Abstract:
A system and method for operating at least one stowable automated robotic pod in a workplace having a workpiece is disclosed. The pod includes a robot on a base that can also include one or both of a tool nest and process equipment. A door to subfloor storage allows the pod to raise its base vertical, placing the robot into the desired vertical position in the workspace. Once operations on the workpiece are complete, the pod withdraws back to the subfloor storage and the doors to the storage volume close.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure concerns systems and methods for performing automated manufacturing, maintenance and other operations with a computer-controlled robot workstation. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Due to their size and shape, certain large artifacts can pose challenges in performing manufacturing operations on the artifacts. Such artifacts include but are not limited to aircraft and aircraft parts such as wings and engines; wind-turbines and associated parts such as blades and towers; boats, ships, and constituent parts such as hulls and rudders; trains and train parts such as engine, carriages, and axles; defense artifacts such as missile bodies, and tanks; rail cars, locomotives, infrastructure elements and assemblies such as bridges, towers, and building subassemblies, and agricultural and earth moving machines, and their subassemblies. The manufacturing and finishing operations performed on such artifacts can vary, and can include but are not limited to cleaning, polishing, sanding, abrading, washing, drying, tacking, wiping, painting, sealing, surface inspecting, scrubbing, treating, masking, de-masking, taping, printing, and labeling. Further, large artifacts can require repairing or reprocessing in connection with these processes. The aforementioned operations and processes can be required in a particular area or entire surface of the large artifact. Thus, systems and methods for performing operations on large artifacts are desirable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A system and method for operating at least one stowable automated robotic pod in a workspace having a workpiece is disclosed. The pod includes a robot on a base that can also include one or both of a tool nest and process equipment. A door to subfloor storage allows the pod to raise its base vertically, placing the robot into the desired vertical position in the workspace. Once operations on the workpiece are complete, the pod withdraws back to the subfloor storage and the doors to the storage volume close. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    In the accompanying drawings, structures and methods are illustrated that, together with the detailed description provided below, describe aspects of a system and method for performing operations on large workpieces. It will be noted that a single component may be designed as multiple components or that multiple components may be designed as a single component. 
           [0005]    Further, in the accompanying drawings and description that follow, like parts are indicated throughout the drawings and written description with the same reference numerals, respectively. The figures are not drawn to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated for convenience of illustration. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic view of a stowed robotic pod  100 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic view of an extended robotic pod  100 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates an overhead schematic view of robotic pod  100 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic view of system  400  performing operations on workpiece  406 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates an alternate schematic view of system  400  performing operations on workpiece  406 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  illustrates a diagrammatic view of a controller  600 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , a self-contained robotic pod  100  is shown in a stowed position below floor  102 . The pod  100  includes robot  104 , which is positioned on a base  106 . The base  106  includes an upper portion  108  and lower portion  110 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the upper portion  108  can rotate about axis A with respect to the lower portion  110 , allowing an additional degree of freedom in operating the robot  104 , which is a six-axis articulated robot  104 . The base  106  and robot  104  can be selectively moved vertically from the subfloor volume  112  with lift  114 . According to one alternative, facilities with basement space can use such space instead of a dedicated subfloor volume  112 . The illustrated lift  114  includes telescoping arm  116  that is secured to the base  106  and lifts the base  106  and robot  104  and any additional items on the pod  100  from the subfloor storage volume  112  to the workspace. The lift  114  can alternatively have scissor arms providing the vertical linear motion. Any operating mechanism for the lift  114 , such as pumps, gears or other devices can be stored in the subfloor volume  112 . Further, the operating mechanism for the pod  100  and the robot  104  in particular can be stored within the subfloor volume  112  or elsewhere. As shown in  FIG. 1 , doors  118  are in a closed position and are flush with the floor  102 . 
         [0013]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , the pod  100  is shown extended out of the subfloor volume  112  as would be done during operation of the robot  104  to perform manufacturing processes. The doors  118  are in the open position, and can extend vertically when open as shown to provide a safety barrier to workers in proximity to the pod  100 . The telescoping arm  116  of the pod can lift the robot  104  to the necessary height to perform manufacturing processes. The subfloor volume  112  can be configured to allow staff access to the pod  100  in order to perform maintenance or service on the pod, or to perform tasks related to operations and processes performed on a workpiece, such as the workpiece described in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
         [0014]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , according to one aspect of the present teachings, the pod  100  can also include one or both of a tool nest  300  and process equipment  302 . The tool nest  300  can include delivery systems and application equipment such as paint atomizers, dispensers, paint guns, abrasive tools, inspections tools, cameras, and other devices for performing manufacturing and finishing operations and processes. Process equipment  302  can include paints, sealer, coatings, mixing equipment, consumables, and space for material storage. Placement of the process equipment on the pod  100  can allow for less supply equipment to be used when automating certain tasks. For example, providing paint supplies with the process equipment can reduce the amount of supply lines required to deliver paint to the robot  104 . Further, the proximity of tools in the tool nest  300  allows for quick transition from one task to the next. Placement of the tool nest  300  on the base  106  also allows for easier storage of the pod  100 . According to another aspect of the present teaching, the pod  100  includes universal docking stations for one or both of the tool nest  300  and process equipment  302 . This allows for flexible swapping out of the tool nest  300  and process equipment  302  with replacement tool nest  300  and process equipment  302  required for successive tasks. According to yet another aspect of the present teachings, the pod  100  can identify one or both of the tool nest  300  or process equipment  302  loaded onto the pod  100 . Such recognition can include abstract identification, such as identifying that one or both of a tool nest  300  or process equipment  302  have been mounted to the pod  100 . According to another aspect of the present teachings, the identification can be specific, including recognizing whether a particular tool nest  300  contains painting tool or cleaning tools, for example. Once the pod  100  has identified one or both of the tool nest  300  or process equipment  302 , the pod can initiate startup sequences or working parameters based upon the selection of tool nest  300  and process equipment  302 . The identification of the tool nest  300  or process equipment  302  can be realized through a variety of devices including but not limited to RFID tags and detection equipment, through lock and key mechanical interfaces, or other methods. Further, the pods  100  can perform predetermined instructions upon receiving a particular tool nest  300  or process equipment  302 . Such instructions can include but are not limited to mounting a particular spray gun from the tool nest  300  onto the robot  104  or purging a paint feed line among the process equipment  302 . 
         [0015]    With continued reference to  FIG. 3 , the illustrated robot  104  is configured for applying paint or other coatings to a workpiece. According to another aspect of the present teachings, the robot  104  can be a general purpose robot. The upper base portion  108  on which the robot  104  is mounted at one end serves as an arm  304  rotatable about pivot  306  at the end of arm  304  opposite robot  104 . It should be noted that counterweights placed on the base  106  can be used to balance the pod  100  while it is in any accessible orientation. In addition to the rotational degree of freedom provided by pivot  306 , an additional linear degree of freedom along axis X is provided by the track  308  having two rails  310 . A carriage  312  on which robot  104  is mounted interfaces with the rails  310  and can be moved along the track  308  in order to provide the desired motion for the robot  104  along the axis X. With the six axes available to the robot and the additional three axes provided by the rotation around pivot  306 , movement along the track  308 , and the vertical motion provided by lift  114 , a total of nine degrees of freedom are available to the robot  104 . More or less degrees of freedom can be implemented according to the present teachings. For example, one or both of the rotation about pivot  306  and movement along track  308  can be removed to reduce the degrees of freedom by one or two degrees. Further, a less articulable robot  104  than the illustrated six-axis robot  104  can be implemented. Additional pivot points and tracks in additional directions can also be included to increase the total degrees of freedom available to the pod  100 . 
         [0016]    The pod  100  can be shipped integrally or modularly over commonly available carriage, and can be readily installed in a pre-formed subfloor volume  112 . According to one aspect of the present teachings, the pod  100  can operate with only a physical communication connection, such as Ethernet or a wireless connection, and a power source, such as a 420 volts AC source. According to yet another aspect of the present teachings, the pod  100  can also require a forced air supply to operate, for instance when applying paints. 
         [0017]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the system  400  includes eight pods  100  positioned in a workspace  402  defined at least in part by walls  404  and floor  102 . A workpiece  406  is disposed within the workspace  402 . The illustrated workpiece  406  is a large artifact in the form of a commercial aircraft. While an aircraft is illustrated, other items can serve as workpieces  406  according to the present teachings. Examples of such items include but are not limited to aircraft wings, fuselages, engine nacelles, windmill turbine blades, rockets and other large, complex structures. While a booth can form a desirable workspace  402 , the volume in which the workpiece  406  is disposed need not be a dedicated booth, but instead can be any volume sufficient to hold the workpiece  406  and allow installation and operation of the system  400  as described herein. 
         [0018]    With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the eight sets of stowable pods  100  are shown in an operating position extending from the subfloor volume  112 . It should be noted that more or less than eight pods  100  can be implemented according to the present teachings. The number of pods  100  used can be dictated by several considerations such as available workspace and capacity needs. The workpiece  406  can be brought into the workspace  402  while the stowable pods  100  are withdrawn into the subfloor volume  112  and the doors  118  to the subfloor volume  112  are closed. When the doors  118  are in the closed configuration, the doors  118  can lie flush with the level of the floor  102 . This arrangement allows unimpeded use of the workspace  402 . For example, when all eight sets of doors  108  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  are closed, the workpiece  406  can, for example, be rolled over and on the closed doors  118  without damaging the pods  100 . Further, the choice of workpiece  406  need not be limited by constraints imposed by the difficulty of moving robot workstations or navigating around fixed robot workstations that cannot be hidden under the floor  102  or otherwise removed as an impediment to introducing a workpiece  406 . Once the doors  118  are opened, the pods  100  can raise the robot  104  to a suitable working elevation relative to the workpiece  406  within the workspace  402 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the each of the pods  100  can be selectively raised to different heights relative to the workpiece  406  and one another. 
         [0019]    According to other aspects of the present teachings, the pods  100  can be mounted on tracks that allow movement throughout the workspace  402  but that allow the pods  100  to be withdrawn to a discreet location within the workspace  402 . This permits human operators  408  to perform manual tasks without interference from the pods  100 . Withdrawing the pods  100  further permits moving a large workpiece  406  into the workspace  402 . Pods  100  can also be installed in other locations within a workspace  402 , such as from a ceiling, or other predetermined locations on the floor  102  that can be permanently or temporarily fixed. 
         [0020]    According to another aspect of the present teachings, extended portions of track, such as track  308 , can be implemented. In one implementation, one or more pods  100  can be mounted on an elongated track  308  that spans a length of the workspace  402  longer than that permitted by a single base  106  as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Such a track  308  can be disposed on one or more bases  106  raised by one or more lifts  114 . For example, a single elongated base can have two lifts  114 , one at each end of the base  106  adjacent a terminal of the track  308 . Such an elongated track  308  can permit a linear degree of motion along a greater portion of the subject workpiece  406 , such as the aircraft workpiece shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  than the tracks  308  on individual bases  106  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . According to another aspect of the present teachings, an elongated track  308  can be segmented and disposed on multiple bases  106  each supported by a lift  114  that can raise the track  308  segments individually to a predetermined height, effectively forming a continuous elongated track  308 . 
         [0021]    Human operators  408  can be present within the workspace  402  while the pods are working on the workpiece  406 . According to other aspect of the present teachings, human operators  408  can be stationed on the pods  100  while the pods perform their operations on the workpiece  406 . The interactions available to the human operators  408  can vary, and can include comprehensive real time control over the operation of the pod  100  and robot  104 . A programming interface on the pod, such as computer screen, keyboard, and mouse, manual controls, safety overrides, and other manner of controls can also be available to users to provide various levels of onboard control of the pod  100 . According to one aspect of the present teachings, a pod  100  can be implemented according to safety codes, regulations or standards followed, promulgated or otherwise required by governmental code or regulation. Such adherence can include the safety sensors and monitoring devices, Safety Programmable Logic Controllers (“SAFE PLC”), additional and redundant controllers, alarms, shut down mechanisms, human-machine interfaces configured for safe use, power interfaces and mechanical safety devices such as doors. A variety of additional safety mechanisms can be implemented according to the present teachings. 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , controller  600   a  includes a central processing unit (“CPU”)  602 , non-transient computer storage media such as random access memory (“RAM”)  604  and hard drive storage  606  that can include one or more solid state and magnetic hard drives, for examples. The CPU  602  executes instructions  603  stored on non-transient computer storage media, such as one or both of the RAM  604  and storage  606 . The instructions  603  written on one or both of the RAM  604  and storage  606  are written in a suitable computer-readable programming language such as the C programming language, or a programming language written for use with robots, such as the RAPID programming code, made available by ABB, Inc. In addition, planning and programming of automated processes can be performed by use of software such as RobotStudio® which permits loading of three-dimensional models of the workpiece (e.g., CAD representations of the workpiece), into RobotStudio® and programming and simulating the robot processes within RobotStudio®. 
         [0023]    The controller  600   a  is connected to robot  104   a  through electrical connection  601   a,  such as one or more cables. A robot interface  612  manages communication between the robot  104   a  and controller  600   a,  transmitting electrical signals and optionally operating power to the robot  104   a.  According to one aspect of the present teachings, upon execution of the instructions  603  stored on at least one of the RAM  604  or storage  606  by the CPU  602 , the CPU  602  provides signals to the robot interface  612  through the bus  614  that cause to the robot interface  612  to communicate signals to the robot  104   a  though connection  601   a.  The signals provided by robot interface  612  in turn cause the robot  104   a  to move and perform operations as directed by the CPU  602 . The robot interface  612  can, for example, cause the robot  104   a  to move to a particular position or move with a particular velocity along a determined path and apply paint, sand, or otherwise perform operations on the workpiece  406 . 
         [0024]    A user input/output (I/O)  616  such as a keyboard or remote control can be used to input instructions  603  into controller  600   a.  The user I/O  616  communicates with the user I/O interface  618  through connection  620 . The user I/ 0   616  can be used to input instructions  603  into the controller  600   a.  According to one aspect of the present teachings, the user I/O  616  can be used to by a human operator  408  to input instructions  603  that result in operations being performed by the pod  100  on the workpiece  406 . 
         [0025]    A network interface  608  permits connection between controller  600   a  and a network  610  through physical connection  621   a,  such as an Ethernet connection. It should be noted that wireless connections can also be implemented instead of or in addition to physical connection  621   a.  Additional controller  600   b  is also connected to the network  610  though connections  621   b  allowing the controllers  600   a,b  to be in communication and further allowing the controllers  600   a,b  to synchronize the actions of the pods  100  while performing operations on workpiece  406 . It should be noted that the aspects of controllers  600   a,b  described herein can be distributed, such as by providing computing resources and memory through a computer workstation, and providing the robot interface within a separate unit that communicates with the pods  100  through a communication link. According to another aspect of the present teachings, the controllers  600  can be configured to communicate with and control the pod  100 , including any of its aspects, the robot  104   a,  the base  106 , the lift  114 , and the doors  118 . Such control can extend to any of the degrees of motion available of the pod  100 . 
         [0026]    For the purposes of this disclosure and unless otherwise specified, “a” or “an” means “one or more.” To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “or” is employed (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A or B or both.” When the applicants intend to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the term “only A or B but not both” will be employed. Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A. Gamer, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624(2d. Ed. 1995). Also, to the extent that the terms “in” or “into” are used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to additionally mean “on” or “onto.” As used herein, “about” will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art and will vary to some extent depending upon the context in which it is used. If there are uses of the term which are not clear to persons of ordinary skill in the art, given the context in which it is used, “about” will mean up to plus or minus 10% of the particular term. From about A to B is intended to mean from about A to about B, where A and B are the specified values. 
         [0027]    While the present disclosure illustrates various embodiments, and while these embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the claimed invention to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant&#39;s claimed invention. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application.