AUTOMATED ROBOTIC MEASURING SYSTEM

• US 20070163136A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Homer Eaton
• Original Assignee: Homer Eaton
• Inventors: Eaton, Homer
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 33/505
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/004 for measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20329 Joint between elements

Abstract

An automated coordinate measuring system comprising a measuring arm used for acquisition of geometry data that incorporates an exoskeletal structure resilient to physical perturbations including thermal changes and vibrations which may affect coordinate data acquisition. The system may be adapted to a portable platform allowing for convenient positioning and alignment of the measuring arm in a wide variety of environments.

Claims

1. A positioning system comprising:

an articulated supporting arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected support arm segments moveable about a plurality of axes;

a plurality of compliant members positioned on said supporting arm;

an articulated measuring arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected measuring arm segments capable of a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement and supported by said compliant members wherein said compliant members provide a yielding characteristic between the articulated supporting arm and the articulated measuring arm; and

at least one alignment detector configured to detect the alignment between the articulated supporting arm and the articulated measuring arm, wherein the alignment detector comprises at least one encoder configured to measure the angular displacement between the articulated supporting arm and the articulated measuring arm.

2. A positioning system comprising:

an articulated supporting arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected support arm segments moveable about a plurality of axes;

a plurality of compliant members positioned on said supporting arm;

an articulated measuring arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected measuring arm segments capable of a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement and supported by said compliant members wherein said compliant members provide a yielding characteristic between the articulated supporting arm and the articulated measuring arm; and

at least one alignment detector configured to detect the alignment between the articulated supporting arm and the articulated measuring arm, wherein the alignment detector comprises a first encoder for detecting angular displacement in a selected support arm segment of the articulated supporting arm and a second encoder for detecting angular displacement of a selected measuring arm segment in the articulated measuring arm.

3. A positioning system comprising:

an articulated supporting arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected support arm segments moveable about a plurality of axes;

a plurality of compliant members positioned on said supporting arm;

an articulated measuring arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected measuring arm segments capable of a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement and supported by said compliant members wherein said compliant members provide a yielding characteristic between the articulated supporting arm and the articulated measuring arm; and

at least one actuator that mechanically positions the articulated supporting arm.

4. The positioning system of claim 3, wherein the actuator is remotely located with respect to the support arm segment it is configured to position.

5. The positioning system of claim 4, wherein a flexible drive cable transmits a positioning force generated by the remotely located actuator to the support arm segment.

6. The positioning system of claim 5, wherein the positioning of the remotely located actuator reduces heat, vibration, and weight along the articulated supporting arm.

7. The positioning system of claim 4, wherein a flexible drive cable transmits a positioning torque generated by the remotely located actuator to the support arm segment.

8. The positioning system of claim 7, wherein the positioning of the remotely located actuator reduces heat, vibration, and weight along the articulated measuring arm.

9. An accurate positioning system comprising:

an articulated supporting arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected support arm segments moveable about a plurality of axes;

a plurality of compliant members positioned about said supporting arm;

an articulated measuring arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected measuring arm segments capable of a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement and supported by said compliant members wherein said compliant members provide a yielding characteristic between the articulated supporting arm and the articulated measuring arm;

a controller configured to direct positioning of the articulated supporting arm;

a datastore containing information that is accessible by the controller and used to resolve the alignment of the articulated supporting arm with respect to the articulated measuring arm; and

at least one actuator that mechanically positions the articulated supporting arm as directed by the controller.

10. An accurate positioning system comprising:

an articulated supporting arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected support arm segments moveable about a plurality of axes;

a plurality of compliant members positioned about said supporting arm;

an articulated measuring arm comprising a plurality of jointedly interconnected measuring arm segments capable of a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement and supported by said compliant members wherein said compliant members provide a yielding characteristic between the articulated supporting arm and the articulated measuring arm;

a controller configured to direct positioning of the articulated supporting arm;

a datastore containing information that is accessible by the controller and used to resolve the alignment of the articulated supporting arm with respect to the articulated measuring arm; and

at least one alignment detector configured to generate alignment information characterizing the alignment of the articulated supporting arm and the alignment of the articulated measuring arm and further configured to provide the alignment information to the controller.

11. The positioning system of claim 10, wherein the at least one alignment detector comprises an encoder configured to detect the alignment of the articulated positioning arm and the articulated measuring arm.

12. The positioning system of claim 10, wherein the at least one alignment detector comprises a first encoder configured to ascertain the position of the articulated positioning arm and a second encoder is configured to ascertain the position of the articulated measuring arm.

13. The positioning system of claim 12, wherein the controller receives information from the first and second encoders and determines the alignment of the articulated positioning arm with respect to the articulated measuring arm on the basis of the encoder information evaluated against pre-determined encoder information contained in the datastore.

14. A method for positioning an articulated measuring arm, comprising:

supporting said arm at a plurality of locations with compliant members to reduce mechanical stress on said arm.

15. A method for damping external perturbations encountered by an articulated measuring arm, comprising:

supporting said arm at a plurality of locations with compliant members that position at least a portion of the articulated measuring arm within an exoskeletal structure.

16. A method for directing positioning of an articulated positioning arm and an interconnected articulated measuring arm, comprising:

identifying a plurality of instructions used by a controller to direct positioning of the articulated positioning arm in a plurality of orientations;

measuring the resulting position of the articulated measuring arm arising from each controller instruction; and

associating and storing the instructions and the resulting positionings thereafter to be used by the controller to effectuate a selected positioning.

17. A positioning system comprising:

an articulated arm comprising jointedly interconnected arm segments moveable about at least one degree of freedom;

an articulation member configured to position the jointedly interconnected arm segments; and

a remotely located actuator interconnected to the articulation member by a drive member, wherein the actuator generates a motive force transmitted through the drive member to the articulation member directing positioning by the articulation member and effectuating movement of the positioning arm.

18. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the remotely located actuator is placed in such a manner so as to dampen vibrations in the jointedly interconnected arm segments and articulation member resulting from operation of the actuator.

19. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the remotely located actuator is placed in such a manner so as to reduce heat transmission to the jointedly interconnected arm segments and articulation member resulting from operation of the actuator.

20. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the remotely located actuator is placed in such a manner so as to displace its weight away from the jointedly interconnected arm segments and articulation member.

21. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the remotely located actuator is secured to a distal portion of a selected arm segment away from the articulation member located near a proximal portion of the selected arm segment.

22. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the drive member comprises a motive force-transmitting component selected from the group consisting of:

a cable, a shaft, a rod, and a tube.

23. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the drive member allows non-linear positioning of the actuator with respect to the articulation member.

24. The positioning system of claim 23, wherein the drive member is at least partially flexible to accommodate non-linear positioning of the actuator with respect to the articulation member.

25. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the actuator is linearly positioned with respect to the articulation member.

26. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the at least one degree of freedom comprises an angular degree of freedom.

27. The positioning system of claim 17, wherein the at least one degree of freedom comprises a rotatable degree of freedom.