Virtual reality controlled mobile robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10442025-B2
Application number	US-201514879172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2014
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a portable metal working robot system includes a metal working tool configured to perform a metal working process on one or more metal parts. In addition, the portable metal working robot system includes communication circuitry configured to receive control signals from a control system located remotely from the portable metal working robot system. The portable metal working robot system also includes control circuitry configured to control operational parameters of the portable metal working robot system in accordance with the received control signals.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system comprising:
one or more display devices configured to display a virtual reality representation or an augmented reality representation of a metal working process being performed by a remotely located portable metal working robot system on one or more metal parts;
one or more control devices to control movement of the remotely located portable metal working robot system, the one or more control devices configured to be manipulated by an operator, wherein a control device of the one or more control devices has a shape of a metal working tool and is configured to generate inputs based on a simulated metal working process being performed by the operator, the inputs transmitted as control signals to the remotely located portable metal working robot system to control the metal working process based on the simulated metal working process;
control circuitry configured to control the one or more display devices to display the virtual reality representation or the augmented reality representation of the metal working process based on one or more inputs from the one or more control devices and on data from one or more sensors of the remotely located portable metal working robot system; and
communication circuitry configured to:
receive the one or more inputs of the one or more control devices;
transmit the control signals for controlling the remotely located portable metal working robot system, wherein the control signals are based at least in part on the one or more inputs of the one or more control devices; and
control the one or more display devices to display a virtual reality representation or an augmented reality representation of the metal working tool in response to the control signals.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the metal working process comprises a welding process.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the metal working process comprises a plasma cutting process.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the metal working process comprises a heating process.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive data relating to one or more operational parameters from sensor systems of the portable metal working robot system, and the control circuitry is configured to adjust the virtual reality representation or the augmented reality representation of the metal working process displayed on the one or more display devices based at least in part on the received data.

6. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide information relating to a quality of the metal working process on one or more display devices based at least in part on the received data.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry comprises a neural network model.

8. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor system configured to detect a position, orientation, or movement of the one or more control devices, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the control signals based at least in part on the detected position, orientation, or movement of the one or more control devices.

9. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the position sensor system comprises one or more light emitting diodes disposed on the one or more control devices, and one or more optical detectors configured to detect light transmitted from the one or more light emitting diodes.

10. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the position sensor system comprises one or more motion sensors disposed within or on the one or more control devices.

11. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the operational parameters comprise at least one of a position of a metal working tool, an orientation of the metal working tool, or movement of the metal working tool.

12. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive acoustic data from an environment proximate the remotely located portable metal working robot system.

13. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive video data of at least one of the metal working tool, the metal working process, or an environment proximate the remotely located portable metal working robot system.

14. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive gap data relating to a distance between the one or more metal parts.

15. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive data relating to a profile of a weld bead created by a welding arc generated by the metal working tool.

16. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to transmit the control signals, based at least in part on the one or more inputs, to adjust a position of the metal working tool, an orientation of the metal working tool, or movement of the metal working tool.

17. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising a gap sensing system having multiple sensors to detect dimensions of a gap between the one or more metal parts.

18. The control system of claim 1 , wherein control circuitry is further configured to modify the sensor data to display multiple images of the metal working process offset from one another to present a three-dimensional virtual reality or augmented reality representation of the metal working process.

19. A control system for a remotely located portable metal working robot system, the control system comprising:
a first control device to control a robot position manipulation system configured to control a position or an orientation of the remotely located portable metal working robot system wherein the first control device is configured to be manipulated by an operator;
a second control device having a shape of a metal working tool, the second control device to generate inputs based on a simulated metal working process being performed by the operator, the inputs transmitted as control signals to the remotely located portable metal working robot system to control a multi-axis torch manipulation system configured to control a position or an orientation of a multi-axis torch of the remotely located portable metal working robot system, wherein the first and second control devices are configured to be manipulated by an operator;
one or more display devices configured to display a virtual reality representation or an augmented reality representation of a metal working process being performed by the remotely located portable metal working robot system on one or more metal parts based on one or more inputs from the first or second control devices and on data from one or more sensors of the remotely located portable metal working robot system; and
communication circuitry configured to:
receive one or more inputs from the first or second control devices, the one or more inputs corresponding to a change in a position or an orientation of the remotely located portable metal working robot system or the multi-axis torch;
transmit control signals corresponding to the one or more inputs to control the robot position manipulation system or the multi-axis torch manipulation system; and
control the one or more display devices to display a virtual reality representation or an augmented reality representation of the metal working tool in response to the control signals.

20. The control system of claim 17 , the communication circuitry further configured to:
determine gap data based

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Jones Jerald Edward
• Rhoades Valerie Lisa
• Holverson Todd Earl
• Gaffney Iii John Henry
• Mann Mark Dietrich
• Cuneo Adam Nathan

Classifications

• B23K37/0294

  Transport carriages or vehicles · CPC title

• B23K37/0288

  Carriages forming part of a cutting unit · CPC title

• B23K37/0282

  Carriages forming part of a welding unit · CPC title

• B23K9/1087

  Arc welding using remote control · CPC title

• B23K9/1274

  Using non-contact, optical means, e.g. laser means · CPC title