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Automatically guided tools

  • US 9,026,242 B2
  • Filed: 05/21/2012
  • Issued: 05/05/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for positioning a working member of a tool, the system comprising:

  • a stage;

    a skid pad proximate to the stage to facilitate moving the stage;

    at least one motor adapted to move the stage;

    at least one motor controller that controls the at least one motor;

    a processor in combination with one or more software applications for processing data and providing information to the at least one motor controller;

    a first sensor configured to capture first information of a surface of a material to build a map of the surface, the first information comprising an image of the surface;

    a second sensor communicatively coupled with the processor, the second sensor configured to capture second information of the surface used to determine at least one of a location of the working member and an orientation of the working member relative to the surface,wherein the processor is configured to;

    build the map of the surface using the first information captured by the first sensor;

    receive, via a computing device, a design corresponding to the map of the surface built using the first information, the processor further configured to display the design overlaid on the map via a display screen;

    receive, via the second sensor, the second information of the surface;

    determine, based on the second information of the surface and based on the map, at least one of the location of the working member and the orientation of the working member relative to the surface, the processor further configured to display the location of the working member overlaid on the map via the display screen;

    determine, based on the design registered on the map and at least one of the location and the orientation, a desired location for the working member;

    provide motor control information to control the at least one motor to move the stage and the working member to the desired location while the tool is advanced in a first direction that is within a selected range substantially adjacent to an outline of the design; and

    automatically realign the tool to a boundary edge of the design in a second direction as the tool is advanced in the first direction.

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