3D Sanding Toolpaths for Marker-Guided Selective Finishing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated finishing systems face inefficiencies in scanning and processing workpieces due to the need for comprehensive scanning and high computational complexity, which increases latency and requires significant human input for precise region identification and processing.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous system that uses optical sensors and actuators to navigate and process a workpiece by detecting markers, generating toolpaths, and maintaining target forces, allowing for selective scanning and processing of specific regions, thereby reducing overall scanning and processing time and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If comprehensive scanning of the entire workpiece surface is performed to ensure complete coverage and accurate processing, then the completeness and accuracy of region identification is improved, but the scanning time and computational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the workpiece surface into multiple discrete regions of interest (ROIs) that are scanned and processed independently. Instead of scanning the entire workpiece surface uniformly, the system identifies specific regions that require processing and scans only those areas. This segmentation approach maintains accurate region identification while significantly reducing the total scanning time and computational load by focusing resources on relevant areas only.
2Manufacturing precision
If high-resolution scanning is performed across the entire workpiece to capture detailed geometry for precise processing, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the computational complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies high-resolution scanning and detailed geometric capture only to specific regions of interest on the workpiece surface, rather than uniformly across the entire surface. The system identifies areas that require precise processing and allocates high computational resources to those localized regions only. This local quality approach maintains manufacturing precision where needed while reducing overall computational complexity by avoiding unnecessary high-resolution scanning in areas that do not require such detail.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual intervention is used to identify and define processing regions on the workpiece, then the flexibility and adaptability to different workpiece configurations is improved, but the productivity and automation level decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated system that independently identifies, detects, and defines regions of interest on the workpiece surface without requiring manual intervention. The system uses optical sensors and image processing algorithms to automatically locate markers, detect geometric features, and delineate processing regions. This self-service capability maintains the flexibility to adapt to different workpiece configurations and marker arrangements while significantly improving productivity by eliminating manual region identification steps and enabling continuous automated processing.
4Reliability
If the entire workpiece surface is processed to ensure complete finishing, then the overall quality and consistency of the workpiece is improved, but the processing time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates only the specific regions of interest from the entire workpiece surface for processing. Instead of applying finishing operations to the complete workpiece surface, the system identifies and processes only the delimited regions that require attention. This extraction approach maintains workpiece quality consistency by ensuring that all necessary areas receive appropriate processing while significantly reducing processing time and resource consumption by eliminating redundant operations on areas that do not require finishing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system efficiently captures and processes specific regions of a workpiece by reducing the need for full-surface scanning, decreasing latency, and minimizing human intervention, while ensuring accurate and precise processing through marker detection and force management.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sensor about the workpiece... accessing an image of the workpiece... detecting a marker, on the workpiece, depicted in the image
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes: accessing a virtual model defining a geometry of a workpiece; navigating an optical sensor about the workpiece; accessing an image of the workpiece; detecting a marker, on the workpiece, depicted in the image; defining a first workpiece region of the workpiece bounded by the marker; defining a toolpath within the first workpiece region based on a geometry of the first workpiece region represented in the virtual model; assigning a first target force to the first toolpath; and during a processing cycle accessing a first sequence of force values output by a force sensor coupled to the sanding head, navigating the sanding head across the first workpiece region according to the first toolpath, and based on the first sequence of force values, deviating the sanding head from the first toolpath to maintain forces of the sanding head on the workpiece proximal the first target force.