US 11,027,435 B2Granted

Automated work piece testing system and method for same

AssigneeRaytheon Company

InventorsBryan R. Moosman, Anthony R. Vulcano, Vonn L. Holyoak

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Abstract

A method for identifying at least one physical characteristic of a work piece includes selecting at least one test scheme having one or more test configurations. At least one error isolation scheme is selected having one or more counterpart test configurations. The work piece is moved through the one or more test configurations, and a sensor suite measures one or more of base force, torque, or motion. The work piece is moved through the one or more counterpart test configurations, and counterpart force, torque or motion are measured. Identification of the at least one physical characteristic includes isolating error common to one or more of the measured base and counterpart force, torque or motion, and removing the isolated error from the base measurements to generate one or more of refined force, torque or motion. The at least one physical characteristic is determined according to the one or more refined values.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method for automatically identifying at least one physical characteristic of a work piece comprising:

selecting at least one test scheme for determining the at least one physical characteristic, each test scheme including one or more test configurations;
selecting at least one error isolation scheme, the at least one error isolation scheme includes:
a load reversal scheme including one or more counterpart test configurations to the one or more test configurations of the selected at least one test scheme;
implementing each of the selected at least one test scheme and the at least one error isolation scheme, implementing includes:
moving the work piece through the one or more test configurations of the selected at least one test scheme, and measuring one or more of base force, torque, or motion for the work piece with a sensor suite in the one or more test configurations;
and
moving the work piece through the one or more counterpart test configurations of the selected at least one error isolation scheme, and measuring one or more of counterpart force, torque or motion for the work piece with the sensor suite in the one or more counterpart test configurations;
and
identifying the at least one physical characteristic of the work piece based on the selected at least one test scheme, identifying the physical characteristic includes:
isolating error common to one or more of the measured base and counterpart force, torque or motion including at least creep error;
determining one or more of refined force, torque or motion by removing the isolated error including at least one of creep, cross-talk, temperature drift or non-linearity error from one or more of the measured base force, torque or motion;
and
determining the at least one physical characteristic according to the one or more refined force, torque or motion.

10 more elements

A manipulation and testing system configured for manipulation of a work piece and determination of at least one physical characteristic of the work piece, the system comprising:

a manipulator arm assembly including a work piece interface;
a sensor suite associated with the manipulator arm assembly and configured to measure one or more of force, torque or motion of the work piece;
and
a testing controller in communication with the manipulator arm assembly, the testing controller includes:
a test scheme module including at least one test scheme for determining the at least on physical characteristic, each test scheme includes one or more test configurations;
an error isolation module including at least one error isolation scheme, the error isolation module includes at least a load reversal scheme including one or more counterpart test configurations to the one or more test configurations;
and
a physical characteristic determination module in communication with the manipulator arm assembly, the physical characteristic determination module includes:
an implementing element configured to operate the manipulator arm assembly through the test and counterpart test configurations;
a measurement element configured to collect base and counterpart measurements including one or more of base and counterpart forces, torques or motions for the work piece in the test and counterpart test configurations, respectively;
a comparator element configured to compare the base and counterpart measurements, isolate common error therebetween and remove common error from the base measurements;
and
a determination element configured to determine the at least one physical characteristic of the work piece according to the base measurements having the common error removed.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/209,556Filed 4 Dec 2018
Published: US 2020/0171673 A14 Jun 2020
Granted: 8 Jun 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B25J 13/085
By means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices: force or torque sensors
G01M 1/02
Testing static or dynamic balance of machines or structures: details of balancing machines or devices
B25J 9/1692
Characterised by the tasks executed: calibration of manipulator
B25J 13/089
With position, velocity or acceleration sensors: determining the position of the robot with reference to its environment

Family

US 2020/0171673 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Jun 2020
US 11,027,435 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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