Robot repair control system and method

Abstract

A repaired area on a workpiece surface is presented. The repaired area includes a repair boundary. Inside the repair boundary, the workpiece surface has a repair texture, and outside the repair boundary, the workpiece surface has a workpiece surface texture. The repaired area also includes a repair depth distribution and hidden features inside the repair boundary. The repaired area is the result of a robotic repair performed on the workpiece surface to remove defects.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Clear coat repair is one of the final operations that should be automated in the original equipment manufacturing (OEM) department of automobiles. There is a desire for technology to automate not only this process but also other painting applications (e.g., primer sanding, clear coat defect removal, clear coat polishing, etc.) that are suitable for the use of abrasives and / or robotic inspection and robotic repair.

[0002] As a conventional effort to automate the detection and repair of painting defects, there is a system described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0139836, which discloses the use of electronic imaging to detect and repair painting defects on a vehicle body. This system creates three-dimensional painting defect coordinates for each painting defect by comparing and collating the imaging data of the vehicle with the CAD data of the vehicle. These painting defect data and painting defect coordinates are used to formulate a repair plan for automated repair using a plurality of robotic arms that perform various tasks including sanding and polishing of the painting defects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0003] In the drawings, although not necessarily drawn to scale, in different figures, like numerals may describe like components. These drawings generally show, by way of example and without limitation, the various embodiments discussed in this document.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Recent advancements in imaging technology and computing systems have made it possible to implement the process of clear coat inspection at production speeds. Specifically, it has been shown in recent years that stereo profilometry can provide images and locations of paint defects and clear coat defects, along with spatial information (providing coordinate position information and defect classification), at an appropriate resolution to enable subsequent automatic spot repair.

[0023] As used herein, the term "vehicle" is intended to encompass a wide range of moving structures that are at least once applied with paint or clear coat during manufacturing. Although many embodiments herein relate to automobiles, it is explicitly contemplated that the methods and systems described herein are also applicable to trucks, trains, boats (with or without motors), airplanes, helicopters, etc.

[0024] As used herein, the term "painting" is used herein to broadly refer to any of the various layers such as e-coat, filler, primer, paint, clear coat, etc. of a vehicle applied in the finishing process. Further, the term "paint repair" includes identifying and repairing the location of any visual artifacts (defects) on or within any paint layer. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein use the clear coat as the target paint repair layer. However, the presented systems and methods are applicable to any particular paint layer (e-coat, filler, primer, paint, clear coat, etc.) with little or no modification.

[0025] As used herein, the term "defect" refers to an area on the surface of a workpiece that interferes with its visual aesthetics. For example, many vehicles have a shiny or metallic appearance after painting. A "defect" may include fragments trapped within one or more of the various paint layers on the workpiece surface. Defects can also include excessive paint, including dirt, stains or drips in the paint, as well as dents.

[0026] Paint repair is still one of the last steps remaining in the vehicle manufacturing process, and is still mainly manual. Historically, this has been due to two main factors: the lack of sufficient automated inspection and the difficulty of automating the repair process itself. The repair criteria for paint and clear coat are based on the aesthetics judged by the human eye of the dealership accepting the vehicle and the ultimate customer who will inspect the vehicle before purchase. Robots have traditionally been designed to provide "perfect" or highly "regular" repairs with distinct and well-defined edges and uniform cut sections (see Figure 4B). Unfortunately, this makes the repairs highly visible to the human eye. The systems and methods described herein seek to add irregularity to the paint repair process so that the repaired defects blend better into the vehicle surface and are less likely to be detected by the customer.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a robotic painting repair system in which embodiments of the present invention are useful. System 100 generally includes two units: a visual inspection system 110 and a defect repair system 120. Both systems can be controlled by motion controllers 112, 122 respectively, and these motion controllers can receive commands from one or more application controllers 150. The application controller can receive input from or provide output to a user interface 160. The repair unit 120 includes a force control unit 124 that can cooperate with an end effector 126. As shown in Figure 1, the end effector 126 includes two tools 128, as further described in co-pending application numbers 62 / 940,950 and 62 / 940,960. However, other arrangements are also explicitly contemplated.

[0028] The inspection of the vehicle 130 by the inspection unit 110, which is the first of two main problems, is of interest due to the nature of the underlying problem areas. Generally, the surface of interest is extremely large compared to the defect itself, with the difference spanning several orders of magnitude. This results in a trade-off between field of view and resolution in the selection of sensors. Furthermore, each paint layer (e-coat, primer, paint, clear coat, etc.) of the finishing process has a different visual appearance, with specularity being particularly worthy of note. High-specular surfaces (i.e., high gloss) pose unique imaging challenges. These problems combine to make the inspection difficult. In recent years, advancements leveraging the increase in computing resources have been recently achieved in this field, leading to the availability of several commercial solutions. The existence of a sufficiently capable inspection system 110 is important for identifying defects for repair by the repair unit 120.

[0029] The current state-of-the-art in vehicle paint repair is to use fine abrasive and / or polishing systems to maintain a desirable finish (e.g., comparable to the mirror finish in clear coats) while sanding / polishing the defects manually all the way to the end, with or without the assistance of power tools. Skilled practitioners performing such repairs utilize long hours of training and at the same time rely on their senses to monitor the progress of the repair and make appropriate changes. Such sophisticated behavior is difficult to incorporate in solutions by robots with limited perception.

[0030] Furthermore, while abrasive material removal is a pressure-driven process, many industrial manipulators generally operate natively in a position-tracking / control regime and are optimized with position accuracy in mind. As a result, an extremely rigid error response curve (i.e., a small position deviation results in an extremely large correction force), where force control (i.e., joint torque and / or orthogonal force) is inherently poor, is brought about, resulting in an extremely strict system. Closed-loop force control techniques have been used (with limited usefulness) to address the latter, along with more recent (and more successful) force-controlled flanges that provide a flexible (i.e., non-rigid) displacement curve that is much more suitable for sensitive force / pressure-driven processes. However, robust process planning / control problems remain, which are the focus of this study.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a painting repair robot that may be useful in embodiments of the present invention. The robot repair unit 200 has a base portion 210 that can be stationary in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the base portion 210 can move in any of six dimensions that are translational or rotational about the x-axis 212, y-axis 214, and / or z-axis 216. For example, the robot 200 can have a base portion 210 that is fixed to a rail system configured to move with the vehicle being repaired. Depending on the location of the defect, the robot 200 may need to approach or move away from the vehicle, or move higher or lower with respect to the vehicle. The mobile base portion 200 can make it easier to perform repairs that are difficult to reach.

[0032] The robot repair unit 200 has one or more tools 240 that can interact with the work surface. The tool 240 can include a backup pad 250 in one embodiment, or can include another suitable polishing tool. During the polishing operation, the tool 240 can have a polishing disk or other suitable polishing article that is attached using an adhesive, hook and loop, clip system, vacuum, or other suitable attachment system. However, since the polishing article moves with the attached backup pad 250, the polishing article is not necessarily considered to add additional degrees of freedom to the movement of the robot repair unit 200. Because it is attached to the robot repair unit 200, the tool 240 has the ability to be positioned within the degrees of freedom provided by the robot repair unit 200 (most often six degrees of freedom), as well as any other degrees of freedom (e.g., the compliant force control 230 unit) whose reference system is indicated by axes 252, 254, and 256.

[0033] The backup pad 250 is coupled to the tool 240 and has a trajectory that provides some additional degrees of freedom. In most tools, one degree of freedom is provided by a rotating shaft with or without some offset. The reference system of the backup pad 250 is indicated by axes 252, 254, and 256. The reference system of the shaft of the tool 240 is indicated by axes 242, 244, and 246. The tool 240 is coupled to the force control 230 unit output. The force control flange 230 provides a flexible (i.e., non-rigid) displacement curve. In most force control units, one degree of freedom is provided along the active axis by a sliding (linear) joint. The reference system of the force flange output is indicated by axes 222, 224, and 226. The force control unit 230 is coupled to the flange 220. The movement of components 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 can all be controlled using a robot controller (e.g., the robot controller 122 shown in FIG. 1) and / or some auxiliary control unit (e.g., the application controller 150).

[0034] The position of a particular abrasive grain within the context of an abrasive article coupled to the backup pad 250 can be calculated by mathematically transforming the position of that abrasive grain over time as a fixed point in the reference system of the backup pad to some other desired reference using a series of relative transformations (shown below in Equation 1 with respect to the reference system of the base 210) between the reference systems of the aforementioned components.

Equation

[0035] The movement (M) of the backup pad 250 reference system over time relative to the stationary base 210 is affected by the movement over time of the flange 220 (e.g., the macro movement of the robot) reflected in item 1, the movement over time of the force control unit 230 (e.g., compliant linear displacement) reflected by item 2, the movement over time of the tool 240 (e.g., rotation of the shaft) reflected by item 3, and the rotation of the backup pad over time relative to the tool 240. Items 1, 2, and 3 represent a corrective trajectory as discussed in more detail below. Item 4 represents the rotational movement of the backup pad 250 (e.g., passive rotation on a random trajectory setting). Explaining and controlling complex movements is essential for managing the repair process.

[0036] Figure 3 shows a method of robot defect repair according to an embodiment of the present invention. Method 300 outlines how a robot repair system repairs defects according to at least some of the embodiments described herein.

[0037] At block 310, commands are received from a robot controller, such as the application controller 150 of FIG. 1. These commands include movement commands for various components of the robot repair unit, such as the components 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 of FIG. 2.

[0038] At block 320, the robot motion controller moves the abrasive article mounted on the tool to a predetermined location to prepare to engage the defect. The location of the defect on the vehicle is known from the inspection system. Moving the abrasive article to a predetermined location includes moving the article over or near the defect. This position may be referred to as the nominal posture of the backup pad.

[0039] At block 330, the polishing article engages the defect. Engaging the defect may include sanding the defect region, as shown at block 332, or polishing the defect region, as shown at block 334. Engaging the defect may also include varying various repair parameters of the backup pad, such as the speed 332 of the backup pad, the force 334 applied to the backup pad, the orientation offset 336 of the backup pad, and the final shape 338 of the repair created by the sanding and polishing operations, relative to a nominal posture.

[0040] At block 340, the defect region is cleaned. Cleaning may include wiping away any fluid used in sanding or polishing, as well as wiping away debris. As shown at block 342, after the cleaning step, the tool may re-engage the defect. For example, a dual-mount tool system may have a sanding unit and a polishing unit available to achieve the next repair step after cleaning has been achieved.

[0041] At block 350, the defect region is inspected to determine whether the repair is sufficient. If additional repair is required, method 300 can receive new instructions and repeat the method, as indicated by arrow 360. Inspecting the defect repair may include capturing an image 352 after repair, which can be presented to or saved for a repair operator as needed. Inspecting may also include validating the repair, as shown at block 354, which may include comparing the pre-repair and post-repair images, detecting whether the defect is visible / noticeable to the human eye, or another suitable validation technique.

[0042] Figures 4A and 4B are images of defects that may exist on a vehicle. Figure 4A shows a raised defect 410 on a work surface 400. The raised defect 410 is likely caused by fragments being trapped under one or more layers of paint on the work surface 400. Also, attention should be paid to the texture 420 on the work surface 400. When paint is applied to the work surface in a manufacturing environment, environmental interference (such as vehicle movement or vibration, movement of circulating air, and characteristics of the paint being applied, etc.) results in a textured surface 420, which is generally referred to as "yuzu skin" from its appearance. Yuzu skin can also be intentionally added to the clear coat surface, whereby various levels of yuzu skin are textured to enhance the aesthetics of various surfaces of the vehicle.

[0043] Unfortunately, repairs performed on a work surface with yuzu skin will destroy its texture and may create a highly visible repair area as shown in image 450. The repair in Figure 4B clearly shows a circular contour 458 where the polishing article contacted the surface. Further, an internal circle 454, which is an artifact of the repair plan, is shown. A wave effect due to the force profile is shown between the center 452 of the repair area. The surface height decreases from the center 452 to the circle 454, rises again to a high point 456, and then decreases again to the periphery 458. The force profile can be understood as having a shape similar to a "bun cake" where higher pressure is applied in an annular region within the outer periphery of the disk. The desired repair creates a blurred result by smoothly blending the surface to be polished with the yuzu skin around the edge of the repair.

[0044] Generally, it is desired to "completely" repair any defects present in the coating. However, the concept of complete repair has a large subjective component and is therefore difficult to define formally. Informally, "complete" repair means that the final result is visually indistinguishable by the human eye from other areas of the work surface without defects. However, the concept of optimal repair is interpreted to mean the best possible repair given some starting state. For example, it may not be possible to repair all defects to a perfect state. Furthermore, since vehicle manufacturing is often an assembly line process, time is an important parameter regarding defect repair. In that case, an efficient repair can be characterized as one that makes the defect area indistinguishable in the shortest possible time.

[0045] The human eye is extremely good at noticing "perfect" or "regular" details, as well as abrupt transitions in boundaries or textures. This sensitivity to abrupt visual boundary transitions makes it necessary to control the transition between the repaired area and the unrepaired area. Repairs such as those shown in Figure 4B are highly visible for several reasons, including the almost circular nature of the outer perimeter 458 of the repair and the annular fovea 452. In the former case, such a transition is created by a change in the surface texture (i.e., from the original painted texture (commonly referred to as suede-like due to its appearance) to the generally smoother, polished repaired area), and in the latter case, it is created by a change in the surface height caused by the distribution of material removal during the repair process. Generally, it is impossible to remove a defect without some local change to the surface texture and / or height. That being said, there is utility in a method that sufficiently repairs the defect while keeping the changes to a minimum and, furthermore, such that the remaining changes are difficult for the human eye to notice. In this regard, the inventors aim to maximize the concealment of defect repair on the finished product. As described herein, concealment features are those that reduce the visual clarity of the repair and are therefore less likely to be noticed by the human eye. Concealment features can include, for example, blurring the edges around the boundary, non-uniform repair areas, repair depth profiles, non-uniform cutting rates, and the like.

[0046] A cutting modeling-driven approach for deriving a repair plan is presented, which aims to manage the boundary transitions while reducing the visual appearance of the resulting defect repair. It is important to note that care must be taken not to add perceived defects during the repair of the original defect. In some embodiments, the repair plan begins by identifying the desired characteristics of the cutting distribution (i.e., those that sufficiently remove the defect while also exhibiting other desirable hiding characteristics such as blending / smoothing), and finding the robotic motion that will result in that distribution. Such an approach is possible by leveraging a predictive cutting model of abrasive / substrate interaction based on first principles and complementing it with measured results, which will be discussed further below in connection with FIG. 5.

[0047] The methods and systems herein are operated under the assumption that the substrate is locally planar. This assumption does not result in a loss of generality because more advanced models that take into account the geometry of the substrate enable the same approach to be applied to locally non-planar surfaces. Such models are possible and are contemplated in some embodiments of this specification. In general, defects can exist at any depth and in any of the coating layers, and can assume various forms including craters, hairs, scratches, dust specks, sags, and fish eyes.

[0048] One basis for the understanding (and good first approximation) of material removal is the well-known Preston's equation for material removal (Equation 2 below), which expresses the instantaneous rate of material removal (cutting) as the product of pressure, relative velocity, and a constant (Preston's constant), where the rate is partially defined by the complex interaction between the abrasive, the substrate, and any cutting fluid.

Equation

[0049] Here, k p is a constant that depends on the abrasive / surface interaction, p is the pressure at any given point on the surface, and v relis the relative speed between the abrasive and the surface at that point. The term dh / dt is the rate at which material is removed. The abrasive and any cutting fluid are predefined and kept constant over the duration of defect repair (i.e., k p is fixed). Along with the assumption that, from Equation 2, the area-specific input for instantaneous cutting is the applied force (and the resulting pressure) and the tool speed (rotation speed, orbital speed, etc.). The total cutting amount is determined through the integration of instantaneous cutting over time, which is appropriately distributed as a function of any macro movement of the end effector by the robot.

[0050] In this regard, material removal across the surface can be expressed as the integral of the pressure distribution (created by the interaction with the substrate) across the polishing medium, scaled by the relative speed between the abrasive and the substrate and Preston's constant. Here, note that the pressure distribution depends very strongly on both the applied force and the relative orientation of the abrasive / backup pad and the substrate (i.e., it is essentially geometric). If, X(t):=[X p (t),X o (t)] Equation 3a

[0051] is the path of the robot repair having components of position (X p ) and orientation (X o ). In that case, the cutting at a point (x) on the substrate can be expressed as follows:

Equation

[0052] where x is the point of interest on the substrate in some fixed reference system,

Equation

[0053] The terms of the pressure and relative velocity distributions are both functions of the orientation of the tool (X o (t)) and at the same time functions of time (the force can be controlled temporally to change the pressure distribution, and the velocity can also change temporally depending on the trajectory and / or the speed of the rotating tool). The output of these distributions is the pressure and velocity at time t at that point of interest (x). The constant term k p is adjusted between repairs as the disk life decreases. In the following modeling by the inventors, it is assumed to be constant over the life of a single repair. By integrating these terms over time, the total amount of cutting at that point is given. Therefore, the remaining step is to obtain and generate an appropriate pressure distribution p(x,t) and the macro motion x(t) of the end effector tooling according to the desired result. For the aforementioned purpose of generating a repair, both should sufficiently remove the defect while leaving as little visual impact as possible. Creating an irregular boundary between the repaired surface and the un-repaired surface reduces the visibility of the repair for human inspection.

[0054] Figure 5 shows the variables of interest in a robotic painting repair system. The variables of the system 500 can be manipulated to achieve irregularities in robotic repair. The variables can generally be classified into controllable variables 550 and dynamic constraints 560. The controllable variables 550 include variables that can be set by the robot controller. The dynamic constraints are either those resulting from the controllable variables or any of the limitations set on the robot itself, such as maximum acceleration, velocity, or applied force.

[0055] The orbital variables 510 include controllable values of the position 502 and orientation 504. The position 502 of the backup pad can be defined in a coordinate space (x, y, z). The orientation 504 of the backup pad can be defined by roll, pitch, and yaw (r, p, y). For example, the backup pad can be positioned in the same plane as the work surface or can be tilted at a certain angle with respect to the workpiece. The orbital variables can be programmed to be adjusted during repair. For example, the backup pad can be moved from a first position (x1, y1, z1) at a first time to a second position (x2, y2, z2) at a second time. Similarly, the orientation (r, p, y) can change from a first point in time to a second point in time. This results in a dynamic posture U(t) that changes over time. The posture is defined as the relative position and relative orientation of the backup pad with respect to the surface of the workpiece on which the abrasive is working. The posture can position the backup pad so that the surfaces are perfectly aligned with the work surface, or the posture can be offset to allow various types of contact with a portion of the abrasive.

[0056] The tool variables 530 can also be changed during repair. For example, the effective force 506 applied to the backup pad can be changed over time. Furthermore, the rotational speed 508 of the backup pad can also change. For example, in the case of a random orbit tool setting that performs circular repair, it can have a first rotational speed and / or force when moving between 0° and 90° of the circular repair motion and can have a second speed and / or force in the range of 90° to 360° of the circular repair motion. In another example, it can have a first speed for the first 2 seconds of the motion and a second speed for the last 6 seconds of the motion.

[0057] The robotic motion combined with the rotational / orbital motion of the tool gives rise to a relative velocity 566 over time between the polishing medium and the substrate. However, in practice, the velocity of the robot (the macro motion of the tool) is generally at least one order of magnitude slower than the rotational speed 508, and therefore, it should be noted that it can generally be ignored when calculating instantaneous cutting in the presence of a power tool. However, if necessary, the dynamic pose U(t) can be taken into account. Combining the controlled force 506 and the trajectory variable 510 also gives rise to a dynamic pressure 564 over time due to the interaction of the abrasive / backup pad.

[0058] Tool variables cannot actually be changed instantaneously and are constrained by dynamic constraints. Therefore, any trajectory variable 510 and tool variable 530 must take into account the dynamic constraints of the tool and the robot.

[0059] The trajectory variable 510 and the tool variable 530 can be adjusted during repair, but the geometric variable 520 is generally only exchanged between repairs. For example, the backup pad 522 has a given diameter that remains constant during repair. Similarly, the trajectory 524 of the tool connected to the backup pad 522 is also set before repair and is generally only changed between repairs. The substrate surface 526 is also limited in that it is a function of the location of the defect on the vehicle body. The geometric variable 520 also contributes over time to the pressure 564 experienced.

[0060] The trajectory variable 510, the geometric variable 520, and the tool variable 530 all together result in a set of repair characteristics 570 for a given repair. In some embodiments, it is desired that at least one repair characteristic 570 contribute in some way to concealing the repair. In some embodiments, multiple characteristics 570 contribute in some way to concealing the repair.

[0061] The repair boundary 572 generally refers to the outer perimeter of the repair. Many current robotic repairs are circular as shown in Figure 4B. In other words, they have a constant radius extending outward from the center of the repair. In contrast, a non-circular boundary 572 refers to a boundary having several non-constant radii. Since non-circular boundaries are generally less conspicuous in many scenarios, they are a form of concealment. Some embodiments generally include rotationally symmetric (periodic) shapes such as ellipsoids, stars, periodic and / or stochastic shapes having no (rotation, radial, left-right, or other) symmetry, and any (open) curve.

[0062] Specifically, assume that rotational symmetry is utilized. Rotational symmetry of order n (i.e., rotational symmetry about the origin or axis n times) means that rotation by an angle of 360° / n (30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 180°, etc.) does not change the repair pattern. Since a 360° rotation does not actually rotate the shape, "one-fold" symmetry is not considered symmetric by this definition. Some embodiments include ellipses and lemniscates (two-fold), squares (four-fold), some petal-shaped curves, etc. A circle is effectively infinite-fold (i.e., any rotation results in the same shape).

[0063] The repair volume 574 refers to the volume of the work surface (i.e., the substrate material) to be removed. Generally, this can be specified as the total volume of the material to be removed, or more usefully, the volume distribution of the material to be removed (i.e., the cutting depth as a function of the substrate position). The above examples of concealed features naturally extend from the above cases of repair boundaries to repair volume distributions such as symmetry. Further, consider the profile of the cutting across some target area. For example, the cutting depth as a function of the distance from the center of the location of the repair or defect. In this case, the form of concealment can be expressed as mathematical function characteristics such as monotonicity, convexity, etc.

[0064] One embodiment of the volume concealment plan is the blurring process 576, which includes gradually reducing the cutting depth along with the distance from the defect. The blurring process 576 or blending refers to a technique that reduces the visibility of the outer edge or boundary of the repair and "blends" it into the surrounding skin. Some embodiments of the blurring process are shown in FIGS. 19-23.

[0065] Other (concealment) characteristics 578 of the repair can also be introduced by varying various controllable variables 550.

[0066] Regarding the pressure distribution, an independent bubble foam can approximate the spring damper of a single backup pad. For example, if it is assumed that the backup pad is made of foam and the compression (displacement) is kept relatively low, a fixed pressure distribution curve can be assumed for each pad configuration, and a pressure distribution as described in FIG. 6 below can be modeled.

[0067] FIGS. 6A-6F show exemplary pressure responses that can be utilized in embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 6A-6D all show how a tool 610 (such as a backup pad) can interact with the work surface 600 and the resulting pressure 620 along the cross-section of the backup pad that is experienced. Schematic pressure distributions showing various backup pad and substrate interface configurations are shown for both a rigid support (6A) and a deformable one (6C). In the upper images, the backup pad is planar-aligned with the substrate, while FIGS. 6B and 6D are tilted by a certain non-zero offset. In all cases, a force is applied perpendicular to the backup pad support. The embodiment of FIG. 6B can be modeled by the following equations 4 and 5.

Equation

[0068] In the formula, u and v are expressed in a reference system positioned at the center point of the abrasive material, and represent coordinate positions that are oriented in the direction of u, which points in the direction of tilt along the surface.

[0069] It is assumed to satisfy the following:

Equation

[0070] Figures 7A - 7C show exemplary orientations that may be useful in embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Figures 6A - 6E, the backup pad may be angled with respect to the work surface. Figures 7A - 7C show various tilts that the backup pad may have with respect to the surface. Figure 7A shows a normal tilt 700 where the backup pad is in the same plane as the work surface. Figure 7B shows an outward tilt 720, and Figure 7C shows an inward tilt 730. However, while each of the tilts 700, 720, and 730 is shown to be constant over a full rotation of the circle, it is explicitly contemplated that the orientation of the backup pad can introduce desired irregularities for repair by varying within a given range of rotation.

[0071] Figure 8 shows the pressure profile of an orbital sander. Several different tools, including a vibratory sander, a rotary sander, an orbital sander, and a random orbital sander, can be used for the polishing operation. The orbital sander moves in a circular motion as shown in Figure 8. The random orbital sander also includes passive rotation of the backup pad. The additional random rotation allows the random orbital sander to reduce the spiral pattern left on the surface. Figure 8 shows the movement of the orbital sander for ease of understanding, but the random orbital sander is explicitly contemplated herein as providing an additional variable in the passive rotation speed of the backup pad.

[0072] FIG. 8 also shows how the effective tool pressure distribution can be modeled for use in the above equations 3a and 3b. The effective pressure resulting from the movement of the tool is obtained as the time average of the backup pad pressure distribution over the range of tool movement. For this example, for a (random) orbital tool having an orbital radius one-third of the backup pad radius, the backup pad pressure distribution is shown at the upper right and the effective tool pressure distribution is shown at the lower right.

[0073] FIG. 8 shows the movement of an orbital sander 800 having a given disk pressure 840 and a resulting disk pressure 850. The orbital sander 800 has a known orbital radius 810, a backup pad radius 820, and a resulting effective radius 830 of the affected workspace area. This results in an effective disk pressure that is higher at the center of the larger affected area and lower near the edges. By manipulating the effective disk pressure across the repair area, hidden features can be introduced into the repair characteristics. Higher pressure correlates with more material being removed. By moving the orbital sander across the repair surface, both hidden volume features and hidden boundary features can be introduced into the repair.

[0074] FIGS. 9A and 9B show the speed profiles of a rotary sander and an orbital sander. Schematic views of the polishing feature speed for the rotational setting and the orbital setting are shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, respectively. The speed vectors are indicated by arrows 920 and 960, respectively. The rotary sanding unit has a radius 910 and is configured to rotate in direction 940, resulting in a speed profile as indicated by arrow 920. The outer edge of the rotary sander 900 has a higher speed than the interior of the rotary sander.

[0075] The Orbital Sander 950 has a tool area 952 that is smaller than the effective tool area 972. The Orbital Sander 950 has an orbital radius 962 and rotates in a direction 964 to provide a speed 960. The Orbital Sander 950 rotates in a direction 974.

[0076] The robotic repair unit may have knowledge of which polishing tool is present and which polishing material grade is present on the tool for a given repair. Further, in some embodiments, the robotic repair unit may also have an indication of the remaining life of the polishing disk or the polishing effect. Knowing details about the polishing material and which type of tool is attached to the robotic arm allows for further control over the final repair. In FIGS. 9A and 9B, two types of polishing tools are shown, but for at least some embodiments, other polishing tools are also known and contemplated.

[0077] FIGS. 10A - 10C show shapes that can form the basis of robotic repair orbits in embodiments of the present invention. Many current robotic repair units rely on circles to generate repairs and often remove defects by rotating a polishing disk around a single point. As described above and as shown in FIG. 4B, this results in repairs that are "overly regular" and noticeable to the human eye. Other shapes and designs have been explored to determine if any other design can be affected by the robotic repair unit without resulting in a circular repair area.

[0078] For example, among others, the following curves may be useful in creating features that are sufficiently irregular and thus conceal the repair: bean curve, butterfly curve, figure - eight curve, ellipse, folium (two - leaf, three - leaf, four - leaf, etc.), cardioid, hippopede, lemniscate, neoid, spiral (Archimedes, Coates, Fermat, hyperbolic, etc.), super - ellipse, roulette (epitrochoid, hypotrochoid, epicycloid, hypocycloid, etc.), logarithmic curve, and rose curve.

[0079] One family of shapes of particular interest are the roulette of an epicycloid and a hypocycloid, which can be formed by a robotic repair unit according to the following equations 7 and 8 using variables as shown in the illustration 1000 of FIG. 10A. Some exemplary shapes obtained in this way are shown in Table 1010 of FIG. 10B.

Equation

[0080] FIG. 10C shows another set of shapes, which are referred to herein as the “rose” shape 1020. The rose shape 1020 can be obtained using the following equation 9: r = a sin(nθ) + b Equation 9

[0081] General rose shapes 1020 are shown for respective values of n. The coefficients (a, b) can be used to stretch or expand the shape, respectively.

[0082] Note that the rose is a special case of an epicycloid and / or hypocycloid, along with a circle, a spiral, and an epicycloid / hypocycloid (i.e., expressible through careful selection of a, b, and h).

[0083] Figures 11A and 11B show a repair track and the resulting material removal (cutting) distribution according to an embodiment of the present invention. By combining the shape and inclination of the backup pad, extremely different material removal profiles can be obtained as shown in the comparison between Table 1100 and Table 1150. Each shape in Table 1100 corresponds to a bar having an n value of 2, 3, 4, or 5 and an inclination of -5°, 0°, or 5°. The resulting material removal profile is shown in Figure 11B. As shown in Figure 11B, the track based on the bar (and thus of the external trochoid and / or internal trochoid) can concentrate the polishing removal on the defect area while varying the volume removed across the repair area. This results in better fusion of the repair with the surrounding orange peel on the work surface via the irregularities.

[0084] Such a track provides significant masking flexibility. As an example, the cutting distribution 1152 in Figure 11B shows the correction of a defect (in an area smaller than the diameter of the backup pad) and a smooth transition between the correction of that defect and the surrounding area. The cutting distribution 1154 in Figure 11B shows a "bun cake" shaped repair presenting, as a masking feature, a smooth blur treatment and a non-circular rotational symmetry (in this case an 8-fold rotational symmetry).

[0085] Figure 12 shows a view of a work surface to be repaired according to the embodiment described herein. The work surface 1200 has an orange peel texture that attempts to blend the area 1250 to be sanded. The polishing disk attached to the backup pad has a center 120 and can move along the work surface 1200 as indicated by the directions 1212 and 1214. In the embodiment shown in Figure 12, the backup pad is attached to a random orbital sander that can also move in the directions indicated by the arrows 1222 and 1224.

[0086] The repair track 1230 is shown as having an irregular shape that does not correspond to a regular polygon. The repair track 1230 has a plurality of curves and convex indentations that result in a repair area 1250 with an irregular outer perimeter. FIG. 12 shows a backup pad having an inclined orientation that results in a gradient of the applied pressure across the area of the work surface 1200 that is in contact with the backup pad at a given time. This also results in an irregularity in the volume removed within the repair area.

[0087] FIG. 13 shows a repair plan generation system according to an embodiment described herein. The repair plan generator 1300 receives information from one or more data sources and generates a repair plan for a defect based on the received information about the defect present on the vehicle. The repair plan is targeted at proper removal of the defect and sufficient blending of the repaired surface with the orange peel texture of the vehicle such that visibility and detectability by the human eye are reduced.

[0088] The repair plan generator 1300 has a polishing product acquirer 1302 that communicates with a polishing product database 1340. The polishing product database 1340 includes, in one embodiment, information about the current polishing product 1342 on the active repair system. The polishing article 1342 has a grade 1344 and other characteristics 1348 such as size. In some embodiments, the polishing product database may also have disk life information 1346 about the polishing article 1342. The polishing product acquirer 1302 can acquire all of this information about the current abrasive 1342 and potential new polishing products 1343 that are exchangeable with the current polishing product 1342.

[0089] The repair plan generator 1300 also includes a defect acquirer 1306. The defect acquirer 1306 communicates with a defect database 1390. The defect database 1390 includes information about defects on the vehicle, including the defects being evaluated by the repair plan generator 1300. A given defect may have one or more feature vectors 1391 that concisely describe the characteristics of the defect via real numbers and / or classifications, and may have a coordinate position 1392 on the vehicle. The defect database 1390 may also have, for example, an image 1393 of the defect before repair, acquired by a vision system. The defect database 1390 may have other information 1394 about the target defect, as well as information about other defects, such as similar defects, the repair trajectories used when repairing those similar defects, and the evaluation of those repairs.

[0090] A defect selector 1308 selects the defects to be repaired by the repair system, or a series of defects to be repaired. Not all defects need to be repaired. For example, if a defect is present on the vehicle surface that is not visible to the prospective customer, it may not be necessary to repair that defect. The defect selector 1308 selects each defect that requires repair for the defect repair plan generator 1350 to generate a repair order. In one embodiment, the repair orders are generated one by one for a plurality of defects, and each repair order is sent individually to the repair robot. In another embodiment, the defect repair plan generator 1350 generates a single trajectory that addresses each of the defects identified for repair.

[0091] The repair plan generator also communicates with a vehicle database 1395 using a vehicle data acquirer 1310. The vehicle data acquirer 1310 acquires information about the vehicle being inspected and repaired. The vehicle has a surface mesh 1396 that includes a discrete representation of the geometry of the vehicle's surface. The vehicle may also include one or more features 1397, including the manufacturer, model, color, number of paint layers and treatments on the doors, details, or other modifications. The vehicle may also have one or more parameters 1398, including the presence and texture of the orange peel on the surface. The vehicle database may also store other information 1399.

[0092] The repair plan database 1320 contains information that can be useful when evaluating defects and generating a plan for repair. The repair plan database 1320 contains information about the defects, including the type 1322 and location 1324 of the defects. The repair plan database 1320 also contains information about the orange peel 1326 that is present in the vicinity of the defects to be repaired. The repair plan database 1320 may also contain other information, including the defect area on the work surface of the vehicle.

[0093] The defect repair plan generator 1350 receives the information obtained by the abrasive product acquirer 1302, the defect acquirer 1306, the defect selector 1308, the vehicle data acquirer 1310, and the repair plan database 1320, and generates a repair instruction 1364 that will be communicated to the robotic repair unit.

[0094] The repair instruction 1364 includes a shape 1376 that the end effector of the robot will create during the repair. The shape 1376 can be a stationary point such that the tool remains stationary during the repair. In another embodiment, the shape 1376 includes moving the end effector such that the backup pad and the abrasive product are dragged across the work surface of the vehicle in a certain shape. The shape 1376 may include a circle having a radius larger than the radius of the backup pad in one embodiment. The shape 1376 may include an ellipse in another embodiment. The shape 1376 may also include other polygons such as a bar, an epicycloid, a hypocycloid, or a rectangle, a square, etc. in other embodiments. The shape 1376 may also include irregular shapes such as those having curved or straight edges, concave or convex portions, or other features in some embodiments.

[0095] The defect repair plan generator 1350 includes a position generator 1352 that generates the starting position of the abrasive tool with respect to the repair path. The generated starting position can be the same as the ending position of the generated path, or it can be different.

[0096] The defect repair plan generator 1350 also includes an orbital force profile generator 1354 that generates a force 1374 applied to the backup pad at each point along the orbit. In some embodiments, the force 1374 can be applied evenly at each point in time between the repair orbits. In some embodiments, the force 1374 can be applied evenly across the backup pad between the repair orbits. In other embodiments, the force 1374 is different at different times 1370 during the repair. For example, the force can be higher at the earlier repair time 1370a than at the later repair time 1370b. Further, the end effector can tilt the backup pad so that a gradient force 1374 is applied for at least a portion of the repair. The gradient force 1374 can change during the repair such that the tilt is different at time 1370a than at time 1370b.

[0097] The defect repair plan generator 1350 also includes an orbital speed profile generator 1358. The orbital speed profile generator 1358 generates a speed 1378 at which the backup pad moves at each point in time within the repair times 1370a - n. For example, in a circular orbit, the end effector can move the backup pad faster during the first rotation portion than during the second rotation portion.

[0098] In some embodiments, the defect repair plan generator 1350 also includes a polishing disk change determiner 1360. In some embodiments, the repair instruction 1364 can also include an instruction for the repair robot to replace the polishing disk or the backup pad before the next defect repair begins. In one embodiment, the disk change determiner 1360 determines whether the disk should be replaced based on the disk life indication 1346. The disk life indication 1346 can be, for example, a measure of the polishing material remaining on the polishing disk or can be based on the number of repair cycles completed by a given polishing article.

[0099] The repair order 1376 is transmitted to the repair unit 1380 by the repair order communicator 1362. The repair order communicator 1362 can communicate with the repair unit 1380 using a wired connection or a wireless connection. In some embodiments, the repair plan generator 1300 is part of the repair unit 1380, so that the repair order communicator 1362 directly communicates the instructions to the force controller and the end effector that perform the repair.

[0100] The repair order 1364 includes, for a series of time points 1370a - n, the position 1372 of the backup pad on the work surface within the range of the shape 1376 of the repair trajectory, the force 1374 applied by the force controller, and the speed 1378 of the polishing tool.

[0101] After the repair unit 1380 completes the repair, in some embodiments, the repair characteristics 1381 are collected. Some repair characteristics, such as the outer perimeter 1382 and the volume 1384, can be expected based on the repair plan generated by the defect repair plan generator 1350 and verified as part of the collection of the repair characteristics 1381. The repair characteristics can also include the degree of blurring processing 1386. For example, the blurring processing 1386 should be present along the outer perimeter of the repair area. In some embodiments, the blurring processing 1386 is generally uniform across the entire outer perimeter. In some embodiments, other repair characteristic evaluations 1388, including the repaired image, can also be incorporated.

[0102] FIG. 14 shows a method for generating a repair order in one embodiment of the present invention. The method 1400 can be implemented in one of the systems described in the embodiments herein or in another suitable system.

[0103] In block 1410, vehicle parameters are acquired. The vehicle parameters relate to a vehicle that is ready for repair. The vehicle may have an associated surface mesh 1412. Acquiring the vehicle parameters may also include, as shown in block 1414, acquiring characteristics of the paint applied to the vehicle, including layers, amounts, curing conditions, and hardness. The orange peel characteristics 1416 can also be acquired for the entire vehicle or for a local portion surrounding one or more defects on the vehicle.

[0104] In block 1420, the defects are characterized. In some embodiments, the vehicle may have multiple defects, at least some of which are characterized for repair. Characterizing the defects may include the type of defect 1421, the severity of the defect 1422, or the location 1423 on the vehicle. For example, the type of defect 1421 may include dirt or scratches. The severity of the defect 1422 may refer to the area on the work surface affected by the defect, the length of the defect, the height or depth of the defect, or another characteristic. The location of the defect may include the coordinate position on the work surface of the vehicle. Characterizing the defects may also include the depth of the defect 1424 with respect to the work surface, such as whether the defect is located within the paint layer or the clear coat layer, or the depth with respect to the paint layer. Characterizing the defects may also include acquiring an image 1426 of the work surface before repair. Other characteristics 1428 related to the defects can also be acquired.

[0105] In block 1430, the defects are mapped to a repair plan. In one embodiment, mapping the defects to a repair plan includes a repair plan generator, such as that of FIG. 13, receiving information about the vehicle and the defects and generating a repair trajectory for the defects based on the received information.

[0106] In block 1440, a path for the repair plan is generated. This path may include one or more positions 1442. In one embodiment, the position 1442 corresponds to a regular shape, including a circle, an ellipse, a parabola, an epicycloid, or a hypocycloid. In another embodiment, the position 1442 corresponds to an irregular shape. The shape may include a curvature line or a straight line, a concave portion or a convex portion, or other features. Generating the path in block 1440 may also include generating one or more orientations 1444. For example, the backup pad can contact the work surface evenly, thereby applying a uniform pressure across the surface of the backup pad and on the work surface. In another embodiment, the backup pad is inclined with respect to at least a portion of the generated path. This inclination can be inward or outward, and in some embodiments, it can change during repair.

[0107] In block 1450, the generated path is time-parameterized to generate a repair trajectory. Time-parameterizing the path includes assigning speeds and accelerations along the generated path. Generating the time-parameterization requires satisfying dynamic constraints such as the maximum speeds and accelerations achievable by the end effector tool as well as the robot itself, and the jerk, as shown in block 1452. The time-parameterization may also include verifying the constraints after the trajectory is generated to ensure that the robot and the end effector can achieve the trajectory.

[0108] In block 1460, a repair command including the time-parameterization is sent to the robot for the execution of the defect. In one embodiment, the command can be sent automatically based on the completion of the time-parameterization. In another embodiment, method 1400 is repeated as indicated by arrow 1470, and a repair trajectory is generated for a second defect. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 14, method 1400 can be repeated for a series of defects, and a complete trajectory for vehicle repair is set before the command is sent.

[0109] FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a defect detection and ranking system architecture. Remote server architecture 1500 shows one embodiment of an implementation of a defect detection and ranking system 1510. As an example, remote server architecture 1500 can provide services of computing, software, data access, and storage without requiring end-user knowledge of the physical location or configuration of the system that delivers the services. In various embodiments, the remote server can deliver services via a wide area network such as the Internet using an appropriate protocol. For example, the remote server can deliver an application via a wide area network and access it through a web browser or any other computing component. The software or components, and corresponding data, shown or described in FIGS. 1-8 can be stored on a server at a remote location. Computing resources in a remote server environment can be aggregated at the location of a remote data center or can be distributed. The remote server infrastructure can deliver services through a shared data center, and those shared data centers appear as a single access point to the user. Therefore, the components and functions described herein can be provided from a remote server at a remote location using a remote server architecture. Alternatively, they can be provided by a conventional server, installed directly on a client device, or provided in other ways.

[0110] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, some items are the same as those shown in the previous figures. FIG. 15 specifically shows that the repair plan generation system can be placed at the location 1502 of a remote server. Therefore, the computing device 1520 accesses those systems through the location 1502 of the remote server. The operator 1550 can similarly access the user interface 1522 using the computing device 1520.

[0111] FIG. 15 also shows another embodiment of the remote server architecture. FIG. 15 shows that while some elements of the systems described herein are placed at the location 1502 of the remote server, other elements are not. By way of example, the storage areas 1530, 1540, or 1560, or the repair system 1570 can be placed at a location separate from location 1502 and accessed via the remote server at location 1502. Regardless of where they are located, they can be directly accessed by the computing device 1520 via a network (either a wide area network or a local area network), hosted at a remote site by a service, provided as a service, or accessed by a connection service existing at a remote location. Also, data can be stored substantially anywhere and accessed intermittently by interested parties or transferred to interested parties. For example, a physical carrier can be used instead of or in addition to an electromagnetic wave carrier.

[0112] Also, note that the elements of the system described herein, or portions thereof, can be placed on a wide variety of different devices. Some of those devices include servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, embedded computers, industrial controllers, tablet computers, or other mobile devices such as palmtop computers, cellular phones, smart phones, multimedia players, personal digital assistants, and the like.

[0113] FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 show examples of mobile devices that can be used in the embodiments shown in the preceding figures.

[0114] FIG. 16 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a handheld or mobile computing device that can be used as a user or client handheld device 16 (such as computing device 1520 of FIG. 15) on which the present system (or a portion thereof) can be deployed. For example, the mobile device can be deployed within the operator compartment of computing device 1520 for use in generating, processing, or displaying data. FIG. 17 is another example of a handheld device or mobile device.

[0115] FIG. 16 provides a schematic block diagram of the components of client device 1616 that can execute some of the components shown and described herein. Client device 1616 interacts with them or executes some and interacts with some. Device 1616 is provided with a communication link 1613 that enables other computing devices and handheld devices to communicate and, in some embodiments, provides a channel for automatically receiving information, such as by scanning. Examples of communication link 1613 include communication via one or more communication protocols such as wireless services used to provide cellular access to a network and protocols that provide a local wireless connection to a network.

[0116] In other embodiments, applications can be received on a removable Secure Digital (SD) card connected to interface 1615. Interface 1615 and communication link 1613 communicate along bus 1619 with processor 1617 (which can also embody a processor) and are also connected to memory 1621, input / output (I / O) components 1623, and clock 1625 and location information system 1627.

[0117] I / O components 1623 are provided, in one embodiment, to facilitate input and output operations, and device 1616 can include input components such as buttons, touch sensors, optical sensors, microphones, touchscreens, proximity sensors, accelerometers, orientation sensors, etc. and output components such as display devices, speakers, and / or printer ports. Other I / O components 1623 can be used as well.

[0118] Clock 1625 illustratively includes a real-time clock component that outputs time and date. It can also provide a timing function to processor 1617.

[0119] Exemplarily, the location information system 1627 includes components that output the current geographical location of the device 1616. This can include, for example, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a LORAN system, a dead reckoning system, a cellular triangulation system, or other positioning systems. Also, for example, mapping software or navigation software that generates desired maps, navigation routes, and other geographical functions can also be included.

[0120] The memory 1621 stores an operating system 1629, network settings 1631, applications 1633, application configuration settings 1635, data storage 1637, communication drivers 1639, and communication configuration settings 1641. The memory 1621 can include all types of tangible volatile and non-volatile computer-readable memory devices. Also, computer storage media (described below) can also be included. The memory 1621 stores computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor 1617, cause the processor to perform computer-implemented steps or functions according to the instructions. The processor 1617 can similarly be activated by other components to facilitate their functions.

[0121] FIG. 17 shows that the device can be a smartphone 1671. The smartphone 1671 has a touch-sensitive display 1673 that displays icons or tiles or other user input mechanisms 1675. The mechanism 1675 can be used by the user to execute applications, make calls, perform data transfer operations, and so on. Generally, the smartphone 1671 is built on a mobile operating system and provides more advanced computing capabilities and connectivity than a feature phone.

[0122] Note that other forms of the device 1616 are possible.

[0123] FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a computing environment that can be used in the embodiments shown in the preceding figures.

[0124] FIG. 18 is an example of a computing environment in which elements of the systems and methods described herein, or (for example) portions thereof, can be deployed. Referring to FIG. 18, an exemplary system for implementing some embodiments includes a general-purpose computing device in the form of a computer 1810. The components of the computer 1810 can include, but are not limited to, a processing unit 1820 (which can include a processor), a system memory 1830, and a system bus 1821 that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit 1820. The system bus 1821 can be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memory and programs described with respect to the systems and methods herein can be deployed to the corresponding portions of FIG. 18.

[0125] Computer 1810 typically includes various computer-readable media. The computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 1810 and includes both volatile / non-volatile media and removable / non-removable media. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media is different from, and does not include, modulated data signals or carrier waves. Computer storage media includes hardware storage media implemented in any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data, including both volatile / non-volatile removable / non-removable media. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media that can be used to store desired information and that can be accessed by computer 1810. Communication media can embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a transfer mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal.

[0126] System memory 1830 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM) 1831 and random access memory (RAM) 1832. The basic input / output system 1833 (BIOS), which contains basic routines that help transfer information between elements within computer 1810 during startup and the like, is typically stored in ROM 1831. RAM 1832 typically contains data modules and / or program modules that are immediately accessible by and / or currently being operated on by processing unit 1820. By way of example and not limitation, FIG. 18 shows operating system 1834, application program 1835, other program modules 1836, and program data 1837.

[0127] Computer 1810 may also include other removable / non-removable volatile / non-volatile computer storage media. By way of mere example, FIG. 12 shows hard disk drive 1841, which reads from and writes to non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media, non-volatile magnetic disk 1852, optical disk drive 1855, and non-volatile optical disk 1856. Hard disk drive 1841 is typically connected to system bus 1821 via a non-removable memory interface, such as interface 1840, and optical disk drive 1855 is typically connected to system bus 1821 by a removable memory interface, such as interface 1850.

[0128] Alternatively, or additionally, the functions described herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. By way of example, and not limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that can be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (e.g., ASICs), application-specific standard products (e.g., ASSPs), system-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and the like.

[0129] The drives discussed above and shown in FIG. 18, and their associated computer storage media, provide storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for a computer 1810. In FIG. 18, for example, hard disk drive 1841 is shown as storing an operating system 1844, an application program 1845, other program modules 1846, and program data 1847. Note that these components can be the same as, or different from, operating system 1834, application program 1835, other program modules 1836, and program data 1837.

[0130] The user can input commands and information into the computer 1810 via input devices such as the keyboard 1862, the microphone 1863, and a pointing device 1861 such as a mouse, trackball, or touchpad. Other input devices (not shown) can include a joystick, game pad, satellite receiver, scanner, and the like. These input devices and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 1820 via a user input interface 1860 coupled to the system bus, but can also be connected by other interfaces and bus structures. A visual display 1891 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 1821 via an interface such as a video interface 1890. In addition to a monitor, the computer can also include other peripheral output devices such as a speaker 1897 and a printer 1896 that can be connected via an output peripheral interface 1895.

[0131] The computer 1810 operates in a networked environment using logical connections such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN) to one or more remote computers such as the remote computer 1880.

[0132] When used in a LAN network environment, the computer 1810 is connected to the LAN 1871 via a network interface or adapter 1870. When used in a WAN network environment, the computer 1810 typically includes a modem 1872 or other means for establishing communications via a WAN 1873 such as the Internet. In a networked environment, program modules can be stored in a remote memory storage device. FIG. 18 shows, for example, that a remote application program 1885 can exist on the remote computer 1880.

[0133] A repaired area on the work surface is presented. The repaired area includes a repair boundary. Inside the repair boundary, the work surface has a repair texture, and outside the repair boundary, the work surface has a work surface texture. The repaired area also includes a repair depth distribution inside the repair boundary and hidden features. The repaired area is the result of robotic repair performed on the work surface to remove defects.

[0134] The repaired area can be the result of a polishing operation on the work surface. The polishing operation can be considered to have removed the work surface texture from a portion of the repaired area.

[0135] The repair boundary can be rotationally symmetric. The repair boundary can have n-fold rotational symmetry, where n is finite and greater than or equal to 2. The repair boundary can have n-fold rotational symmetry, where n is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 25. The repair boundary can have n-fold rotational symmetry, where n is greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to 25. The repair boundary can have n-fold rotational symmetry of the repair boundary, where n is greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to 8.

[0136] The repair boundary can be an epicycloid or a hypocycloid. The repair boundary can be defined as having an a parameter and an h parameter, both of which are non-zero.

[0137] The repair region may be implemented such that the path of the robotic repair performed is an epicycloid or a hypocycloid. The path is defined as having an a parameter and an h parameter, both of which are non-zero.

[0138] The repair boundary can be asymmetric.

[0139] The repair boundary can be smaller than six times the effective tool radius.

[0140] The repair boundary can be made smaller than four times the effective tool radius.

[0141] The repair boundary can be made smaller than three times the effective tool radius.

[0142] The repair boundary can be made smaller than two times the effective tool radius.

[0143] The repair area may be implemented such that the cutting depth monotonically decreases radially outward from the center of the repaired area.

[0144] The repair area may be implemented such that debris from the defect remains within the repaired area.

[0145] The repair area may include a blurring process.

[0146] The repair area can be fused to the workpiece surface.

[0147] The repair area may not be easily apparent to humans.

[0148] The repair boundary may have a convex portion or convex portions.

[0149] The repair boundary may include a straight line.

[0150] The repair area may be implemented such that the repair depth profile has a first depth with respect to the workpiece surface at a first point and a second depth at a second point. The first point and the second point may be inside the repair boundary.

[0151] The repair area may be implemented such that the repair depth profile has a first depth with respect to the workpiece surface at a first point and a second depth at a second point. The first point and the second point may be inside the repair boundary.

[0152] The repair boundary may have a first cutting profile at a first point and a second cutting profile at a second point. The first cutting profile may be different from the second cutting profile.

[0153] The repair area may be implemented such that the first point is closer to the repair boundary than the second point. The first depth may be made greater than the second depth.

[0154] A method for robotically repairing a defect on a workpiece surface is presented. The method includes receiving a surface mesh of the workpiece surface. The method also includes receiving the location of the defect. This location is the coordinate position corresponding to a point on the surface mesh. The method also includes generating a repair map for repairing the defect. The repair map includes a repair position and a repair force at that repair position. The method also includes generating a temporal parameterization of the repair map. The method also includes sending a repair instruction to a repair robot. The repair instruction includes the repair map and the temporal parameterization. The repair robot comprises a tool configured to contact the defect and polish the workpiece surface at the location of the defect. The repair position includes the position of the tool, and the force includes the force applied by the tool on the workpiece surface.

[0155] The method may be implemented such that the tool is coupled to a backup pad that is coupled to a polishing article. The tool may have a repair orientation at the repair position. The repair orientation may include the orientation of the tool with respect to the workpiece surface. This orientation can be an outward slope, an inward slope, or a parallel slope with respect to the workpiece surface.

[0156] The method may be implemented such that the repair position is a first repair position and the repair orientation is a first repair orientation. The repair instruction may also include that the tool has a first applied repair force at the first repair position in the first repair orientation at a first time and the tool has a second applied repair force at a second repair position in the second repair orientation at a second time.

[0157] This method may be implemented such that the first repair position is different from the second repair position.

[0158] This method may be implemented such that the first repair position is the same as the second repair position.

[0159] This method may be implemented such that the first repair orientation is the same as the second repair orientation.

[0160] This method may be implemented such that the first repair orientation is different from the second repair orientation.

[0161] This method may be implemented such that the first applied repair force is the same as the second applied repair force.

[0162] This method may be implemented such that the first applied repair force is different from the second applied repair force.

[0163] This method may be implemented such that the tool has a moving component and the repair command includes the tool speed regarding the moving component.

[0164] This method may also be implemented such that the repair command includes the first tool speed at the first time and the second tool speed at the second time. The first tool speed and the second tool speed can be the same.

[0165] This method may also be implemented such that the repair command includes the first tool speed at the first time and the second tool speed at the second time. The first tool speed and the second tool speed can be different.

[0166] This method may be implemented such that the tool is a rotary sander and the tool speed is the rotational speed.

[0167] This method may be implemented such that the tool is a vibrating sander and the tool speed is the vibration speed.

[0168] This method may be implemented such that the tool is an orbital sander having an orbit and the tool speed is the rotational orbit speed.

[0169] This method may be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having an orbit and the tool speed is the rotational orbit speed.

[0170] This method may be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having a movement axis and the tool speed is the axis speed.

[0171] This method may be implemented such that the repair map includes a plurality of ordered positions and the time parameterization includes the tool passing through the plurality of ordered positions in sequence.

[0172] This method may be implemented such that the plurality of ordered positions form an open path where the start position is different from the end position.

[0173] This method may be implemented such that the plurality of ordered positions form a closed path where the start position is the same as the end position.

[0174] This method may be implemented such that the plurality of positions cause the tool to trace a shape.

[0175] This method may be implemented such that the shape is a regular shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a parabola, an epicycloid, or a hypocycloid.

[0176] This method may be implemented such that the shape is an irregular shape having a convex portion, a concave portion, a straight portion, or a curved portion.

[0177] The method may be implemented such that the repair instruction includes a command for the repair robot to execute the repair instruction.

[0178] The method may also be implemented such that the repair instruction includes a command for replacing the polishing article with a new polishing article.

[0179] The method may be implemented such that the command is based on the received polishing article parameters. The polishing article parameters can be the polishing grade or the remaining life of the polishing article.

[0180] The method may be implemented such that the repair area, which includes an area on the work surface polished by the tool, is larger than the area of the backup pad coupled to the tool.

[0181] The method may be implemented such that the repair area has a polishing depth profile across the entire repair area and the polishing depth profile is not consistent across the repair surface.

[0182] The method may be implemented such that the first polishing depth with respect to the work surface at the first point is shallower than the second polishing depth at the second point.

[0183] A repair robot is presented for repairing defects on a work surface. The repair robot has a robot arm having a base portion at a first edge and a flange at a second end. The repair robot also has a force control unit coupled to the flange. The repair robot also has an end effector coupled to the force control unit. The repair robot also has a tool coupled to the end effector. The repair robot also has a backup pad coupled to the tool. The backup pad is also coupled to a polishing disk. The repair robot also has a robot controller configured to move the tool to a position above the defect on the drive arm and execute a repair trajectory in response to a received repair command. The repair trajectory includes the tool tracking a repair path on the work surface. The repair path includes a plurality of positions and, at each of the plurality of positions, a tool orientation, a tool force, and a tool speed. The repair robot also has computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the received repair command to be executed by the repair robot.

[0184] The repair robot may also be implemented such that a first tool orientation at a first tool position is different from a second tool orientation at a second tool position.

[0185] The repair robot may also be implemented such that a first tool force at a first tool position is different from a second tool force at a second tool position.

[0186] The repair robot may also be implemented such that a first tool speed at a first tool position is different from a second tool speed at a second tool position.

[0187] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the repair path includes a regular shape.

[0188] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the regular shape is a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a parabola, an epicycloid, or a hypocycloid.

[0189] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the repair path includes an irregular shape having a convex portion or a concave portion.

[0190] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the repair path has rotational symmetry.

[0191] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the repair path does not have rotational symmetry.

[0192] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the repair path is asymmetric.

[0193] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the polishing disk is removable and the repair instruction includes an instruction to remove the current polishing disk and place a new polishing disk on the backup pad.

[0194] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the robot controller generates a repair instruction based on the defect characteristics. The defect characteristics are the type of defect, the size of the defect, or the location of the defect on the work surface.

[0195] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the robot controller generates a repair instruction based on the polishing disk parameters. The polishing disk parameters are the polishing grade or the remaining disk life.

[0196] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the robot controller generates a repair instruction based on the work surface parameters. The work surface parameters are the painting parameters or the defect depth.

[0197] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the work surface is a vehicle and the painting parameters are the number of paint coatings, the type of paint coating, or the paint hardness.

[0198] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the vehicle is an automobile.

[0199] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the base is stationary with respect to the vehicle during the repair process.

[0200] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the base is moving with respect to the vehicle during the repair process.

[0201] The repair robot may also be implemented such that both the base and the vehicle are moving during the repair process.

[0202] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the tool is an oscillating sander and the tool speed is the oscillation speed of the oscillating sander.

[0203] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the tool is a rotary sander and the tool speed is the rotational speed.

[0204] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the tool is an orbital sander having an orbit and the tool speed is the orbital rotation speed.

[0205] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having an orbit and the tool speed is the orbital rotation speed.

[0206] The repair robot may also be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having an axis and the tool speed is the axis speed.

[0207] A repair instruction regarding a robot repair unit is presented. The repair instruction includes a starting position regarding a tool coupled to the robot repair unit. The tool includes a polishing article configured to contact and polish a work surface. The repair instruction also includes a repair path including a first position regarding the tool at a first time and a second position regarding the tool at a second time. The repair instruction also includes a force profile including a first applied force by the robot repair unit on the polishing article at a first time and a second applied force by the robot repair unit on the polishing article at a second time. The repair instruction may also have a tool speed profile including a first tool speed at a first time and a second tool speed at a second time. The repair instruction may also have computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a repaired robot to execute the received repair instruction.

[0208] The repair instruction may also have an end position regarding the tool, and this end position is different from the starting position.

[0209] The repair instruction may be implemented such that the work surface includes a defect and the repair instruction is configured to reduce the visual appearance of the defect on the work surface.

[0210] The repair instruction may be implemented such that the outer periphery of the repair area is fused to the work surface. The fusion may include creating a blur process along the edge of the repair area. The fusion may include polishing a repair depth profile within the repair area of the work surface.

[0211] The repair instruction may be implemented such that a first repair depth at the first position is less than a second repair depth at the second position. The first position may be closer to the repair outer periphery than the second position.

[0212] The repair instruction may be implemented such that the polishing article has a polishing article area and the repair area is larger than the polishing article area.

[0213] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair area is larger than twice the polished article area.

[0214] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair area has a dimension larger than twice the diameter of the polished article.

[0215] The repair command may be implemented such that the second position is the same as the first position.

[0216] The repair command may be implemented such that the second position is different from the first position.

[0217] The repair command may be implemented such that the first force is different from the second force.

[0218] The repair command may be implemented such that the first tool speed is different from the second tool speed.

[0219] The repair command may also include a first tool orientation at a first time and a second tool orientation at a second time. The first tool orientation and the second tool orientation can be selected from the group consisting of parallel to the work surface, an outward inclination with respect to the work surface, and an inward inclination with respect to the work surface.

[0220] The repair command may be implemented such that the first tool orientation is different from the second tool orientation.

[0221] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair path includes an open path where the start position is different from the end position.

[0222] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair path includes a closed path where the start position is the same as the end position.

[0223] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair path includes a regular shape, and the regular shape includes a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, an epitrochoid, an epitrochoid, or a rose.

[0224] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair path has rotational symmetry.

[0225] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair path is asymmetric.

[0226] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair path is an irregular path. The irregular path has a concave portion or a convex portion.

[0227] The repair command may be implemented such that the starting position includes a tool that is substantially in contact with the defect.

[0228] The repair command may be implemented such that the workpiece surface is a vehicle.

[0229] The repair command may be implemented such that the repair command relates to a repair robot that remains stationary during repair. The workpiece surface may be stationary during repair. The workpiece surface may be moving during repair.

[0230] The repair command may relate to a repair robot that is moving during repair. The workpiece surface may be stationary during repair. The workpiece surface may be moving during repair.

[0231] The repair command may be implemented such that the tool is a vibrating sander, the first speed is the first vibration speed, and the second speed is the second vibration speed.

[0232] The repair command may be implemented such that the tool is a rotary sander, the first speed is the first rotational speed, and the second speed is the second rotational speed.

[0233] The repair command may be implemented such that the tool is an orbital sander having an orbit, the first speed is the first orbital rotational speed, and the second speed is the second orbital rotational speed.

[0234] The repair command may be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having an orbit, a first speed being a first orbital rotation speed, and a second speed being a second orbital rotation speed.

[0235] The repair command may be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having a moving axis, a first speed being a first axis speed, and a second speed being a second axis speed.

[0236] A repair plan generation system is presented for polishing defects on a work surface. The repair plan generation system includes a work surface acquirer configured to acquire a surface mesh associated with the work surface. The system also includes a defect acquirer configured to acquire defect characteristics regarding the defects. The system also includes a repair trajectory generator configured to generate a repair trajectory for polishing the defects. The repair trajectory generator includes a path generator configured to generate a path for a tool on a robotic repair unit to execute, a force profile generator configured to generate a force profile for the tool to apply to a polishing article coupled to the tool, and a time parameterizer configured to associate a speed with the generated path such that at a first time, the tool is present at a first position and applies a first force, and at a second time, the tool is present at a second position and applies a second force. The system also includes an instruction communicator configured to communicate the generated repair trajectory to a robotic repair unit for execution. The system also includes a controller having a processor and computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the work surface acquirer to acquire the surface mesh, the defect acquirer to acquire the defect characteristics, the repair trajectory generator to generate the repair trajectory, and the instruction communicator to communicate the generated repair trajectory.

[0237] The repair plan generation system may also include a polishing product acquirer configured to acquire polishing article characteristics regarding the polishing article.

[0238] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the polishing article characteristics are the polishing grade or the remaining polishing disk life.

[0239] The repair plan generation system may also include a polishing disk change decision generator configured to generate a polishing article change command based on the polishing article characteristics. The command communicator communicates the polishing article change command together with the generated repair trajectory.

[0240] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the command communicator also communicates a repair start command for the robot repair unit to execute the repair trajectory when received.

[0241] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the command communicator also communicates a repair start command for the robot repair unit to execute the polishing article change command before executing the repair trajectory.

[0242] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the defect characteristics are an image before repair of the defect.

[0243] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the defect characteristics are parameters of the type of defect, the location of the defect on the work surface, the depth of the defect with respect to the surface of the work surface, or the defect size.

[0244] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair trajectory is generated based at least in part on past defect repairs.

[0245] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the work surface acquirer also acquires work surface characteristics.

[0246] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the work surface is a vehicle and the work surface characteristics are orange peel characteristics.

[0247] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the work surface characteristics are painting characteristics.

[0248] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the painting characteristics are painting hardness, painting color, painting layer thickness, number of painting layers, or type of painting.

[0249] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the defect characteristic is the defect depth inside the painting.

[0250] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the first position and the second position are the same.

[0251] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the first position and the second position are different.

[0252] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that a first region of the polishing article in contact with the work surface does not overlap with a second region of the polishing article in contact with the work surface. The first region may correspond to the polishing article at the first position, and the second region may correspond to the polishing article at the second position.

[0253] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the first applied force is different from the second applied force.

[0254] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the first applied force is the same as the second applied force.

[0255] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the tool has an orientation with respect to the work surface such that a force profile is applied along a region of the polishing article in contact with the work surface.

[0256] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that this orientation is an outward inclination, an inward inclination, or a parallel orientation with respect to the work surface.

[0257] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path is an open path where the start position and the end position of the tool are different.

[0258] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path is a closed path where the start position and the end position are the same.

[0259] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path is a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a bar, an epitrochoid, or a hypotrochoid.

[0260] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path is an irregular shape.

[0261] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path includes a convex portion.

[0262] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path includes a concave portion.

[0263] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path includes a straight portion.

[0264] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path has rotational symmetry.

[0265] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the repair path is asymmetric.

[0266] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the tool is a vibrating sander and the tool speed is the vibration speed.

[0267] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the tool is a rotary sander and the tool speed is the rotational speed.

[0268] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the tool is an orbital sander having an orbit and the tool speed is the orbital rotation speed.

[0269] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having an orbit and the tool speed is the orbital rotation speed.

[0270] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having a moving axis and the tool speed is the axis speed.

[0271] The repair plan generation system may be implemented such that the tool is coupled to a backup pad that couples to the adhesive article.

[0272] A method for generating a repair path for a work surface is presented. The method includes obtaining work surface parameters using a work surface parameter acquirer. The method also includes obtaining defect parameters regarding a defect on the work surface using a defect parameter acquirer. The defect parameters include the location of the defect on the work surface. The method also includes generating a repair path regarding the defect using a repair path generator. The repair path includes a repair position, a repair force, and a repair orientation regarding a tool that contacts the work surface. The method also includes generating a repair path by time-parameterizing the repair path using a time parameterizer. The method is implemented by a repair robot controller having a processor and stored computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the controller to complete steps of obtaining work surface parameters, obtaining defect parameters, generating a repair path, and time-parameterizing the repair path.

[0273] The method may also include communicating the repair path to the repair robot using an instruction communicator.

[0274] The method may also include checking the path for compatibility with dynamic constraints of the repair robot. The dynamic constraints include maximum acceleration, maximum speed, or jerk.

[0275] This method may be implemented such that the trajectory includes a first time and a second time. The repair position can be a first repair position, the repair force can be a first repair force, and the repair direction can be a first repair direction. At the first time, the tool has the first repair force in the first direction at the first repair position. At the second time, the tool has the second repair force in the second repair direction at the second repair position.

[0276] This method may be implemented such that the first repair position is the same as the second repair position.

[0277] This method may be implemented such that the first repair position is different from the second repair position.

[0278] This method may be implemented such that the first repair force is the same as the second repair force.

[0279] This method may be implemented such that the first repair force is different from the second repair force.

[0280] This method may be implemented such that the first repair direction is the same as the second repair direction.

[0281] This method may be implemented such that the first repair direction is different from the second repair direction.

[0282] This method may be implemented such that the tool has a moving component. The moving component has a first speed at the first time and a second speed at the second time.

[0283] This method may be implemented such that the first speed is different from the second speed.

[0284] This method may be implemented such that the first speed is the same as the second speed.

[0285] The method may be implemented such that the repair tool is a vibrating sander and the first tool speed and the second tool speed are the first vibration speed and the second vibration speed, respectively.

[0286] The method may be implemented such that the repair tool is a rotary sander and the first tool speed and the second tool speed are the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed, respectively.

[0287] The method may be implemented such that the repair tool is an orbital sander having an orbit and the first tool speed and the second tool speed are the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed, respectively.

[0288] The method may be implemented such that the repair tool is a random orbital sander having a movement axis and the first tool speed and the second tool speed are the first axis movement speed and the second axis movement speed, respectively.

[0289] The method may be implemented such that the repair orientation is parallel to the work surface, an outward inclination with respect to the work surface, or an inward inclination with respect to the work surface.

[0290] The method may be implemented such that the tool is coupled to a backup pad, the backup pad is removably coupled to an abrasive article, and the abrasive article is in direct contact with the work surface.

[0291] The method may be implemented such that the method also includes obtaining abrasive article characteristics and generating an abrasive article change command based on the abrasive article characteristics.

[0292] The method may be implemented such that the abrasive article characteristics are an abrasive grade or an indication of the remaining life of the abrasive article.

[0293] The method may be implemented such that the repair path includes a plurality of positions through which the tool will pass when executing the repair path.

[0294] This method may be implemented such that the repair path is an open circuit where the starting position is different from the ending position.

[0295] This method may be implemented such that the repair path is a closed circuit where the starting position is the same as the ending position.

[0296] This method may be implemented such that the repair path includes a regular shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, an ellipse, a parabola, an epicycloid, a hypocycloid, or a polygon.

[0297] This method may be implemented such that the repair path includes an irregular shape having a feature part selected from the group consisting of a convex part, a concave part, a straight line, and a curve.

[0298] This method may be implemented such that the repair path has rotational symmetry.

[0299] This method may be implemented such that the repair path is asymmetric.

[0300] This method may be implemented such that the workpiece surface is a vehicle.

[0301] This method may be implemented such that the workpiece surface parameter is the coating property of the coating layer on the vehicle.

[0302] This method may be implemented such that the workpiece surface parameter is the orange peel texture of the vehicle.

[0303] This method may be implemented such that the defect parameter is the type of defect.

[0304] This method may be implemented such that the defect parameter is the depth of the defect with respect to the workpiece surface.

[0305] This method may be implemented such that the defect parameter is the image of the defect before repair.

[0306] This method may be implemented such that the repair force is selected to cause a blurring process along the repair area.

[0307] A defect repair trajectory for a repair robot is presented. The trajectory includes a starting position for the tool of the repair robot and an ending position for the tool on the work surface. The tool contacts and polishes the work surface. The trajectory also includes a trajectory shape including a first position of the tool at a first time and a second position of the tool at a second time. The trajectory also includes a force profile including a first force applied at the first time and a second force applied at the second time. The trajectory also includes a speed profile including a first tool speed at the first time and a second tool speed at the second time. The trajectory also includes an orientation profile including a first orientation of the tool at the first time and a second orientation of the tool at the second time.

[0308] The defect repair trajectory may be implemented such that the first force applied is the same as the second force applied.

[0309] The defect repair trajectory may be implemented such that the first force applied is different from the second force applied.

[0310] The defect repair trajectory may be implemented such that the first position is the same as the second position.

[0311] The defect repair trajectory may be implemented such that the first position is different from the second position.

[0312] The defect repair trajectory may be implemented such that the first tool speed is the same as the second tool speed.

[0313] The defect repair trajectory may be implemented such that the first tool speed is different from the second tool speed.

[0314] The defect repair trajectory may be implemented such that the first orientation is different from the second orientation.

[0315] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the first direction is the same as the second direction.

[0316] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the end position is different from the start position.

[0317] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the end position is the same as the start position.

[0318] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the track shape is a circle, an ellipse, a parabola, an epicycloid, a hypocycloid, or a polygon.

[0319] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the track shape has rotational symmetry.

[0320] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the track shape is asymmetric.

[0321] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the track shape has a convex or concave portion and the outer perimeter has a curved or straight portion.

[0322] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the tool is a rotary sander and the first and second tool speeds are rotational speeds.

[0323] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the tool is a vibrating sander and the first and second tool speeds are vibration speeds.

[0324] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the tool is an orbital sander having an orbit and the first and second tool speeds are orbital rotation speeds.

[0325] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the tool is a random orbital sander having an orbit and the first and second tool speeds are orbital rotation speeds.

[0326] The defect repair track is a random orbital sander in which the tool has a moving axis, and the first tool speed and the second tool speed may be implemented to be the axis speed.

[0327] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the repair path includes the tool moving across the defect.

[0328] The defect repair track may be implemented such that after the repair path is executed, remnants of the defect remain.

[0329] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the work surface is a vehicle, and polishing the work surface includes changing the texture of the work surface within the repair area.

[0330] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the texture of the work surface within the repair area is different from the texture of the work surface outside the repair area.

[0331] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the repair area includes a boundary area where the repair area texture is blended into the work surface texture.

[0332] The defect repair track may be implemented such that the boundary area includes a blurring process.

[0333] The descriptions and figures presented above are intended as examples only and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments in any way except as described in the appended claims. Note that the various technical aspects of the various elements of the various exemplary embodiments described above can be combined in many other ways, and all of those combinations are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0334] Accordingly, while exemplary embodiments have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified within the scope of the appended claims, together with the full scope of their equivalents. Examples

[0335] Figures 19-23 show some examples of blurring processing and surface roughness. Figures 19A-19E show examples of blurring processing. Figure 19A shows a grayscale image of the repaired area on the reflective surface. The polished area 1902 exists on the reflective surface 1904. The repair in Figure 19A shows the blurred transition part 1910. The exemplary polished area 1902 is approximately 40 mm wide. The surface 1904 is clear-coated on the painted surface. The darkening of the polished area 1902 indicates that the reflective surface 1904 is damaged. This damage is caused by cutting or micro-burning of the surface by the abrasive used to remove or reduce defects. The polished area 1902 is significantly larger than the repaired defect.

[0336] After the polished area 1902 is polished, blurring processing is important to prevent visible valleys from becoming apparent to an individual looking at the reflective surface. As described above, the reflective surface 1904 may have a wavy surface feature called "orange peel".

[0337] Figures 19B-19E show four examples of the processed surface. Figure 19B shows an unevenly blurred polished surface having a progressive blurring process 1920 on one side and a part 1930 with little blurring processing on the other side. Figure 19C shows an embodiment 1940 with irregular blurring processing applied around the edge. Figure 19E shows an undercut 1960 without blurring processing and a biased blurring process 1970. Figure 19D shows a preferred blurring process 1950 evenly present around the outer periphery.

[0338] The amount of blurring present can be measured by quantifying the damage to the reflective surface over a particular path or area. FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate examples of blurring measurement techniques 2000, 2050. FIG. 20A shows line 2002 drawn from the center of the repair area across the blurred transition at the edge. FIG. 20B shows an analysis of the pixels from FIG. 20A along line 2002 extending along axis 2052 representing the number of pixels from the image center. Pixel value 2054 represents the brightness value of the pixel. As shown, there is a brighter central portion 2060 which transitions to darker pixels in the more heavily polished central annulus 2065 of the polished area and then to a complete reflective surface 2070.

[0339] As shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B, blurring techniques can be used to introduce irregularities or non-uniformities into the polished area. Five lines 2202, 2204, 2206, 2208, and 2210 are drawn from the center of the treated area to the outer untreated area. Pixel measurements along the path are represented in FIG. 22B. The undulations 2220 seen in their values over five samples indicate the effect of the blurring.

[0340] FIGS. 22 and 23 mathematically show how blurring can be measured, for example, using surface texture, surface undulation, and / or surface roughness within an area along a path.

[0341] FIG. 22A shows the repaired area 2300 with line 2302 drawn from the center to the unpolished portion. This area was measured over a 10-pixel wide path.

[0342]

Number

[0343] Where S ris the light reflected in the specular reflection direction, and T r is the total reflection light beam, and R q is the root mean square surface area roughness, θ is the specular reflection direction, and λ is the light wavelength. FIG. 22A shows a plot of the surface texture 2310, the surface undulation 2320, and the surface roughness 2330.

[0344] Applying Equation 10 to FIG. 23A, it can be seen that the transition region has less blurring processing than required and has a root mean square roughness of 81.43. FIG. 23B shows higher variability in the region where the blurring process exists and has a root mean square roughness of 206.8. The defined range of the yuzu skin roughness depends on the aesthetics desired by the manufacturer and also on the position of the vehicle. For example, the lower panel on a utility vehicle can have a yuzu skin, and the variability of its yuzu skin shows a very abrupt transition with an appearance almost the same as a rough powder coating, expressed as a high roughness number. In another application on the surface of the vehicle hood, the yuzu skin can have a much smoother wavy quality, expressed as a lower roughness number.

[0345] FIGS. 24A and 24B show photographed images of the repair area before polishing (FIG. 24A) and after polishing (FIG. 24B).

Claims

**Claim 1**: A method for robotically repairing defects on a workpiece surface, comprising: receiving a surface mesh and surface texture features of the workpiece surface; receiving a location of the defect, wherein the location is a coordinate position corresponding to a point on the surface mesh; generating a repair map for repairing the defect, wherein the repair map includes a repair position and a repair force at the repair position; generating a time parameterization of the repair map; sending a repair instruction to a repair robot, wherein the repair instruction includes the repair map and the time parameterization, the repair instruction includes a concealment feature selected based on the surface texture features, and the concealment feature includes a non-uniform repair region at a non-circular repair boundary; the repair robot includes a tool configured to contact the defect and polish the workpiece surface at the location of the defect, the repair position includes the position of the tool, and the force includes the force applied by the tool on the workpiece surface. **Claim 2**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the repair boundary may have n-fold rotational symmetry, and n is finite and greater than or equal to 2. **Claim 3**: The method according to claim 2, wherein n is less than or equal to 25. **Claim 4**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the repair boundary is an epicycloid or a hypocycloid. **Claim 5**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the repair boundary is asymmetric. **Claim 6**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the repair boundary is smaller than six times the effective tool radius. **Claim 7**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the repair instruction defines a cutting depth that monotonically decreases radially outward from the center of the repair region. **Claim 8**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the repair boundary has a convex or concave portion. **Claim 9**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the repair instruction defines a repair depth profile for the workpiece surface that includes a first depth at a first point and a second depth at a second point, and the first point and the second point are within the repair boundary. **Claim 10**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the repair instruction includes tilting a backup pad at a non-zero angle with respect to the workpiece surface.

Images