Optical Velocity Tracking for Paint Spray Gun
AssigneeSouthwest Research Institute
InventorsClinton J. Thwing, Jonathan D. Bartlett, Erika C. Laiche, David L. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of tracking and reporting the velocity of a hand-held paint spray gun. The object to be painted is placed in a room having one or more fiducial walls. A camera is installed on the spray gun, with its field of view toward the one or more fiducial walls. As the object is painted, the camera detects fiducials, calculates their current position, and compares current positions to previous locations to determine movement and velocity. The current velocity is compared to a stored target velocity, and audible or visible feedback is provided to the spray gun operator.
Claims16
A method of tracking velocity of a hand-held paint spray gun, comprising:
- Placing an object to be painted in an area having at least one wall covered with a constellation of fiducials;
- Storing the three-dimensional location and diameter of each fiducial in memory of a computer;
- Placing a camera on the spray gun, the camera having a field of view of the at least one wall when the object is being painted;
- Painting the object using the spray gun;
- During painting, using the camera to acquire location and diameter data representing the location and diameter of one or more fiducials within the camera's field of view;
- using the location or diameter data to determine the current velocity of the spray gun;
- comparing current velocity values to the stored target velocity value;
- and
- Providing feedback, audio or visual, to the operator representing the relationship of the current velocity to the target velocity.
A camera-processor velocity tracking device for mounting on a hand-held paint spray gun, for use in painting an object in an area having at least one wall covered with a constellation of fiducials, comprising:
- A memory for storing the three-dimensional location and diameter of each fiducial;
- A camera having a field of view of the at least one wall when the object is being painted;
- A processor programmed to acquire location and diameter data representing the location and diameter of one or more fiducials within the camera's field of view during painting of the object;
- to use the location or diameter data to determine the current velocity of the spray gun;
- to compare current velocity values to the stored target velocity value;
- and
- An audio or visual feedback unit for providing feedback, audio or visual, to the operator representing the relationship of the current velocity to the target velocity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.