Multi-drone based three-dimensional printing

• US 10,343,387 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bostick, James E., Ganci, Jr., John M., Keen, Martin G., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hauth, Galen H
• Application Number:
  US14/989,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20170190104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/20 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00

Abstract

Approaches presented herein enable forming a 3D object with a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also known as “drones”, configured to carry and deposit 3D printing material, and to fly to a depositing location (e.g., fly, hover, or land) to print a 3D object. Specifically, at a central controller, a set of specifications for a 3D object to be printed are obtained. The central controller directs each of a plurality of UAVs controlled by the central controller to fly to a depositing location where a layer of 3D printer material is to be deposited, the location determined from the set of specifications. In response to a UAV of the plurality reaching the depositing location, the central controller further directs the UAV of the plurality to apply the layer of 3D printer material to the depositing location.

Claims

1. A method for forming a three-dimensional (3D) object, comprising:

obtaining, at a central controller, a set of specifications for the 3D object;

directing, by the central controller, each unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of a plurality of UAVs controlled by the central controller to fly to a depositing location determined from the set of specifications upon which a layer of 3D printer material is to be deposited;

directing, by the central controller, in response to an indication that a UAV of the plurality of UAVs has reached the depositing location, the UAV to apply the layer of 3D printer material to the depositing location;

monitoring, by the central controller, a reserve of a resource in each of the plurality of UAVs as the UAV applies the printer material and a progress, through an observer UAV of the plurality of UAVs, of a deposition of the 3D printing material at the depositing location;

detecting, by the central controller, a defect in the progress of the deposition of the 3D printing material; and

adjusting, by the central controller, responsive to the detected defect, a deployment and recall sequence for the plurality of UAVs based on the defect and the monitored resource of the plurality of UAVs.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

monitoring at least one of an energy level and a printer material level of each UAV of the plurality of UAVs;

detecting, based on the monitoring, the at least one of an energy level and a printer material level below a predetermined threshold for at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs;

releasing a replacement UAV to a location of the at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs; and

reassigning a printing mission of the at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs to the replacement UAV.

3. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising calculating a release time of the replacement UAV to optimize a hand-off from the at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs to the replacement UAV.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the monitoring the energy level further comprises calculating a remaining energy life based on at least one of;

an energy level, a rate of energy consumption, an energy requirement to return to a staging area, a UAV weight, and a UAV performance; and

the monitoring the printer material level further comprises calculating a remaining printer material supply life based on at least one of;

a printer material level, a rate of printer material consumption, and a performance.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

calculating, by the central controller, a coordinated flight path for each UAV of the plurality of UAVs; and

assigning each UAV of the plurality of UAVs a set of printing instructions comprising the coordinated flight path.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving an image of the 3D object from a UAV comprising an optical sensor;

determining if at least one of a structure parameter, a strength parameter, and a progress parameter of the 3D object is outside of a predetermined threshold based on the image; and

modifying a printing mission of a UAV of the plurality of UAVs in the case that the at least one of a structure parameter, a strength parameter, and a progress parameter of the 3D object is outside of the predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each UAV of the plurality of UAVs is configured to at least one of:

hover and deposit a layer of 3D printer material, land and deposit a layer of 3D printer material, and fly and insert a printed 3D part into the 3D object.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising communicating between the central controller and the plurality of UAVs over a network.

9. A computer system for forming a three-dimensional (3D) object, the computer system comprising:

a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), each UAV of the plurality of UAVs having a propulsion apparatus, a communication apparatus, and a 3D printer material depositing apparatus; and

a central controller, comprising;

a memory medium comprising program instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor for executing the program instructions comprising a printing control tool, the instructions causing the system to;

obtain, at the central controller, a set of specifications for the 3D object;

direct, by the central controller, each UAV of a plurality of UAVs controlled by the central controller to fly to a depositing location determined from the set of specifications upon which a layer of 3D printer material is to be deposited;

direct, by the central controller, in response to an indication that a UAV of the plurality of UAVs has reached the depositing location, the UAV to apply the layer of 3D printer material to the depositing location;

monitor, by the central controller, a reserve of a resource in each of the plurality of UAVs as the UAV applies the printer material and a progress, through an observer UAV of the plurality of UAVs, of a deposition of the 3D printing material at the depositing location;

detect, by the central controller, a defect in the progress of the deposition of the 3D printing material; and

adjust, by the central controller, responsive to the detected defect, a deployment and recall sequence for the plurality of UAVs based on the defect and the monitored resource of the plurality of UAVs.

10. The computer system of claim 9, the instructions further causing the system to:

monitor a printer material level of each UAV of the plurality of UAVs;

detect, based on the monitoring, the printer material level below a predetermined threshold for at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs;

release a replacement UAV to a location of the at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs; and

reassign a printing mission of the at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs to the replacement UAV.

11. The computer system of claim 10, the instructions further causing the system to calculate a release time of the replacement UAV to optimize a hand-off from the at least one UAV of the plurality of UAVs to the replacement UAV.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the monitoring the printer material level further comprises calculating a remaining printer material supply life based on at least one of:

a printer material level, a rate of printer material consumption, and a performance.

13. The computer system of claim 9, the instructions further causing the system to:

calculate, by the central controller, a coordinated flight path for each UAV of the plurality of UAVs; and

assign each UAV of the plurality of UAVs a set of printing instructions comprising the coordinated flight path.

14. The computer system of claim 9, the system further comprising a UAV having a propulsion apparatus, a communication apparatus, and an optical sensor, wherein the instructions further cause the system to

receive an image of the 3D object from the UAV comprising the optical sensor;

determine if at least one of a structure parameter, a strength parameter, and a progress parameter of the 3D object is outside of a predetermined threshold based on the image; and

modify a printing mission of a UAV of the plurality of UAVs in the case that the at least one of a structure parameter, a strength parameter, and a progress parameter of the 3D object is outside of the predetermined threshold.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein each UAV of the plurality of UAVs is configured to at least one of:

land and deposit a layer of 3D printer material, fly and insert a printed 3D part into the 3D object, and raise as depositing a layer of 3D printer material.

16. The computer system of claim 9, the instructions further causing the central controller to communicate with the plurality of drones over a network.