Force and normality sensing for end effector clamp
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsBranko Sarh, James D. Gamboa, Chris J. Erickson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A robotic system comprises an end effector including an electromagnetic clamp, a force sensor attached to the end effector for measuring force exerted by the clamp against a work piece surface, and a plurality of normality sensors. The normality sensors are positioned about the force sensor to determine whether the clamp is normal to the surface before the force sensor makes contact with the surface.
Claims18
A robotic system comprising:
- an end effector including an electromagnetic clamp;
- a force sensor attached to the end effector for measuring force exerted by the clamp against a work piece surface;
- and
- a plurality of displacement sensors attached to the end effector and spaced apart from the force sensor for determining whether the clamp is normal to the surface before the force sensor makes contact with the surface;
- wherein sensing by the displacement sensors is decoupled from sensing by the force sensor.
An electromagnetic clamp comprising:
- a core;
- windings wrapped around the core;
- a force sensor attached to the core at a clamp surface;
- and
- a plurality of linear displacement sensors attached to the core and disposed about the force sensor, the linear displacement sensors having tips extending further from the clamp surface than the force sensor, which enables normality of the clamp with respect to a work piece surface to be determined without the force sensor touching the surface such that operation of the force sensor is decoupled from operation of the displacement sensors.
A method comprising using a clamp to perform a manufacturing operation on a work piece, the clamp including a force sensor for measuring clamping force of the clamp against a surface of the work piece, wherein using the clamp includes:
- positioning the clamp's clamping surface proximate to the work piece surface;
- using displacement sensors to determine normality of the clamping surface with respect to the work piece surface before the clamping surface touches the work piece surface;
- moving the clamping surface towards the work piece surface while maintaining normality of the clamping surface;
- and
- clamping the clamp against the work piece surface;
- wherein sensing by the displacement sensors is decoupled from sensing by the force sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.