ROBOTIC FABRICATOR

• US 20130015596A1
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation, Raytheon BBN Technlogies Corp. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation, Raytheon BBN Technlogies Corp. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Mozeika, Annan Michael, Adler, Aaron, Yaman-Sirin, Fusun, Beal, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US13/530,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20130015596A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/40.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 23/04 for both machining and other metal-working operations
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• 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 64/232 for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/236 for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A fabrication system includes a tool-head for manufacturing, a first manipulator and a second manipulator. The first manipulator supports and manipulates an item, and is configured to provide six-axes of movement for positioning of the item relative the tool-head. The second manipulator carries a component and orients the component at a select orientation relative to the item supported on the first manipulator. The tool-head is configured to add material to at least one of the item and the component. The first and second manipulators provide at least six axes of fabrication for the tool-head.

Claims

1. A fabrication system, comprising

a tool-head for manufacturing,

a first manipulator for supporting and manipulating an item, configured to provide six-axes of movement for positioning of the item relative the tool-head, and

a second manipulator for carrying a component and for orienting the component at a select orientation relative to the item supported on the first manipulator,

wherein the tool-head is configured to add material to at least one of the item and the component, and

wherein the first and second manipulators provide at least six axes of fabrication for the tool-head.

2. The fabrication system of claim 1, wherein the tool-head is configured to remove material from at least one of the item and the component.

3. The fabrication system of claim 1, wherein the tool-head is configured to add an adhesive material to at least one of the item and the component and the adhesive material is configured to secure the component to the item.

4. The fabrication system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to measure parameters of the item during manufacturing.

5. The fabrication system of claim 4, wherein the sensor includes a laser and camera system configured to generate measurements of the item.

6. The fabrication system of claim 4, further comprising a processor configured to adjust manufacturing processes in response to the measured parameters.

7. The fabrication system of claim 1, wherein the item includes hardware, and the second manipulator is configured to test the hardware.

8. The fabrication system of claim 1, wherein the tool-head includes at least one of a fused deposition modeling print head, a milling head, and a robocasting extruder.

9. The fabrication system of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to determine how to move at least one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator.

10. The fabrication system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to use a hierarchical task network to determine how to manufacture a product using the first manipulator, the second manipulator, and the tool-head.

11. The fabrication system of claim 1, further comprising a software component configured to use a three dimensional model of an end-product to generate a sequence of instructions for movements of at least one of the first manipulator, the second manipulator, and the tool-head.

12. The fabrication system of claim 11, further comprising a simulator configured to validate the sequence of instructions.

13. The fabrication system of claim 1, wherein the item is a previously printed object that is not in its original form, and further comprising a software component configured to use a three dimensional model of the item and a three dimensional model of the original form of the previously printed object to generate a sequence of instructions for movements of at least one of the first manipulator, the second manipulator, and the tool-head to return the previously printed object to its original form.

14. A fabrication method, comprising

supporting an item with a first manipulator,

manipulating the item, using the first manipulator, along at least one of six axes of movement, to position the item with respect to a tool-head,

manipulating a component, using a second manipulator, and orienting the component at a predetermined orientation relative to the item,

attaching the component to the item, and

adding material to at least one of the item and the component with the tool-head,

wherein the first and second manipulators provide at least six axes of fabrication for the tool-head.

15. The fabrication method of claim 14, further comprising removing material from at least one of the item and the component with the tool-head.

16. The fabrication method of claim 14, further comprising:

adding an adhesive material, using the tool-head, to at least one of the item and the component, and securing the component to the item.

17. The fabrication method of claim 14, further comprising measuring parameters of the item during fabrication.

18. The fabrication method of claim 17, further comprising adjusting, based on the measured parameters, at least one of manipulating the item, manipulating the component, and adding material.

19. The fabrication method of claim 17, wherein measuring parameters includes capturing images of the item during fabrication.

20. The fabrication method of claim 14, further comprising adding a wire to the item by one of placing the wire using the second manipulator and adding material using the tool-head to create the wire.

21. The fabrication method of claim 14, wherein the item includes hardware, and further comprising testing the hardware.

22. The fabrication method of claim 14, further comprising determining how to move at least one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator based at least in part on a finished product design.

23. The fabrication method of claim 22, wherein determining how to move at least one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator includes using a hierarchical task network to determine how to manufacture a product using the first manipulator, the second manipulator, and the tool-head.

24. The fabrication method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a three dimensional model of a product, and generating a sequence of instructions for moving at least one of the first manipulator, the second manipulator, and the tool-head to fabricate the product.

25. The fabrication method of claim 24, further comprising decomposing the three-dimensional model into a plurality of intermediate parts, and wherein generating the sequence of instructions includes generating an intermediate sequence of instructions for each intermediate part.

26. The fabrication method of claim 24, further comprising validating the sequence of instructions with a simulator.

27. The fabrication method of claim 24, wherein generating a sequence of instructions includes determining at least one parameter of at least one part of the product, and generating instructions for production that do not damage the at least one part of the product.

28. The fabrication method of claim 14, wherein the item is a previously printed object that is not in its original form, and further comprising:

generating a three-dimensional model of the item, receiving a three dimensional model of the original form of the previously printed object, and generating a sequence of instructions for moving at least one of the first manipulator, the second manipulator, and the tool-head to return the previously printed object to its original form.