Intervening segment for robot arm

Abstract

An intervening joint is described for enabling a robotic arm to be used as a reconfigurable fixture for vehicle manufacturing. The intervening joint comprises an attachment element for attaching the intervening joint to the robotic arm. The intervening joint also comprises a first positioning element, the first positioning element comprising a planar surface, the planar surface adapted to position a first feature of a vehicle component, the first feature comprising a surface of the vehicle component. The intervening joint further comprises a wall extending substantially around the planar surface, the wall connecting the planar surface to the attachment element, the wall defining a second positioning element, the second positioning element adapted to position a second feature of the vehicle component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an attachment for a robotic arm that enables the robotic arm to be used as a reconfigurable fixture for vehicle manufacturing, and a method of using such an attachment as a reconfigurable fixture for vehicle manufacturing.

Background Art

[0002] Vehicle manufacturing, particularly aircraft manufacturing, has traditionally required complex manufacturing techniques commensurate with the complexity of the products being created. Conventional approaches to the positioning of individual elements of a vehicle typically rely on "custom" fixtures that are designed and manufactured at great expense. These fixtures have been meticulously constructed using highly accurate measuring instruments. These fixtures incur significant out-of-pocket and recurring cost penalties for their accuracy, their flexibility may be severely limited, and due to their custom nature, they tend to have a certain "storage life" of use and then incur additional costs for fixture disposal.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention, an interface node is provided to enable a robotic arm to be used as a reconfigurable fixture for vehicle manufacturing. The interface node includes an attachment element for attaching the interface node to the robotic arm. The interface node also includes a first positioning element, which includes a flat surface that is suitable for positioning a first feature of a vehicle component, the first feature including a surface of the vehicle component. The interface node further includes a wall extending substantially around from the flat surface, the wall connecting the flat surface to the attachment element and defining a second positioning element suitable for positioning a second feature of the vehicle component.

[0004] In some examples, the intervening segment further comprises a third positioning element, the third positioning element comprising one or more holes in a flat surface, each of which is suitable for positioning a third feature portion of a vehicle component, the third feature portion of the vehicle component comprising a point of the vehicle component. One or more holes may be a hole located at the center of the flat surface. One or more holes may be either screw holes or hollow cones. One or more holes may comprise an array of screw holes, which optionally comprise one or more of 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 7mm screw holes.

[0005] In some examples, the second characteristic feature of a vehicle component is the edge of the vehicle component, the flat surface is circular, the wall is cylindrical, the second positioning element is a cylindrical wall, and the tangent of the cylindrical wall may be used to position the edge of the vehicle component. In other examples, the second characteristic feature of a vehicle component is the corner of the vehicle component, the flat surface is rectangular, the wall is a right-angled prism, the second positioning element is a corner of the wall or a corner where the flat surface is joined to the wall, and the corner of the wall or a corner where the flat surface is joined to the wall may be used to position the corner of the vehicle component.

[0006] In some examples, the mounting element is on the opposite side of the intervening joint from the flat surface. In other examples, the mounting element is connected to the wall of the intervening joint, and in some cases the intervening joint may further comprise a fourth positioning element on the opposite side of the flat surface. The fourth positioning element may comprise a cup suitable for positioning a fourth feature portion of a vehicle component, the fourth feature portion comprising a cone.

[0007] In some examples, the mounting element includes a clamp-up location for clamping the intervening segment to the robot arm and a reference plane for ensuring a known boundary point between the robot arm and the intervening segment.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, a device is provided for use as a reconfigurable support for vehicle manufacturing. The device comprises a robotic arm that can move with six degrees of freedom and an intervening segment, such as the intervening segment described above, the intervening segment being connected to the robotic arm via an intervening segment mounting element.

[0009] A further aspect of the present invention provides a method for positioning a vehicle component relative to a vehicle build volume. The method comprises identifying a first feature portion of the component, which needs to be positioned at a desired location relative to the vehicle build volume. The method also comprises selecting a first positioning element of an intervening link connected to a robotic arm, the intervening link comprising one or more positioning elements, each of which is for positioning a feature portion of a vehicle component, and the first positioning element is selected from one or more positioning elements to be suitable for positioning the first feature portion of the component. The method further comprises determining a positioning position of the first positioning element based on the desired location of the first feature portion of the component. The method also comprises moving the intervening link using a robotic arm to position the first positioning element at the positioning position. The method further comprises positioning the component relative to the vehicle build volume using the first positioning element to position the first feature portion of the component, and therefore the component, relative to the vehicle build volume.

[0010] In some examples, one or more positioning elements comprise at least one of a flat surface, a corner, a hole, a circular wall, and a cup, and the first feature portion of the component comprises at least one of a surface, a corner, a point, an edge, and a cone. Identifying the first positioning element from one or more positioning elements on the intervening node based on the first feature portion of the component may include selecting the flat surface of the intervening node as the first positioning element if the first feature portion of the component is a surface, selecting the corner of the intervening node as the first positioning element if the first feature portion of the component is a corner, selecting the hole of the intervening node as the first positioning element if the first feature portion of the component is a point, selecting the circular wall of the intervening node as the first positioning element if the first feature portion of the component is an edge, and selecting the cup of the intervening node as the first positioning element if the first feature portion of the component is a cone.

[0011] In some examples, the method may further comprise selecting an intervening node from one of several intervening nodes based on a first feature part of the component, each of which intervening nodes comprises either a different positioning element or a positioning element of a different size.

[0012] In some examples, this method may involve attaching an intervening segment to a robotic arm.

[0013] In some examples, positioning a component relative to the vehicle build volume may further comprise using a positioning element to support the component in a desired position. The first feature portion may comprise a surface, the first positioning element may comprise a flat surface, and using the first positioning element to support the component in a desired position may comprise supporting the surface of the component on the flat surface of the intervening joint. The first feature portion may comprise a hole, the first positioning element may comprise a screw hole, and using the first positioning element to support the component in a desired position may comprise using a screw fitting to attach the component to the intervening joint through the hole and screw hole. The first feature portion may comprise a cone, the first positioning element may comprise a cup, and using the first positioning element to support the component in a desired position may comprise positioning the cone within the cup.

[0014] In some examples, the method may further comprise attaching the component to the vehicle build volume so that the component is supported by the vehicle build volume, and using a robotic arm to move the intervening segment away from its positioning location.

[0015] In some examples, the method may further comprise identifying a second feature portion of a second component that needs to be positioned at a second desired position relative to the vehicle build volume. The method may further comprise selecting a second positioning element from one or more positioning elements on an intervening link based on the second feature portion of the second component. The method may also comprise determining a second positioning position of the second positioning element based on the second desired position, and moving the intervening link using a robotic arm to position the second positioning element at the second positioning position. The method may also comprise positioning the second component relative to the vehicle build volume using the second positioning element to position the second feature portion of the second component, and therefore the second component, relative to the vehicle build volume. In some examples, the first and second positioning elements may be the same. However, in other examples, the first and second positioning elements may be different.

[0016] In some examples, using a robotic arm to move an intervening link to position a positioning element may involve using a robotic arm to move the intervening link with 6 degrees of freedom in order to drive the intervening link so that the positioning element is moved to the positioning position.

[0017] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described simply as examples with reference to the figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of an intervening node according to the example shown herein. [Figure 2] Perspective view of an intervening segment according to the example in this specification. [Figure 3] Perspective view of an intervening segment according to the example in this specification. [Figure 4] Perspective view of an intervening segment according to the example in this specification. [Figure 5] A plan view of an intervening joint used to align / position the edges of components, as illustrated in this specification. [Figure 6] Perspective view of an intervening segment according to the example in this specification. [Figure 7] A perspective view of an intervening joint with an alternative mounting element, as illustrated in this specification. [Figure 8] A perspective view of an intervening joint having an attachment element extending from the side wall of the intervening joint, as illustrated in this specification. [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating intervening links used to position / place components relative to the vehicle build volume, as per the examples of this specification. [Figure 10] A flowchart illustrating how to use intervening clauses as described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] This application relates to an attachment for a robotic arm that enables the robotic arm to be used as a third hand when arranging components for vehicle assembly, in some examples for aircraft assembly. The attachment may also be known as a fixturing node, intervening node, interface element, fixed element, support element, or support node.

[0020] In one example, an intervening joint is provided to assist in the construction of a vehicle such as an aircraft. The vehicle can exist in a partially constructed state known as the vehicle build volume or vehicle assembly while it is being manufactured. The intervening joint is designed to be connected or attached to a robotic arm or other suitable industrial robot. For this purpose, the intervening joint includes attachment elements for attaching the intervening joint to a robotic arm or other suitable form of industrial robot. The attachment elements may also be known as attachment fixtures, attachment joints, or attachment means. In addition to including attachment elements, the intervening joint includes one or more positioning elements. The positioning elements may also be known as positioning features, positioning means, or positioning components. Each positioning element of the one or more positioning elements is suitable for positioning, placing, or picking up on a feature of a component of the vehicle. In other words, when the intervening joint is in an appropriate position relative to the vehicle build volume and / or the partially completed vehicle, each positioning element can be used to align / place the feature of the component of the vehicle in a desired position such that the feature of the component can be placed in a desired position relative to the vehicle build volume and / or the partially completed vehicle. This means that the component can be correctly positioned relative to the vehicle build volume. The desired position can be a position that ensures that the component of the vehicle is correctly positioned relative to another part / component of the vehicle that forms part of the vehicle build volume or the partially completed vehicle.

[0021] Another example provides a method for using intervening links, such as the intervening links described above. This method comprises identifying feature parts of a vehicle component that need to be positioned relative to a vehicle build volume so that the component can be attached to a part of the vehicle build volume, or possibly form a part of the vehicle build volume. In another example, the intervening link may be used to support a component during the disassembly of a vehicle. This method comprises selecting a positioning element from one or more positioning elements on an intervening link connected to a robotic arm. The positioning element is selected to be suitable for positioning / aligning / locating the identified feature part of the component. For example, the morphology of the selected positioning element depends on the morphology of the identified feature part so that the selected positioning element and the identified feature part are corresponding and / or compatible. The positioning element and the identified feature part correspond when the positioning element can be used to position / align its feature part. The positioning element may be selected to be suitable for assisting the ultimate goal of positioning / positioning / locating the identified feature part of the component. Examples of corresponding positioning elements and feature parts will be described later. The method then comprises using a robotic arm to position a selected positioning element in a suitable location for aligning an identified feature portion with respect to the vehicle build volume. This position may be determined based on the desired position of the component's feature portion with respect to the vehicle build volume, and then on the desired position of the component with respect to the vehicle build volume. In some examples, the desired position may also be based on the size and shape of the component, as well as / or the relative position of the component's feature portion with respect to the positioning element on the intervening joint. The use of a robotic arm allows the intervening joint to be moved precisely with six degrees of freedom relative to the build volume. The intervening joint may be driven to the correct position by the robotic arm. Once the intervening joint is in position, the selected positioning element is used to align / position / locate the identified feature portion of the component.In some examples, this may involve using positioning elements to support or, in some cases, hold the component. However, additional supports may be used to hold the component, either as an addition or alternative. The component may then be mounted to the vehicle build volume, and once the component is mounted, a robotic arm may be used to move the intervening segment away from the component (after any disassembly of the component from the intervening segment, if necessary). The intervening segment may then be reused to align / position / place the second component relative to the vehicle build volume using the second feature portion of the second component.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary intervening joint having an attachment element 110 and three positioning elements 120, 130, and 140. The positioning elements include a flat circular surface 120, a hole 130 within the flat circular surface, and an outer edge portion of a cylindrical wall 140. The cylindrical side wall 140 extends substantially around from the flat circular surface 120. In other words, the flat circular surface 120 forms an end of the cylindrical wall 140 to form one end of the cylinder. In the example shown in FIG. 1, there is no lip between the flat circular surface 120 and the cylindrical wall 140. This lack of a lip can help use the flat surface 120 as an alignment feature. However, in other examples, a lip may be present. As shown in FIG. 2, the connection between the flat circular surface 120 and the cylindrical wall 140 may be chamfered. This can prevent creating sharp edges and can ensure that it does not affect any wear on the component on which the joint is positioned. The attachment element 110 is at the opposite end of the cylindrical wall 140 from the flat circular surface 120. In other words, the cylindrical wall 140 may extend between the flat circular surface 120 and the attachment element 110. However, in other examples, the attachment element 110 can extend from the cylindrical wall 140, allowing the surface on the opposite side of the flat circular surface 120 to be used as an additional positioning element. The attachment element 110 includes a reference surface 102 and a clamp location 104. The reference surface 102 extends beyond the cylindrical wall 140 and is governed by the intervention of the robotic arm so that the intervening joint 100 and the robotic arm fit together perfectly and accurately. The clamp location can include a hole for receiving a bolt or other attachment feature. In other examples, the bolt or attachment feature may be in a predetermined position of the intervening joint 100 when manufactured, or may form part of the intervening joint 100. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the attachment element 110 described with respect to FIG. 1 is merely an example, and that other attachment elements may be used depending on the robotic arm and the attachment features of the robotic arm.

[0023] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the intervening section 100 of Figure 1. In Figure 2, positioning elements 120, 130, and 140 are visible. As described above, positioning element 120 comprises a flat circular surface 120. This flat circular surface can be used to align / position / pick up the surfaces of vehicle components that need to be placed relative to the vehicle build volume. The use of a flat surface can enable alignment of the surfaces of components. The flat surface in Figure 2 is circular because this makes it easier to have a cylindrical wall 140.

[0024] The positioning element 130 includes a hole 130, which in some examples may be a threaded hole. This hole 130 can be used to align / position / pick up a point of a vehicle component that needs to be placed relative to the vehicle build volume. The hole 130 may be a threaded hole, a flat hole, a blind hole, a through hole, a threaded hole, a countersunk hole, a countersunk hole, etc. The hole 130 can enable precise positioning / positioning of a point of a component by aligning the point of the component with the hole 130. In some examples, this point may be a hole in a vehicle component. This can enable the hole 130 to be used for support and positioning. In the example shown in Figure 2, the hole is at the center of a flat circular surface 120. This can help in the manufacturing of the intervening section 100 as it allows the hole 130 and the clamp location 104 to be manufactured together. However, in other examples, the hole 130 and the clamp location 104 do not need to be joined. In other examples (not shown), instead of a single hole at the center of the flat circular surface 120, there may be an array of holes. In some examples, one of these holes may be at the center of the flat circular surface 120.

[0025] The positioning element 140 comprises a cylindrical wall 140. The use of the cylindrical wall 140 allows for the alignment of the edges of the components. As shown in Figure 5, the tangent of the cylindrical wall 140 may be used to align / position / pick up the edge 501 of a component 500 of the vehicle that is positioned relative to the build volume of the vehicle. When the edge 501 of the component 500 is positioned on the cylindrical wall 140, the edge 501 is tangent to the cylindrical wall 140. This ensures that a point 502 of the edge 501 is precisely positioned / located relative to the intervening section 100 and therefore relative to the build volume of the vehicle. For example, the contact point of any item positioned on a cylindrical surface is known as the "minimum footprint of the intervening area," which may be used to allow for precise alignment.

[0026] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the intervening link 100. Figure 4 shows another perspective view of the intervening link 100. Both of these figures show the mounting element 110 of the intervening link 100. The mounting element 110 may include a zero-point clamp. As shown in Figure 4, the mounting element 110 of the intervening link 100 comprises a reference plane 102 and a clamp location 104. The reference plane can provide a known intervening point that allows the intervening link 100 to be connected to a robot arm via a robot end effector. The reference plane can provide a fixed starting point for the intervening link 100. The clamp location can allow the intervening link 100 to be connected to a robot arm and can accommodate a specific intervening part of the robot arm used. This mounting element 110 allows the intervening link 100 to be connected to a robot arm or other industrial robot (not shown). The mounting element 110 described above is merely an example, and other mounting elements may be used depending on the nature of the robot arm / industrial robot to which the intervening link 100 is designed to be connected.

[0027] Although the intervening joint 100 is described as having a flat circular surface 120 and a cylindrical wall 140, those skilled in the art will understand that the flat surface and wall may have other geometric shapes and may not be circular and cylindrical. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the flat surface 620 of the intervening joint 600 may be rectangular (including square), and the wall 640 may have a right-angled (including square) column. The joint between the flat surface 620 and the wall 640 may be chamfered. One or more holes may be present in the flat surface 620. In this example, instead of using the wall as the positioning element 640, a corner on the wall 641 or a corner between the wall and the flat surface 642 may function as the positioning element. In this case, the positioning element may be used to position a feature of the component, which has a corner. Depending on the feature of the component to be aligned, flat surfaces and side walls of other shapes may be used. For example, in the case of a feature portion of a component having an angle wider or narrower than 90°, the shape of the flat surface and side wall may be selected accordingly.

[0028] Similarly, although the intervening section 100 is described as having a central hole 130 which may have a screw hole, in some specific use cases, the intervening section 100 may instead have a cup, such as a cone-shaped cup, which can be used to align a feature portion of a vehicle component having a cone to enable alignment of the cone portion with the vehicle build volume. In other examples, the intervening section 100 may have a projection, and the feature portion of the component may have a matching cup of a shape other than a cone. In further examples, instead of a hole, a projection may be used as an alignment element within the intervening section 100 to align with the corresponding / matching cup of the component. Alternatively, instead of the central hole 130, the flat surface 120 may have multiple holes, such as an array of holes. These holes may include screw holes, base circular holes, flat holes, blind holes, through holes, threaded holes, countersunk holes, countersunk holes, or cups of different sizes to enable alignment of holes, tips, or projection features of the component. When an array of screw holes is used, the array of screw holes may have at least one screw hole of a size of 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, and 7 mm.

[0029] While exemplary mounting elements have been described above, other mounting elements may also be used. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the mounting element 710 of the intervening section 700 may be integral with the side wall 140 instead of extending beyond it. The mounting element may still have a clamp location 704 and a reference surface 702. In addition, as shown in Figure 8, the mounting element 110 has been described as being at the opposite end of the wall 140 to the flat surface 120, but in some examples, the mounting element 810 of the intervening section 800 may extend from the wall 140. The mounting element 810 may still have a clamp location 804 and a reference surface 802. Next, the opposite surface 860 of the flat surface 120 may be used to accommodate another positioning element. For example, this other positioning element may be a cup used to position / align / position a conical portion of a vehicle component. The positioning element of 860 may also be another flat surface or another suitable positioning element.

[0030] In addition to the intervening segment 100, further examples described herein include devices for use as a reconfigurable support or a reconfigurable alignment feature / fixture when constructing the manufacture of a vehicle, such as an aircraft or a guided vehicle. The device comprises an intervening segment 100, such as the intervening segment described above, and a robotic arm or other suitable industrial robot. The intervening segment 100 is connected to the robotic arm via a mounting element 110 of the intervening segment 100. For example, the mounting element 110 may be a zero-point clamp or other fixture used to connect the intervening segment 100 to the robotic arm via a robotic end effector.

[0031] A method 200 using an intervening link, such as the intervening link 100 described above, is now described, as shown in Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 shows an intervening link 900 used to position / align a component 980 to a vehicle build volume / vehicle build assembly / partially completed vehicle 990. In the example shown in Figure 9, the flat surface 920 of the intervening link 900 is used as the alignment element. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this is illustrative and other alignment elements may be used. Figure 10 is a flowchart of method 200. In step 202, a component 980 of the vehicle that needs to be positioned to the vehicle build volume 990 is identified. The build volume 990 can be a build assembly or a vehicle in the process of being manufactured. This component 980 may be identified based on the vehicle's plan or by any other suitable method. This component 980 is a component that the intervening link 900 uses to position / locate, and represents a component that the user wishes to position or locate relative to the build volume / vehicle assembly 990, either as part of vehicle manufacturing or by other means. In step 202, a first feature portion of component 980 is also identified. The first feature portion represents a feature portion of component 980 that needs to be positioned in a desired location relative to the build volume 990 in order to ensure that the component is in the correct position. The feature portion of component 980 may be identified based on the vehicle plan or by any other appropriate method. The feature portion of component 980 represents a feature portion of a component that the user wishes to position or locate relative to the build volume 990 or other partially completed vehicle in order to ensure that the component is in the correct position relative to the vehicle build volume or a partially completed vehicle.

[0032] In an optional step 204, the intervening link 900 is connected to a robot arm or other industrial robot using mounting elements such as mounting element 110. The intervening link 900 comprises one or more positioning elements such as the positioning elements 120, 130, and 140 described above. In some examples, this may form part of the method, but those skilled in the art will understand that in other examples, the intervening link 900 may be attached to the robot arm or other industrial robot before the start of the method.

[0033] Method 200 follows step 206, in which a first positioning element is selected from one or more positioning elements 120, 130, 140 on the intervening section 900. The first positioning element is selected based on the first feature of the component 980 such that the first positioning element is suitable for positioning / aligning / positioning the first feature of the component 980. For example, if the first feature of the component 980 is a surface, a flat surface such as a flat surface 120 is selected as a suitable first positioning element. Similarly, if the first feature of the component is an edge, a cylindrical wall or circular wall such as a cylindrical wall 140 is selected as the first positioning element. In another example, if the first feature of the component is a point, such as a hole or other point, a hole 130 may be selected as the first positioning element. In all cases, the first positioning element is selected so as to be suitable for aligning / positioning / positioning the first feature of the component, and the first positioning element and the first feature can be considered to correspond.

[0034] In step 208, method 200 comprises determining the positioning position of the first positioning element based on the desired position of the feature portion of the component 980. As described above, the desired position reflects the position where the first feature portion of component 980 must be positioned to ensure that the component is in the correct position relative to the vehicle build volume 990. The desired position may be obtained from the vehicle plan, other details of the vehicle structure, or by any other suitable method. The positioning position may then be determined based on the desired position. The positioning position reflects the position where the first positioning element must be moved / held or, if applicable, positioned to ensure that the first feature portion of the component is in the desired position relative to the vehicle build volume when the first positioning element is used for positioning / aligning / positioning. In some examples, the desired position and positioning position may be determined by a computer that calculates the desired position and positioning position based on other components in the vehicle build volume and information about the final vehicle, such as the vehicle plan. This improves the accuracy of the determined desired position and positioning position and thus aids in the use of intervening clauses to accurately position components when building high-precision vehicles.

[0035] Next, the method comprises, in step 210, moving the intervening link 100 using a robotic arm or other industrial robot so that the first positioning element is in a positioning position. This may be done automatically by the control system of the robotic arm or other industrial robot to ensure that the intervening link 100 is precisely positioned. The robotic arm can move in 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF), and positioning the intervening link may comprise moving the intervening link in any of these 6DOFs. The 6DOFs may be movement along the X, Y, and Z axes, as well as pitch (movement between the X and Y axes), yaw (movement between the X and Z axes), and roll (movement between the Z and Y axes). A reference plane may provide a known intervening point that allows the intervening link 900 to be connected to the robotic arm via a robot end effector. The robotic arm may determine how to position / position the positioning element based on knowledge of the physical design of the intervening link 900 and its key feature parts, and a virtual robot point around which the robot is driven, called the "robot tool center point or TCP".

[0036] Once the intervening section 900 and the first positioning element are precisely positioned relative to the vehicle build volume 990 or a partially completed vehicle assembly / partially completed vehicle, the method 200 further comprises using the first positioning element in step 212 to position / locate / align the first feature portion of the component 980. This allows the first feature portion of the component 980, and therefore the component 980 itself, to be positioned / locate / aligned relative to the vehicle build volume 990. The use of the first positioning element depends on the form of the first positioning element and the first feature portion of the component 980.

[0037] For example, as shown in Figure 9, if the first feature of component 980 is a surface 985, the surface 985 can be aligned with a flat surface positioning element 920. In some examples, this may involve placing the surface 985 on the flat surface 920 so that the flat surface 920 supports the surface 985 and component 980. Thus, no further support may be required, and an intervening element 900 may be used to align / position and support component 980. However, in other examples, the surface 985 may be aligned or positioned on or adjacent to the flat surface 920, but the flat surface 920 functions as an aligner, and further support may be required to hold the component in place.

[0038] When the first characteristic feature of the component is a point such as a hole, that point can be aligned with a positioning element of the hole 130. This may involve aligning the point with the hole 130 or the center of the hole 130. When the point on the component itself is a hole and the positioning element hole 130 is a screw hole, this may involve using a screw to fix the component in place and thus support the component. In other examples, the positioning element hole 130 and the hole in the component may be attached using other means. In addition, a point on the component can be aligned with the hole 130, and during alignment, the component can be supported on the flat surface 920 of the intervening joint 900. Thus, in the above example, the intervening joint 100 may be used to align / position and support the component. However, in other examples, a point can be aligned with the hole alignment element 130, but the hole alignment element 130 functions as an alignment, and further support may be required to hold the component in place.

[0039] When the first characteristic feature of the component is an edge, the edge may be aligned with the tangent to the cylindrical wall alignment component 140, enabling precise point alignment as described with respect to Figure 5. This may involve using additional supports to hold the component in place.

[0040] Once the component is aligned with the vehicle build volume using the first feature portion of the component and the first alignment element of the intervening joint, the component can be fixed in place relative to the vehicle build volume, for example, using screws, rivets, bolts, etc. The component can then be fully supported by the vehicle build volume. If the first feature portion of the component is supported by the first positioning element, any connection or attachment between the component and the intervening joint can be released. A robotic arm or other industrial robot can then be used to move the intervening joint away from its positioning position, so that the vehicle build volume leaves the component in place. The above method can then be repeated using a second feature portion on a second component so that a second component can be positioned relative to the vehicle build volume.

[0041] In some examples, the method 200 described above may further comprise the step of selecting an intervening section 100 from several intervening sections. In this case, each intervening section 100 of the several intervening sections may comprise positioning elements of different sizes. For example, the flat surfaces 120 on each intervening section 100 may be of different sizes to allow support for surfaces of different sizes of vehicle components. In another example, the holes 130 on each intervening section 100 may be of different sizes to allow alignment of holes or points of different sizes on the components. As an addition or alternative, each intervening section 100 of the several intervening sections may comprise different positioning elements. For example, one intervening section may comprise a circular flat surface 120 and a cylindrical wall 140, while another intervening section may comprise a rectangular (including square) flat surface and a right-angled prism (including square prism) wall. The intervening sections may then be selected based on whether the user wishes to align edge features or corner features of vehicle components.

[0042] In addition, although the above methods describe features of a component comprising faces, points, and edges, those skilled in the art will understand that other features of the component may be aligned depending on the intervening component. For example, if the first feature of the component is a corner, the corner of the intervening joint 100 may be selected as the first positioning element. This corner may be on a right-angled (including square) column of the wall of the intervening joint 100, or between a rectangular flat surface (including a square) and a right-angled column (including a square prism) wall. To use the corner as a positioning element, the corner, which is the first feature of the component, may be aligned with the corner, which is the first positioning element of the intervening joint 100. Similarly, if the first feature of the component is a cone, the corresponding / aligning cup of the intervening joint 100 may be selected as the first positioning element. The cup may be formed on the flat surface 120, or on the opposite side of the flat surface 120. Aligning / positioning the conical portion of the component with the cup of the intervening segment 100 may involve placing the conical portion of the component inside the cup of the intervening segment 100.

[0043] The use of the intervening link 100 and method 200 described above is extremely versatile. Assuming that the intervening link 100 has flexible positioning elements such as a flat surface 120, a hole 130, and a circular / cylindrical wall 140, the positioning elements can be used to align common feature parts of a component, such as faces, points, and edges. Thus, it is not necessary to design and use a specific fixture / alignment tool for each component and / or feature part that needs to be aligned, or even for each type of feature part that needs to be aligned. The intervening link 100 can be used for multiple vehicles and / or types of vehicles, eliminating the need for a specific fixture or alignment tool for each vehicle. In addition, in many examples, the intervening link 100 has multiple different positioning elements. Thus, the same intervening link can be used to align different feature parts of a component. Furthermore, since the intervening link 100 is designed to connect to a robotic arm or other industrial robot via a robotic end effector, the intervening link 100 can be precisely repositioned. Therefore, the intervening section 100 and method 200 can be used to function as supports for multiple different components at different times based on the different features of the components. Unlike conventional custom-made fixtures and jigs, this allows for easy adaptation of supports / alignment fixtures for positioning components relative to the vehicle build volume. This enables easy adaptation to vehicle redesigns and allows for the addition of custom features to the vehicle without the need to fabricate custom-made fixtures / fixtures for building the vehicle.

[0044] The mounting / interpositioning nodes in the above example help to precisely position and maintain the accuracy of certain unsupported aircraft components during the vehicle assembly process. In one example, an industrial robot is used, and a specially designed interpositioning node is mounted on the industrial robot, enabling technical engineers to flexibly interpose with typical feature parts of the aircraft product. These feature parts are typically holes, faces, and points on the surface (tangential interface) of the component. This example involves digitally and precisely "driving" the node to the desired position within the aircraft build volume, thereby allowing an unsupported component to be digitally fixed in place via the precise position of the interpositioning node before it is finally assembled to its adjacent components and becomes "self-supporting." The interpositioning node is infinitely programmable and inherently product-independent, thus enabling its incorporation into modern vehicle designs without the conventional costly redesign of the aforementioned "custom" fixing solutions. The overarching principle of this application is a shift to a more digitally secure construction method for next-generation aircraft, a technique that can be adapted across countless industrial sectors. The invention described in the original claims of this application is listed below. [1] Intervening segments (100, 600, 700, 800, 900) for enabling the robotic arm to be used as a reconfigurable fixture for vehicle manufacturing, Mounting elements (110, 710, 810) for attaching the intervening segment to the robot arm, A first positioning element having flat surfaces (120, 620, 920), wherein the flat surfaces are suitable for positioning a first characteristic part of a vehicle component (980), and the first characteristic part comprises a surface (985) of the vehicle component. A wall (140) extends substantially around the flat surface, the wall connecting the flat surface (120, 620, 920) to the mounting elements (110, 710, 810), the wall defining a second positioning element, the second positioning element being suitable for positioning a second characteristic part of a vehicle component. Intervening clauses (100, 600, 700, 800, 900) are provided. [2] The third positioning element The third positioning element further comprises one or more holes (130) in the flat surface (120, 620, 920), each of the one or more holes (130) being suitable for positioning a third characteristic part of a component of the vehicle, the third characteristic part of the component of the vehicle comprising a point of the component of the vehicle, the intervening section (100, 600, 700, 800, 900) as described in [1]. [3] The second characteristic part of the vehicle component is the edge (501) of the vehicle component (500), The aforementioned flat surface is circular (120), The aforementioned wall is cylindrical (140), The second positioning element is the cylindrical wall (140), and the tangents of the cylindrical wall can be used to position the edges of the components of the vehicle, as described in [1] or [2] (100, 600, 700, 800, 900). [4] The second characteristic part of the vehicle component is the corner of the vehicle component, The aforementioned flat surface is rectangular (620), The aforementioned wall is a right-angled prism (640), The second positioning element is a corner on the wall (641) or a corner joining the flat surface to the wall (642), and the corner on the wall (641) or the corner joining the flat surface to the wall (642) may be used to position the corner of the component of the vehicle, as described in any one of [1] to [3] (100, 600, 700, 800, 900). [5] The mounting elements (110, 710) are intervening nodes (100, 600, 700, 800, 900) according to any one of [1] to [4], located on the opposite side of the intervening node from the flat surface (120). [6] The mounting element is Clamp locations (104, 704, 804) for clamping the intervening segment to the robot arm, Reference planes (102, 702, 802) for ensuring known intervening points between the robot arm and the intervening segments (100, 600, 700, 800, 900) and Intervening clauses (100, 600, 700, 800, 900) as described in any one of paragraphs [1] to [5], comprising: [7] A device for use as a reconfigurable support for vehicle manufacturing, the device is A robotic arm that can move with 6 degrees of freedom, Intervening segments (100, 600, 700, 800, 900) as described in any one of [1] to [6], wherein the intervening segments are connected to the robot arm via the mounting elements of the intervening segments. A device equipped with the following features. [8] A method (200) for positioning vehicle components (980) relative to a vehicle build volume (990), the method being: Identifying a first characteristic portion of the component (980) (202), wherein the first characteristic portion of the component (980) needs to be positioned at a desired location relative to the vehicle build volume (990). Selecting a first positioning element of an intervening segment (100, 900) connected to a robot arm (206), wherein the intervening segment (900) comprises one or more positioning elements (120, 130, 140, 620, 641, 642, 920), each of the one or more positioning elements (120, 130, 140, 620, 641, 642, 920) is for positioning a characteristic part of the vehicle's components, and the first positioning element is selected from the one or more positioning elements (120, 130, 140, 620, 641, 642, 920) to be suitable for positioning the first characteristic part of the component (980). Based on the desired position of the first characteristic part of the component (980), the positioning position of the first positioning element is determined (208), To position the first positioning element at the positioning position, the intervening segments (100, 900) are moved using the robot arm (210), To position the component (980) relative to the vehicle build volume (990), the first characteristic portion of the component (980), and therefore the component (980), the first positioning element is used to position the component (980) relative to the vehicle build volume (990) (212) A method (200) comprising: [9] The one or more positioning elements include at least one of a flat surface (120, 620), a corner (641, 642), a hole (130), a circular wall (140), and a cup. The first characteristic portion of the above-mentioned component comprises at least one of a surface, a corner, a point, an edge (501), and a cone, Identifying the first positioning element among the one or more positioning elements on the intervening node based on the first characteristic portion of the component (202) When the first characteristic portion of the component is a surface, the flat surface (120, 620) of the intervening node is selected as the first positioning element, If the first characteristic portion of the component is a corner portion, the corner portions (641, 642) of the intervening joint are selected as the first positioning element. When the first characteristic part of the component is a point, the hole (130) of the intervening node is selected as the first positioning element, When the first characteristic portion of the component is an edge (501), the circular wall (140) of the intervening node is selected as the first positioning element, If the first characteristic portion of the component is a cone, the cup of the intervening node is selected as the first positioning element. The method described in [8] (200), comprising:

[10] Placing the components relative to the vehicle build volume is To support the aforementioned components in the desired position, the positioning element is used. The method according to [8] or [9] (200), further comprising the above.

[11] The first feature part comprises a surface (985), The first positioning element has a flat surface (920), The method according to

[10] (200), wherein using the first positioning element to support the component in the desired position comprises supporting the surface of the component on the flat surface of the intervening node.

[12] The first feature part comprises a hole, The first positioning element is provided with a screw hole (130), The method according to

[10] or

[11] (200), wherein the first positioning element is used to support the component in the desired position, and the screw fitting is used to attach the component to the intervening section through the hole and the screw hole.

[13] The component (980) is attached to the vehicle build volume (990) such that the component (980) is supported by the vehicle build volume (990), Using the robot arm, move the intervening segment (900) away from the positioning position. The method described in any one of [8] to

[12] (200), further comprising:

[14] Identifying a second feature portion of a second component which needs to be positioned at a second desired position relative to the vehicle build volume (202), Based on the second characteristic portion of the second component, a second positioning element is selected from among the one or more positioning elements (120, 130, 140, 620, 641, 642, 920) on the intervening joint (900) (206), Based on the second desired position, a second positioning position of the second positioning element is determined (208), To position the second positioning element at the second positioning position, the intervening segment (900) is moved (210) using the robot arm, Positioning the second component relative to the vehicle build volume by using the second positioning element to position the second component relative to the vehicle build volume (212) The method described in any one of [8] to

[13] (200), further comprising:

[15] Moving the intervening segment (900) using the robot arm in order to position the positioning element at the positioning position is The method according to any one of [8] to

[14] , further comprising using the robot arm to move the intervening link with six degrees of freedom in order to drive the intervening link so that the positioning element is moved to the positioning position.

Claims

1. An intervening segment (100) that enables a robotic arm to be used as a reconfigurable fixture for vehicle manufacturing, A mounting element (110) for attaching the intervening segment to the robot arm, A first positioning element comprising a circular flat surface (120), wherein the flat surface is suitable for positioning a first characteristic portion of a vehicle component (980), and the first characteristic portion comprises a surface (985) of the vehicle component, and the first positioning element, A cylindrical wall (140) extending substantially around the flat surface, the wall connecting the flat surface (120) to the mounting element (110), the wall defining a second positioning element, the second positioning element being suitable for positioning a second characteristic part of a vehicle component, and Equipped with, The mounting element (110) has an intervening segment (100) that extends from the wall (140), with the surface at the end of the wall (140) opposite to the flat surface (120) being used as an additional positioning element.

2. The third positioning element The intervening segment (100) according to claim 1, further comprising the third positioning element having one or more holes (130) in the flat surface (120), each of the one or more holes (130) being suitable for positioning a third characteristic portion of a component of the vehicle, and the third characteristic portion of the component of the vehicle comprising a point of the component of the vehicle.

3. The second characteristic part of the vehicle component is the edge (501) of the vehicle component (500), The intervening segment (100) according to claim 1, wherein the second positioning element is the cylindrical wall (140), and the tangent to the cylindrical wall can be used to position the edge of the component of the vehicle.

4. The aforementioned mounting element is A clamp location (104) for clamping the intervening segment to the robot arm, A reference plane (102) for ensuring a known intervening point between the robot arm and the intervening segment (100) and An intervening section (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

5. A device for use as a reconfigurable support for vehicle manufacturing, wherein the device is A robotic arm that can move with 6 degrees of freedom, An intervening segment (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the intervening segment is connected to the robot arm via the mounting element, A device equipped with the following features.

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