drive module longitudinal axis, with the three second tractor treads extendable radially out from the second drive module longitudinal axis, and retractable radially in towards the second drive module longitudinal axis, wherein the three second tractor treads are rotated by a non-zero angle about the mobility platform longitudinal axis to be spaced by the non-zero angle relative to the three first tractor treads, wherein the computing module has a computing housing disposed along the mobility platform longitudinal axis between the first and second drive modules, wherein the computing module is further configured to control the first and second drive modules using a first wireless signal sent to the first and second drive modules to extend or retract the three first tractor treads spaced 120 degrees apart from each other about the first drive module longitudinal axis, and to extend or retract the three second tractor treads spaced 120 degrees apart from each other about the second drive module longitudinal axis, with the three first tractor treads extendable or retractable radially out from or in towards the first drive module longitudinal axis, respectively, and with the three second tractor treads extendable or retractable radially out from or in towards the second drive module longitudinal axis, respectively, to have each of the first and second drive modules configured with a second width less than the first width to fit the mobility platform in the upcoming portion in the selected direction, and control the first and second drive modules using a second wireless signal sent to the first and second drive modules to drive the first and second tractor treads to move the mobility platform in the upcoming portion in the selected direction;
deploying the mobility platform into the downhole environment;
detecting the feature of the downhole environment;
determining the first width of the upcoming portion of the downhole environment;
moving a first or second tractor tread of the first or second drive module, respectively, to fit the mobility platform into the upcoming portion; and
advancing the mobility platform into the upcoming portion of the downhole environment.