Back to results
US 12,723,418 B2Granted
Passenger motor vehicle configured to perform additive manufacturing operations
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBrendan Diamond, David Brian Glickman, Keith Weston, Stuart C. Salter, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Ellen Cheng-chi Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a passenger motor vehicle including a robotic arm configured for use in performing an additive manufacturing operation. In other aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method including performing an additive manufacturing operation using a robotic arm mounted to a passenger motor vehicle.
Claims10
A passenger motor vehicle, comprising:
- a robotic arm configured for use in performing an additive manufacturing operation,
- wherein the passenger motor vehicle is a pickup truck including a passenger cabin forward of a cargo area,
- wherein the cargo area includes a bed, a first side and a second side on an opposite lateral side of the bed as the first side, and a tailgate arranged adjacent a rear of the bed,
- wherein the robotic arm is mounted adjacent the cargo area,
- wherein the passenger motor vehicle includes a track system including at least one track,
- wherein the track system is adjacent the cargo area and is slidable along the first side of the cargo area and the second side of the cargo area in a first direction substantially parallel to a centerline of the passenger motor vehicle, and
- wherein the robotic arm is mounted to the track and is slidable along the track in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
4 more elements
A passenger motor vehicle, comprising:
- a robotic arm configured for use in performing an additive manufacturing operation;
- at least one sensor;
- and
- a controller configured to use information from the at least one sensor to identify a pothole in a road surface, wherein the controller is configured to issue one or more commands to cause the passenger motor vehicle to fill the pothole by orienting the robotic arm relative to the pothole and causing material to be expelled from a nozzle mounted to the robotic arm and into the pothole,
- wherein the robotic arm is mounted adjacent a cargo area of the motor vehicle,
- wherein the passenger motor vehicle includes a track system including at least one track,
- wherein the track system is adjacent the cargo area,
- wherein the robotic arm is mounted to the track and is slidable along the track,
- wherein the robotic arm is mounted to the track via a base, and
- wherein the base is rotatable with 360° freedom of rotation relative to the track and about an axis extending perpendicular to a ground surface adjacent the passenger motor vehicle.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.