System and method of performing operations on artifacts with stowable robotic pods
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsMichael G. Nelson, Timothy A. Brownlee, Robert J. Santen, Didier M. Rouaud, Douglas B. Polkinghome
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for operating at least one stowable automated robotic pod in a workplace having a workpiece is disclosed. The pod includes a robot on a base that can also include one or both of a tool nest and process equipment. A door to subfloor storage allows the pod to raise its base vertical, placing the robot into the desired vertical position in the workspace. Once operations on the workpiece are complete, the pod withdraws back to the subfloor storage and the doors to the storage volume close.
Claims18
A method for operating a stowable automated robotic pod in a workspace having a workpiece, the pod including a robot on a base, the base having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion forming an arm upon which the robot is mounted, the arm being mounted on and rotatable around a vertical axis relative to the lower portion about a pivot that is located on an end of the arm opposite the robot, the method comprising:
- opening a pair of doors to a subfloor storage volume, wherein the pair of doors are pivotably connected to a floor on opposite sides of the subfloor storage volume and are movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein in the closed position during storage of the robot the pair of doors are flush with the floor and in the open position during use of the robot each of the pair of doors extends upward toward a vertical position and provides a safety barrier to the subfloor storage volume;
- raising the base vertically through the opening formed by the pair of doors in the opening position from the subfloor storage volume into the workspace, wherein a second robotic pod includes a second robot on a second base, wherein the lower portion of the base of the robot includes a track and a second lower portion of the second base of the second robot includes a second track, wherein the track aligns to the second track to form a continuous track when the base and the second base are raised to a predetermined height, and wherein the arm of the base is selectively horizontally translatable relative to the lower portion and the second lower portion along the continuous track;
- rotating the arm of the base around the vertical axis about the pivot relative to the lower portion so that the arm extends horizontally from the lower portion;
- performing one or more predetermined operations on the workpiece with the robot;
- lowering the base vertically into the subfloor storage volume;
- and
- closing the pair of doors to the subfloor storage volume.
A system for operating at least one stowable automated pod comprising a robotic pod and a second robotic pod in a workspace, comprising:
- a robot on a base, wherein the base includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion forming an arm upon which the robot is mounted, the arm being mounted on and rotatable around a vertical axis relative to the lower portion about a pivot located at an end of the arm opposite the robot so that the arm can be rotated to extend horizontally from the lower portion of the base, the lower portion including a track;
- a second robot on a second base, wherein a second lower portion of the second base of the second robot includes a second track, wherein the track aligns to the second track to form a continuous track when the base and the second base are raised to a predetermined height, and wherein the arm of the base is selectively horizontally translatable relative to the lower portion and the second lower portion along the continuous track;
- a subfloor storage volume;
- a fixed support floor located at a bottom of the subfloor storage volume;
- a pair of doors pivotably connected to a floor located above the subfloor storage volume on opposite sides of the subfloor storage volume that are movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein in the closed position during storage of the robot the pair of doors are flush with the floor and in the open position during use of the robot each of the pair of doors extends upward toward a vertical position and provides a safety barrier to the subfloor storage volume;
- a lift operable to selectively move the robot on the base between the subfloor storage volume and the workspace, wherein the lift is connected to the fixed support floor at one end and to the lower portion of the base at an opposing end;
- and
- a controller in operable communication with the robot, the controller including a processor and a non-transient computer-readable medium including instructions that upon execution by the processor perform an operation on the workpiece with the robot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.