THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEASURING DEVICE REMOVABLY COUPLED TO ROBOTIC ARM ON MOTORIZED MOBILE PLATFORM

• US 20160327383A1
• Filed: 05/05/2016
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Becker, Bernd-Dietmar, Rajaie, Hamidreza, Zweigle, Oliver, Bridges, Robert E., Tohme, Yazid
• Granted Patent: US 9,964,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/005 coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A motorized mobile platform includes a robotic articulated arm and a triangulation scanner for performing three-dimensional measurements, the robotic arm and the triangulation scanner removably coupled with connectors.

Claims

1. A system for measuring an object comprising:

the object having a surface;

one or more processors;

a mobile platform including a plurality of motorized wheels configured to translate and rotate the platform;

a robotic articulated arm coupled to the mobile platform at a first end and to an end effector at a second end, there being a plurality of connected arm segments between the mobile platform and the end effector, the end effector coupled to an adapter, the adapter including an upper adapter connector; and

a first 3D measuring device including a first-device lower connector configured to detachably couple to the upper adapter connector, the first 3D measuring device further configured to send a first electrical signal to the one or more processors,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control rotation of the motorized wheels, to control movement of the arm segments, and to operate the first 3D measuring device, the one or more processors further configured to determine 3D coordinates of a first point on the object surface based at least in part on the first electrical signal.

2. The system of claim 1 further wherein:

the first 3D measuring device further includes a first-device upper connector; and

the system further includes a second device having a second-device lower connector configured to detachably couple to the first-device lower connector.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the second device is configured to assist the first 3D measuring device in obtaining 3D coordinates.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the second device is a six-DOF tracker target assembly configured to cooperate with a laser tracker and with the one or more processors to determine three translational degrees of freedom and three orientational degrees of freedom of the first 3D measuring device.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the second device is a six-DOF target assembly having a collection of light points, the six-DOF target assembly configured to cooperate with a camera bar and with the one or more processors to determine three translational degrees of freedom and three orientational degrees of freedom of the first 3D measuring device, the camera bar including two cameras fixed in space.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the second device is a camera assembly including a first assembly camera, the camera assembly configured to cooperate with the 3D measuring device and the one or more processors to register 3D coordinates of a first point measured in a first instance and the first point measured in a second instance into a common frame of reference.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the camera assembly further includes a second assembly camera.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the adapter further includes electrical circuitry.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the adapter further includes a lower adapter connector configured to pass electrical signals between the robotic articulated arm and the adapter.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the robotic articulated arm further includes:

a collection of joints, each joint from the collection of joints having a corresponding axis of rotation, each joint being coupled to an associated arm segment or to an end effector, there being no intervening arm segment between the joint and the associated arm segment or between the joint and the end effector,

wherein a first plurality of the joints from among the collection of joints are swivel joints having a swivel axis as the corresponding axis of rotation, each of the plurality of swivel joints being configured to produce rotation of the associated arm segment about the swivel axis or rotation of the end effector about the swivel axis, and

wherein a second plurality of the joints from among the collection of joints are hinge joints having a hinge axis as the corresponding axis of rotation, each of the plurality of hinge joints being configured to produce rotation of the associated arm segment in a direction perpendicular to the hinge axis or rotation of the end effector in a direction perpendicular to the hinge axis.

11. The system of claim 10 further including:

an arm motor for each of the plurality of swivel joints and each of the plurality of hinge joints; and

an angular transducer for each of the plurality of swivel joints and each of the plurality of hinge joints.