Patent ID: 7328630

Claim:
A method of coupling an end effector to a base of a robotic component, the method comprising: aligning at least one alignment member of the end effector with at least one indentation of the base of the robotic component, wherein the at least one alignment member extends from the end effector, and wherein the at least one indentation corresponds in position with the at least one alignment member, and further wherein the end effector is adapted to be coupled to the base of the robotic component and is further adapted to operably engage an inspection probe at a distal end of the end effector from where the end effector is adapted to be coupled to the base of the robotic component, wherein the end effector is further adapted to provide at least one of degree of motion to the distal end of the end effector independent of the control of the robotic component and during an inspection operation, and wherein the at least one degree of motion comprises at least one of the degrees of motion selected from the group of (i) a telescoping extension of the inspection probe from the end effector and the robotic component and (ii) an angular rotation of the inspection probe relative to the end effector and the robotic component, wherein the base of the robotic component comprises at least one ferromagnetic material, and wherein the end effector comprises at least one magnet; and positioning the at least one ferromagnetic material of the base of the robotic component and the at least one magnet of the end effector in proximity to cause magnetic attraction between the at least one ferromagnetic material of the base of the robotic component and the at least one magnet of the end effector, wherein the magnetic attraction pulls the end effector and the base of the robotic component together to permit the at least one alignment member of the end effector to protrude into the corresponding at least one indentation in the base of the robotic component, thereby aligning the end effector and the base of the robotic component when magnetically coupled.