Digital projection system for workpiece assembly and associated method

An apparatus for assembling components of a workpiece on a work surface, the apparatus comprising:

• a first projector/camera subsystem that includes:
• a first digital projector that projects a first output digital image of at least some features of the workpiece onto the work surface, wherein the first output digital image includes a plurality of line indicators that have visually discernible different markings, wherein the plurality of line indicators of the first output digital image include a first line indicator that has a first marking and a second line indicator that has a second marking;
• a first digital camera that obtains input images of the work surface and the components of the workpiece;
• and
• a first controller configured to receive the input images from the first digital camera and to control the first digital projector to project the first output digital image on the work surface for assembly of the components to form the workpiece;
• a second digital projector that projects a second output digital image of at least some features of the workpiece onto the work surface;
• a second digital camera that obtains input images of the work surface and the components of the workpiece;
• and
• a second controller configured to receive the input images from the second digital camera and to control the second digital projector to project the second output digital image on the work surface stitched together with the first output digital image such that at least a portion of the first line indicator of the first output digital image overlaps at least a portion of the first line indicator of the second output digital image for assembly of the components to form the workpiece.

A method for assembling components of a workpiece, the method comprising:

• receiving components of the workpiece on a work surface;
• projecting a first output digital image of at least some features of the workpiece onto the work surface, wherein the first output digital image includes a plurality of line indicators that have visually discernible different markings including a first line indicator that has a first marking and a second line indicator that has a second marking;
• obtaining a first set of input digital images of the work surface and the components of the workpiece;
• receiving the first set of input images;
• controlling the projecting of the first output digital image onto the work surface for assembly of the components to form the workpiece, and storing distortion-correction parameters and using the stored distortion-correction parameters to adjust the projecting of the first output digital image;
• projecting a second output digital image of at least some features of the workpiece onto the work surface, wherein the second output digital image includes a plurality of line indicators;
• obtaining a second set of input images of the work surface and the components of the workpiece;
• receiving the second set of input images;
• controlling the projecting of the second output digital image onto the work surface stitched together with the first output digital image such that at least a portion of the first line indicator of the first output digital image overlaps at least a portion of the first line indicator of the second output digital image for assembly of the components to form the workpiece;
• transmitting a plurality of the received images to a remote human-machine interface (HMI) unit;
• receiving interactively human-generated graphical information from the remote human-machine interface (HMI) unit;
• and
• interactively projecting the human-generated graphical information onto the work surface as the workpiece is being assembled such that further input images obtained include the projected human-generated graphical information from the remote HMI unit.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media that include instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method comprising:

• projecting a first output digital image of at least some features of a workpiece onto a work surface, wherein the workpiece includes a plurality of pieces, and wherein the first output digital image includes a plurality of line indicators that have visually discernible different markings including a first line indicator that has a first marking and a second line indicator that has a second marking;
• obtaining a first set of input digital images of the work surface and the components of the workpiece;
• receiving the first set of input images;
• controlling the projecting of the first output digital image onto the work surface for assembly of the components to form the workpiece;
• projecting a second output digital image of at least some features of the workpiece onto the work surface, wherein the second output digital image includes a plurality of line indicators that have visually discernible different markings including a first line indicator that has a first marking and a second line indicator that has a second marking;
• obtaining a second set of input images of the work surface and the components of the workpiece;
• receiving the second set of input images;
• and
• controlling the projecting of the second output digital image onto the work surface stitched together with the first output digital image such that at least a portion of the first line indicator of the first output digital image overlaps at least a portion of the first line indicator of the second output digital image for assembly of the components to form the workpiece.