Movement control for tracked robot assemblies that manufacture aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926407-B2
Application number	US-201615245589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2016
Priority date	Aug 24, 2016
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling the motion of a tracked robot assembly. An exemplary method comprises disposing a mobile robot assembly proximate to a fuselage of an aircraft that is being assembled, aligning a left ranging sensor of the assembly with a left target, and aligning a right ranging sensor of the assembly with a right target. The method also includes directing the assembly to traverse to a location within the aircraft fuselage at which a robot on the assembly will perform work upon the fuselage, determining a left distance between the left ranging sensor and the left target while the assembly is moving, determining a right distance between the right ranging sensor and the right target while the assembly is moving, detecting a difference between the determined distances, and adjusting a direction of motion of the assembly based on the difference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
disposing a mobile robot assembly having a defined fore portion, aft portion, left portion, and right portion, proximate to a fuselage of an aircraft that is being assembled;
facing the assembly in a fore direction at the fuselage;
aligning a left ranging sensor, that is attached to the left portion of the assembly, with a left target that is not attached to the assembly and separated from the assembly by a distance in an aft direction;
aligning a right ranging sensor, that is attached to the right portion of the assembly, with a right target that is not attached to the assembly and separated from the assembly by a distance in the aft direction;
directing the assembly to traverse to a location within the fuselage at which a robot on the assembly will perform work upon the fuselage;
determining a first distance between the left ranging sensor and the left target while the assembly is moving in the fore direction;
determining a second distance between the right ranging sensor and the right target while the assembly is moving in the fore direction;
detecting a difference between the determined distances; and
adjusting a direction of motion of the assembly based on the difference.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the first distance is less than the second distance;
identifying a leftward angular deviation of the assembly from the fore direction based on the difference; and
instructing the assembly to turn rightward based on the angular deviation.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the second distance is less than the first distance;
identifying a rightward angular deviation of the assembly from a fore direction at the fuselage based on the difference; and
instructing the assembly to turn leftward based on the angular deviation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the assembly includes multiple tracks, and
adjusting a direction of motion of the assembly comprises steering the assembly by driving one track a larger number of revolutions than another track.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
iteratively determining the first distance, determining the second distance, detecting a difference in determined distances, and adjusting the direction of motion of the assembly as the assembly continues towards the location.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the assembly has stopped moving;
utilizing an additional ranging sensor that is separate from the assembly to identify multiple targets on the assembly;
utilizing the additional ranging sensor to identify multiple targets on the fuselage;
comparing the targets on the assembly with the multiple targets on the fuselage to determine a proximity of the assembly to the location within the fuselage; and
instructing the assembly to reposition based on the proximity.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:
instructing the assembly to reposition comprises directing the assembly to back up, adjust angle while backed up, and move towards the location within the fuselage again in order to adjust a lateral position of the assembly.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein:
instructing the assembly to reposition comprises directing the assembly to back up or move forward to adjust a longitudinal position of the assembly.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:
disposing the assembly comprises disposing the assembly on a workstand that includes the left target and the right target.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
installing temporary floor boards into the fuselage prior to disposing the assembly.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying programmed instructions which, when executed by a processor, are operable for performing a method of adjusting a position of a tracked robot assembly operating within a fuselage of an aircraft, the method comprising:
disposing a mobile robot assembly having a defined fore portion, aft portion, left portion, and right portion, proximate to a fuselage of an aircraft that is being assembled;
facing the assembly in a fore direction at the fuselage;
aligning a left ranging sensor, that is attached to the left portion of the assembly, with a left target that is not attached to the assembly and separated from the assembly by a distance in an aft direction;
aligning a right ranging sensor, that is attached to the right portion of the assembly, with a right target that is not attached to the assembly and separated from the assembly by a distance in the aft direction;
directing the assembly to traverse to a location within the fuselage at which a robot on the assembly will perform work upon the fuselage;
determining a first distance between the left ranging sensor and the left target while the assembly is moving in the fore direction;
determining a second distance between the right ranging sensor and the right target while the assembly is moving in the fore direction;
detecting a difference between the determined distances; and
adjusting a direction of motion of the assembly based on the difference.

12. The medium of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the first distance is less than the second distance;
identifying a leftward angular deviation of the assembly from the fore direction based on the difference; and
instructing the assembly to turn rightward based on the angular deviation.

13. The medium of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the second distance is less than the first distance;
identifying a rightward angular deviation of the assembly from a fore direction at the fuselage based on the difference; and
instructing the assembly to turn leftward based on the angular deviation.

14. The medium of claim 11 wherein:
the assembly includes multiple tracks, and
adjusting a direction of motion of the assembly comprises steering the assembly by driving one track a larger number of revolutions than another track.

15. The medium of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:
iteratively determining the first distance, determining the second distance, detecting a difference in determined distances, and adjusting the direction of motion of the assembly as the assembly continues towards the location.

16. The medium of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the assembly has stopped moving;
utilizing an additional ranging sensor that is separate from the assembly to identify multiple targets on the assembly;
utilizing the additional ranging sensor to identify multiple targets on the fuselage;
comparing the targets on the assembly with the multiple targets on the fuselage to determine a proximity of the assembly to the location within the fuselage; and
instructing the assembly to reposition based on the proximity.

17. The medium of claim 16 wherein:
instructing the assembly to reposition comprises directing the assembly to back up, adjust angle while backed up, and move towards the location within the fuselage again in order to adjust a lateral position of the assembly.

18. The medium of claim 16 wherein:
instructing the assembly to reposition comprises directing the assembly to back up or move forward to adjust a longitudinal position of the assembly.

19. The medium of claim 11 wherein:
disposing the assembly comprises disposing the assembly on a workstand that includes the left target and the right target.

20. The medium of claim 11 wh

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Ayyagari Arun
• Nguyen Thi Q
• Le Ngoc S
• Bang Bally
• Wang Wen Xin
• Amirehteshami David H

Classifications

• B64F5/10 Primary

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title

• B25J9/1669

  characterised by special application, e.g. multi-arm co-operation, assembly, grasping · CPC title

• B64F5/50

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• B64C1/18 Primary

  Floors · CPC title

• B25J9/162 Primary

  Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it · CPC title