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Free-traveling manipulator with optical feedback control and methods

  • US 5,570,992 A
  • Filed: 06/07/1995
  • Issued: 11/05/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1954
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An automatic, moveable manipulator comprising:

  • (a) a carriage;

    (b) a power drive coupled to the carriage and positioned to move the carriage in a multitude of directions, comprising two moving members oriented parallel to each other, which may be driven simultaneously and independently in the same or different directions;

    (c) at least one manipulator arm supported at a first end by the carriage and having a tool holder at a second end with an engagement-release mechanism adapted to support one of a plurality of different tools;

    (d) a motor drive coupled to the arm so as to move the arm;

    (e) a scanner supported by the manipulator and positioned to scan the external environment of the manipulator and structured to generate a varying scanning signal;

    (f) a wireless receiver supported by the carriage;

    (g) an electronic storage device supported by the carriage and structured to store signals received from a remote location by the receiver; and

    (h) a controller coupled to reproduce the stored signals from the storage and structured to process the reproduced signals to generate command control signals and to apply the command control signals to control the operation of the manipulator; and

    (i) a computer structured to analyze the generated scanning signal to determine a characteristic of a workpiece in the vicinity of the manipulator, which computer is coupled to the manipulator arm so that the results of the analysis is applied to control the selection of one of the plurality of different tools, the supporting of the selected tool by the tool holder, and the operation of the selected tool.

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