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US 11,884,377 B2Granted
High-density robotic system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHarinder S. Oberoi, Kevin Marion Barrick, Charles Yuanxin Hu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for performing automated operations, such as installing fasteners at a plurality of locations along a joint, using a high-density robotic cell. A plurality of different tasks for a fastener installation operation is performed concurrently at selected locations of the plurality of locations using a plurality of single function end effectors positioned relative to the selected locations in a high-density setup.
Claims26
A high-density robotic system comprising:
- a first plurality of robotic devices, each of the first plurality of robotic devices being capable of providing a single-sided clamp-up;
- a second plurality of robotic devices, the second plurality of robotic devices including:
- a first robotic device coupled to a drilling end effector;
- a second robotic device coupled to an inspection end effector;
- and
- a third robotic device coupled to a fastener insertion end effector;
- a first platform that supports the first plurality of robotic devices, the first platform being sized to fit and move within an interior of a fuselage assembly;
- a second platform that supports the second plurality of robotic devices, the second platform being sized for positioning and movement along an exterior of the fuselage assembly;
- and
- a control system configured to control the first plurality of robotic devices and the second plurality of robotic devices, the control system being configured to control each of the first plurality of robotic devices to provide the single-sided clamp-up of at least two parts of the fuselage assembly at a location of a plurality of locations when a corresponding hole has been drilled at the location through the at least two parts of the fuselage assembly, the single-sided clamp-up being maintained at the location while the control system causes at least one of the drilling, inspection, and fastener insertion end effectors to be switched out at the location with at least one other one of the drilling, inspection, and fastener insertion end effectors.
7 more elements
A method for performing automated fastener installation operations along a fuselage assembly for an aircraft, the method comprising:
- positioning a first platform supporting a first plurality of robotic devices of a robotic cell within an interior of a fuselage assembly relative to a selected section of the fuselage assembly;
- positioning a second platform supporting a second plurality of robotic devices of the robotic cell along an exterior of the fuselage assembly relative to the selected section of the fuselage assembly;
- and
- performing automated fastener installation operations at selected fastener installation points on the selected section of the fuselage assembly using a first plurality of end effectors coupled to the first plurality of robotic devices and a second plurality of end effectors coupled to the second plurality of robotic devices, with the first plurality of end effectors being used to provide single-sided clamp-up at the selected fastener installation points;
- wherein each of the first plurality of end effectors provides the single-sided clamp-up of at least two parts of the fuselage assembly at a location of a plurality of locations and maintains the single-sided clamp-up at the location while at least one of the second plurality of end effectors is switched out at the location with at least one other one of the second plurality of end effectors.
2 more elements
A system for installing fasteners at a plurality of locations along a joint, the system comprising:
- a first plurality of robotic devices, each of the first plurality of robotic devices being capable of providing a single-sided clamp-up at a location of the plurality of locations during at least part of fastener installation at the location, the single-sided clamp-up clamping at least two parts of the joint from a first side of the joint;
- and
- a second plurality of robotic devices capable of performing different tasks to install a fastener at each location, the second plurality of robotic devices being capable of performing the different tasks from a second side of the joint, each of the second plurality of robotic devices being capable of performing only a respective one of the different tasks;
- wherein the system comprises a control system for controlling each of the first plurality of robotic devices to provide the single-sided clamp-up at a corresponding location of the plurality of locations while at least one of the second plurality of robotic devices is switched out at the corresponding location with at least one other one of the second plurality of robotic devices.
1 more element
A control system for controlling fastener installation at each of a plurality of locations along a joint, the controlling comprising:
- controlling each of a first plurality of robotic devices to provide a single-sided clamp-up at a location of the plurality of locations during at least part of fastener installation at the location, the single-sided clamp-up clamping at least two parts of the joint from a first side of the joint;
- and
- controlling a second plurality of robotic devices to perform different tasks to install a fastener at each location, the second plurality of robotic devices performing the different tasks from a second side of the joint, each of the second plurality of robotic devices performing only a respective one of the different tasks;
- wherein the control system is configured to control each of the first plurality of robotic devices to provide the single-sided clamp-up at a corresponding location of the plurality of locations while at least one of the second plurality of end effectors is switched out at the corresponding location with at least one other one of the second plurality of end effectors.
1 more element
A method for providing multiple single-sided clamp-ups, the method comprising:
- establishing a two-sided clamp-up to clamp at least two parts together at a first fastener installation point using a first robotic device at a first side of a joint to be formed by the at least two parts and a second robotic device at a second side of the joint;
- converting the two-sided clamp-up at the first fastener installation point to a single-sided clamp-up to clamp the at least two parts together using the first robotic device;
- moving the second robotic device along the second side of the joint to a second fastener installation point, while maintaining the single-sided clamp-up at the first fastener installation point;
- and
- moving a third robotic device along the second side of the joint to the first fastener installation point, while maintaining the single-sided clamp-up at the first fastener installation point.
2 more elements
A method of installing fasteners on a splice, the method comprising:
- determining a sequence of operations to be performed by a plurality of cells on the splice;
- and
- performing the sequence of operations on the splice using the plurality of cells, each cell of the plurality of cells including a first plurality of robotic devices located in a first high-density robotic zone at a first side of the splice and a second plurality of robotic devices located in a second high-density robotic zone at a second side of the splice;
- wherein in each of the plurality of cells, each of the first plurality of robotic devices provides a single-sided clamp-up of the splice at a location of a plurality of locations and maintains the single-sided clamp-up at the location while at least one of the second plurality of robotic devices is switched out at the location with at least one other one of the second plurality of robotic devices.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.