Robotic arm cooperating with an off-road capable base vehicle
AssigneeUlc Technologies, LLC
InventorsAli Asmari, Brian Lynn, Eric Feldman, Greg Penza, Ben Artes, Rob Kodadek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An advanced system of cooperating solar module carrier robots for installing solar panels is provided. The system includes a computer vision system designed to route the cooperating solar module carrier robots to the solar tracker. The system also includes a robotic arm with a suction cup tool designed to pick up and hold a solar panel. The suction cup tool can include a set of suction cups, an actuator designed to create a vacuum in each suction cup of the set of suction cups. The suction cup tool also has an air nozzle designed to below off debris on a surface of the solar panel.
Claims18
An advanced system of cooperating solar module carrier robots for installing solar panels on a solar tracker comprising:
- a computer vision system designed to route the cooperating solar module carrier robots to the solar tracker;
- and
- a robotic arm with a suction cup tool designed to pick up and hold a solar panel, wherein the suction cup tool comprises:
- a set of suction cups;
- an actuator designed to create a vacuum, where each suction cup of the set of suction cups has its own vacuum;
- and
- an air nozzle designed to cooperate with the set of suction cups, wherein the air nozzle is designed to blow off debris on a surface of the solar panel.
An advanced method for installing solar panels on a solar tracker using a system of cooperating solar module carrier robots comprising:
- routing the cooperating solar module carrier robots to the solar tracker using a computer vision system;
- picking up a solar panel with a robotic arm coupled to a first robot of the cooperating solar module carrier robots using a suction cup tool, wherein the suction cup tool includes a set of suction cups;
- creating a vacuum in each suction cup of the set of suction cups using an actuator, where each suction cup of the set of suction cups has its own vacuum;
- blowing off debris from a surface of the solar panel using an air nozzle of the suction cup tool;
- compressing the set of suction cups to the solar panel using the robotic arm;
- and
- holding the solar panel using the vacuum of each suction cup of the set of the suction cups.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.