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US 2022/0016774 A1Published application
Automated surface preparation system
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsNicholas G. Amell, Jonathan B. Arthur, Thaine W. Fuller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Automated systems and methods of using a smart end-effector tool to prepare (e.g., scuffing, abrading, sanding, polishing, etc.) an object surface are provided. The smart tool can update its working state with a robot arm in real time, which in turn adjusts locomotion parameters to optimize the tool's working state on the object surface.
Claims20
An end-effector tool mounted on a motive robot arm for preparing an object surface, the tool comprising:
- a functional component configured to contact and prepare the object surface;
- one or more sensors configured to detect a working state of the end-effector tool, while the functional component contacts and prepares the object surface;
- and
- a control circuit to receive signals from the sensors and process the signals to generate state information of the end-effector tool.
1 more element
A method of using a surface preparation system to prepare an object surface, the method comprising:
- providing an end-effector tool to a robot arm;
- initializing the system by communicating the tool with the robot arm to update the respective state information;
- while the end-effector tool contacts and prepares the object surface, detecting, via one or more sensors of the tool, a working state of the tool to generate tool state signals;
- processing, via a control circuit of the tool, the tool state signals from the sensors to generate real-time tool state information, notifications or instructions;
- transmitting the real-time tool state information, the notifications, or the instructions from the control circuit to a robot controller of the robot arm;
- and
- adjusting locomotion parameters of the robot arm and the tool's operation based on the real-time tool state information, the notifications, and the instructions.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.