System and method for assisting reductive shaping of an object into a desired 3D-shape by removing material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131065-B2
Application number	US-201615132451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2016
Priority date	Apr 23, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

The invention regards a system and method for assisting reductive shaping of an object into a desired 3D-shape by removing material. The system comprises a tool and a localization means. The tool is configured to remove material from an object by means of a cutting function or a grinding function performed by a working head of the tool. The localization means determines a position of the working head relative to the desired 3D-shape. Each time the grinding function or cutting function would remove material from an inside of the desired 3D-shape the cutting or grinding function is deactivated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. System for assisting reductive shaping of plants to form a desired 3D-shape by removing material, comprising:
a tool configured to remove material from at least one plant by means of a cutting function performed by a working head of the tool,
localization means configured to determine a position of the working head relative to the desired 3D-shape, and
control means configured to deactivate the cutting function when the determined position of the working head relative to the desired 3D-shape is such that the cutting function would remove material from an inside of the desired 3D-shape.

2. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the tool is a handheld tool.

3. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the working head consists of a plurality of working head sections, which can be activated and deactivated separately.

4. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the tool comprises means for indication a direction of most efficient movement.

5. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the localization means comprises a camera unit and a processing unit configured to perform image processing of images captured by the camera unit.

6. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the tool and the control means are prepared to communicate wirelessly.

7. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the localization means is configured to obtain 3D information of at least the plant before or during operation.

8. System according to claim 7 , wherein
the localization means is configured to assist selection or positioning of the desired 3D-shape.

9. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the localization means comprises at least two localization units.

10. System according to claim 9 , wherein
the localization units are configured to calibrate their coordinate systems.

11. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the localization means is configured to determine its position in a consistent coordinate system after being moved from one position to another.

12. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the tool comprises a dedicated visual marker.

13. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the tool comprises means for triggering the localization means to record the tool's current position.

14. System according to claim 13 , wherein
the localization means is configured to determine a 3D-shape from a plurality of recorded positions of the tool.

15. System according to claim 1 , wherein
the system comprises a display means configured to display or generate a projection into a user's eye of a combination of the desired 3D-shape and an image representing a current status of operation.

16. Method for assisting reductive shaping of plants to form a desired 3D-shape by removing material from at least one plant, the method comprising the steps:
determining, by a localization means, a position of a tool's working head relative to the desired 3D-shape, and
deactivating, by a control means, a cutting function of the working head when the determined position of the working head relative to the desired 3D-shape is such that the cutting function would remove material from an inside of the desired 3D-shape.

17. Method according to claim 16 , wherein
a direction of most efficient movement of the tool is indicated by the tool.

18. Method according to claim 16 , wherein
the localization means determines its position in a consistent coordinate system after being moved from one position to another.

19. Method according to claim 16 , wherein
a current position of the working head of the tool is recorded when a respective trigger signal is received by the localization means.

20. Method according to claim 19 , wherein
a 3D-shape is calculated from a plurality of recorded positions.

Assignees

• Honda Res Inst Europe Gmbh

Inventors

• Franzius Mathias

Classifications

• B26B29/06 Primary

  Arrangements for guiding hand cutting tools (guiding equipment or arrangements for specific cutting tools, see the particular places, e.g. for hair trimming devices A45D24/36, for saw blades B27B11/02, B26B13/10) · CPC title

• G05B2219/37095

  Digital handheld device with data interface · CPC title

• A01G3/0435

  Machines specially adapted for shaping plants, e.g. topiaries · CPC title

• G05B2219/35318

  3-D display of workpiece, workspace, tool track · CPC title

• G05B19/182

  characterised by the machine tool function, e.g. thread cutting, cam making, tool direction control (G05B19/21 - G05B19/40 take precedence) · CPC title