MOVEMENT CONTROL FOR TRACKED ROBOT ASSEMBLIES THAT MANUFACTURE AIRCRAFT

• US 20180056511A1
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Ayyagari, Arun, Nguyen, Thi Q., Le, Ngoc S., Bang, Bally, Wang, Wen Xin, Amirehteshami, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,926,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/005 Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/02 Sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1687 Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/18 Floors
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

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.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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;

aligning a right ranging sensor of the assembly with a right target;

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.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the left distance is less than the right distance;

identifying a leftward angular deviation of the assembly based on the difference; and

instructing the assembly to turn right based on the angular deviation.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the right distance is less than the left distance;

identifying a rightward angular deviation of the assembly based on the difference; and

instructing the assembly to turn left 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 left distance, determining the right 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 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 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. A system comprising:

a fuselage of an aircraft that is being assembled;

a temporary floor comprising multiple floor boards that cover joists and beams of the fuselage and are coupled with each other via mechanical interlock mechanisms;

a workstand that includes reflective targets; and

an assembly that is disposed on the workstand and performs operations on the fuselage, the assembly comprising;

multiple ranging sensors that each measure a distance to a corresponding target at the workstand; and

a controller that detects a difference between the distances measured by the sensors while the assembly is moving, and changes a direction of motion of the assembly based on the difference in order to drive the assembly to a new position within the fuselage.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the controller determines that a distance between a left ranging sensor and corresponding target is less than a distance between a right ranging sensor and corresponding target, and steers the assembly to the right.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the controller determines that a distance between a right ranging sensor and corresponding target is less than a distance between a left ranging sensor and corresponding target, and steers the assembly to the left.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the controller iteratively detects differences in distance and steers the assembly while the assembly is moving.

14. A method comprising:

installing temporary floor boards into a fuselage of an aircraft that is being assembled;

identifying paths over which tracks of a tracked robot assembly will travel across the temporary floor boards within the fuselage during assembly of the fuselage;

identifying a set of floor boards corresponding to each of the paths; and

for each set of floor boards, installing mechanical interlock mechanisms that structurally unite the sets of floor boards into a rigid body along the identified paths.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

installing the mechanical interlock mechanisms places the mechanical interlock mechanisms into recesses in the floor boards such that the mechanical interlock mechanisms are flush with a surface defined by the floor boards.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

sliding pins mounted on the mechanical interlock mechanism into receiving holes in the floor boards.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein:

installing the mechanical interlock mechanisms causes the floor boards to resist longitudinal forces.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein:

installing the mechanical interlock mechanisms places the mechanical interlock mechanisms proximate to corners of the floor boards.

19. 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 an aircraft fuselage, the method comprising:

measuring distances between sensors on the assembly and corresponding targets external to the assembly;

detecting differences in distance between the distances measured by the sensors; and

steering the assembly based on the differences in distance.

20. The medium of claim 19 wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a distance between a left sensor on the assembly and corresponding target is less than a distance between a right sensor on the assembly and corresponding target; and

steering the assembly to the right in response to determining.

21. The medium of claim 19 wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a distance between a right sensor on the assembly and corresponding target is less than a distance between a left sensor on the assembly and corresponding target; and

steering the assembly to the left in response to determining.