Robot-assisted tool systems and methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorTim C. Mealy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and a method include a positioner, such as one or more arms. An end effector is coupled to the positioner. A tool is coupled to the end effector. The tool includes an operative portion coupled to one or more motors. A control unit is configured to automatically control the positioner and the tool. The control unit is configured to automatically move the positioner to automatically secure the tool to a jig, and automatically operate the tool to move the operative portion into a hole of the jig and perform a tooling operation in relation to a surface of a component on which the jig is positioned.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a positioner;
- an end effector coupled to the positioner;
- a tool coupled to the end effector, wherein the tool comprises an operative portion coupled to one or more motors;
- and
- a control unit configured to automatically control the positioner and the tool, wherein the control unit is configured to:
- automatically move the positioner to automatically secure the tool to a jig, and
- automatically operate the tool to move the operative portion into a hole of the jig and perform a tooling operation in relation to a surface of a component on which the jig is positioned.
A method for a system comprising:
- one or more arms;
- an end effector coupled to the one or more arms;
- a tool coupled to the end effector, wherein the tool comprises an operative portion coupled to one or more motors;
- and
- a control unit configured to automatically control the one or more arms and the tool,
- the method comprising:
- automatically moving, by the control unit, the one or more arms to automatically secure the tool to a jig, and
- automatically operating, by the control unit, the tool to move the operative portion into a hole of the jig and perform a tooling operation in relation to a surface of a component on which the jig is positioned.
A system comprising:
- a jig configured to be positioned on a surface of a component, wherein the jig comprises a hole and a lock;
- and
- a robot comprising:
- one or more arms;
- an end effector coupled to the one or more arms;
- an imaging device configured to acquire one or more images of one or more features of the jig, wherein the one or more features of the jig comprise one or more of the hole, the lock, or other markers;
- a tool coupled to the end effector, wherein the tool comprises an operative portion coupled to one or more motors;
- and
- a control unit configured to automatically control the one or more arms and the tool, wherein the control unit is configured to:
- receive the one or more images from the imaging device,
- automatically move the one or more arms to automatically secure the tool to the jig based on the one or more images, and
- automatically operate the tool to move the operative portion into the hole of the jig and perform a tooling operation in relation to the surface of the component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.