Mobile platforms for performing operations along an exterior of a fuselage assembly
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHarinder S. Oberoi, Richard Griffith Reese, IV, Kevin Marion Barrick, Quang T. Do, Jeffrey Lawrence Miller, Vanco Stojanoski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing an assembly operation. A tool may be macro-positioned relative to an exterior of a fuselage assembly. The tool may be micro-positioned relative to a particular location on the exterior of the fuselage assembly. An end effector is removably associated with an external robotic device associated with an external mobile platform. The tool is removably associated with the end effector. An assembly operation may be performed at the particular location on the panel using the tool.
Claims30
A method for performing an assembly operation, the method comprising:
- using a controller to perform the steps of:
- macro-positioning a tool relative to an exterior of an assembly, wherein macro-positioning comprises:
- driving an assembly fixture to a position using an autonomous vehicle, and
- driving, using the autonomous vehicle, an external mobile platform having a tool, into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to the exterior of the assembly;
- micro-positioning the tool relative to a particular location on the exterior of the assembly;
- performing the assembly operation at the particular location using the tool.
An apparatus comprising:
- a macro-positioning system associated with an external mobile platform, the external mobile platform comprising a platform base, wherein the macro-positioning system comprises:
- an autonomous vehicle configured to drive an assembly fixture to a position, and
- the external mobile platform having a tool that is configured to be driven, using the autonomous vehicle, into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to an exterior of an assembly;
- a micro-positioning system associated with the external mobile platform;
- and
- an external robotic device associated with the external mobile platform, wherein the tool is associated with the external robotic device.
An external mobile platform comprising:
- a platform base;
- a macro-positioning system associated with the platform base, wherein the macro-positioning system comprises:
- an autonomous vehicle configured to drive an assembly fixture to a position, and
- the external mobile platform having a tool that is configured to be driven, using the autonomous vehicle, into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to an exterior of an assembly;
- and
- a micro-positioning system associated with the platform base.
A method for performing fastening processes using an external mobile platform, the method comprising:
- driving an assembly fixture to a position using an autonomous vehicle;
- driving, using the autonomous vehicle, the external mobile platform into a position relative to a panel of an assembly on the assembly fixture;
- identifying a set of locations on the panel for performing a fastening process;
- and
- performing the fastening process at each of the set of locations.
A method for performing an assembly operation, the method comprising:
- using a controller to perform the steps of:
- macro-positioning a tool relative to an exterior of an assembly, wherein macro-positioning comprises:
- driving an assembly fixture to a position using an autonomous vehicle, and
- driving, using the autonomous vehicle, an external mobile platform having a tool, into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to the exterior of the assembly;
- micro-positioning the tool relative to a particular location on the exterior of the assembly;
- removably coupling an end effector with an external robotic device attached to an external mobile platform;
- removably coupling the tool with the end effector;
- and
- performing the assembly operation at the particular location using the tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.