Patent ID: 7077020

Claim:
An inspection robot adapted to traverse the interior of a pipeline for the purpose of checking the coating at the interior surface of the pipeline at the weld seams thereon to determine the thickness of the coatings and for detecting for voids or holidays by means of a conductive brush that sweeps against the weld seam and emits a spark when a void is encountered, the spark emission causing a holiday marker to activate and mark the pipeline interior surface so that the site can be revisited for repair, a mil gauge probe mounted on a slideable plunger for measuring coating thickness on the weld seam and providing data via a digital mil gauge readout, the conductive brush, the slidable plunger for the mil gauge probe, the digital mil gauge readout, and a forward portion of the robot all being provided with cameras which simultaneously monitor the movements and data encountered by the inspection robot to provide real-time feedback to a remote operator, wherein the holiday marker is a spray unit located adjacent the conductive brush such that when the conductive brush emits a spark, the spray unit will be actuated to place a circumferential mark on the inner circumference of the pipeline adjacent the weld seam and wherein the actuation of the spray unit will cause the brush to rotate in a reverse direction against the inside of the pipeline following which the holiday marker will again be actuated to spray a second circumferential mark on the interior of the pipeline adjacent to the weld seam.