Systems and methods of using a hieroglyphic machine interface language for communication with auxiliary robotics in rapid fabrication environments

• US 8,977,378 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northeastern University
• Original Assignee: Northeastern University
• Inventors: Weinberg, Brian, Mavroidis, Constantinos
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNN, DARRIN D
• Application Number:
  US14/212,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 700/214, 700/245, 700/250, 700/251, 901/47, 901/50, 382/100, 382/103, 382/153, 382/154, 382/218
• US Class Current: 700/120
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1658 characterised by programming language
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/38 Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns application heads for tyres B29D30/28
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40392 Programming, visual robot programming language
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/15 Jointed arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/28 Joint
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/30 End effector

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for using hieroglyphs for communication in a rapid fabrication environment. The method includes receiving, by a control system for an articulated robotic arm, one or more images of a fabrication machine build space. The method includes identifying, by the control system, a hieroglyph present in the one or more images and translating the identified hieroglyph into one or more instructions for manipulation of the articulated robotic arm. The method includes causing the articulated robotic arm to carry out the instructions translated from the identified hieroglyph. Accordingly foreign objects are inserted into fabricated objects during an automated rapid fabrication process without extensive redesign of the rapid fabrication machine. In some implementations, an unmodified third-party stereolithographic rapid fabrication machine can be used.

Claims

1. A method of using hieroglyphs for communication in a rapid fabrication environment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a control system for an articulated robotic arm, images of a build space for a fabrication machine;

identifying, by the control system, a plurality of hieroglyphs present in the images, the plurality of hieroglyphs including at least a first hieroglyph and a second hieroglyph generated by the fabrication machine, wherein the control system identifies the first hieroglyph prior to the fabrication machine generating the second hieroglyph;

translating, by the control system, the identified plurality of hieroglyphs into one or more instructions for manipulation of the articulated robotic arm; and

causing, by the control system, the articulated robotic arm to carry out the instructions translated from the identified plurality of hieroglyphs.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving the one or more images from a digital camera, wherein the digital camera is configured to obtain the one or more images of the fabrication machine build space at a predetermined frame rate that is at least as fast as a laser beam movement rate used by the fabrication machine.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying the plurality of hieroglyphs based on a vocabulary for a Hieroglyphic Machine Interface Language.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second hieroglyph comprises a base symbol and one or more additional modifier symbols, the method further comprising identifying an operation corresponding to the base symbol and identifying parameters for the operation indicated by one or more values associated with the one or more additional modifier symbols.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising classifying each of the identified hieroglyphs as one of a sequence start indicator, an object identifier, an object orientation identifier, an insertion location, an insertion approach vector, a begin insertion indicator, or a sequence terminator.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising classifying at least one of the identified hieroglyphs based on a base symbol in the at least one identified hieroglyph.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising waiting, prior to causing the articulated robotic arm to carry out instructions, to receive an additional hieroglyph;

wherein causing the robotic arm to carry out instructions is responsive to receiving the additional hieroglyph.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the hieroglyph is part of a series of hieroglyphs and the additional hieroglyph is one of a begin insertion indicator or a sequence terminator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein causing, by the control system, the articulated robotic arm to carry out the instructions translated from the identified hieroglyph comprises executing the one or more instructions to insert an object into the fabrication machine build space.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising causing the articulated robotic arm to carry out an insertion completion sequence.

11. A system using hieroglyphs for communication in a rapid fabrication environment, the system comprising:

a digital camera;

an articulated robotic arm; and

a control system for the articulated robotic arm, the control system configured to perform operations of;

receiving images of a build space for a fabrication machine;

identifying a plurality of hieroglyphs present in the images, the plurality of hieroglyphs including at least a first hieroglyph and a second hieroglyph generated by the fabrication machine, wherein the control system identifies the first hieroglyph prior to the fabrication machine generating the second hieroglyph;

translating the identified plurality of hieroglyphs into one or more instructions for manipulation of the articulated robotic arm; and

causing the articulated robotic arm to carry out the instructions translated from the identified plurality of hieroglyphs.

12. The system of claim 11, the control system configured to receive the one or more images from the digital camera, wherein the digital camera is configured to obtain the one or more images of the fabrication machine build space at a predetermined frame rate that is at least as fast as a laser beam movement rate used by the fabrication machine.

13. The system of claim 11, the control system configured to identify the plurality of hieroglyphs based on a vocabulary for a Hieroglyphic Machine Interface Language.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the second hieroglyph comprises a base symbol and one or more additional modifier symbols, and wherein the control system is configured to identify an operation corresponding to the base symbol and identifying parameters for the operation indicated by one or more values associated with the one or more additional modifier symbols.

15. The system of claim 11, the control system configured to classify each of the identified hieroglyphs as one of a sequence start indicator, an object identifier, an object orientation identifier, an insertion location, an insertion approach vector, a begin insertion indicator, or a sequence terminator.

16. The system of claim 15, the control system configured to classify at least one of the identified hieroglyphs based on a base symbol in the at least one identified hieroglyph.

17. The system of claim 11, the control system configured to wait, prior to causing the articulated robotic arm to carry out instructions, to receive an additional hieroglyph;

wherein causing the articulated robotic arm to carry out instructions is responsive to receiving the additional hieroglyph.

18. The system of claim 11, comprising a vision system configured to recognize the hieroglyph from a sequence of images obtained by the digital camera, where no single image in the sequence of images contains a complete image of the hieroglyph.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to execute the one or more instructions translated from the identified hieroglyph to insert an object into the fabrication machine build space.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control system is not otherwise communicatively coupled to a rapid fabrication machine in the rapid fabrication environment.