Mobile Robot Arm Tending Without Fixed Rail Infrastructure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing processes using rail-mounted robot arms are inflexible and costly due to the need for significant infrastructure planning and limited adaptability when new machines or process alterations are required, as they rely on fixed rail systems.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a self-driving vehicle and a robot arm that navigates autonomously to different process locations using a stored map and sensors, allowing for flexible movement and tool changes without the need for pre-installed rail infrastructure, with safety sensors to avoid obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed rail system is used to mount the robot arm, then the robot arm can be positioned at process locations, but the manufacturing process becomes inflexible and costly when alterations or new machines are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static fixed-rail mounting system to a dynamic mobile robotic system. The mobile robot can autonomously navigate to different process locations and machines throughout the facility, providing dynamic repositioning capability without requiring physical infrastructure changes. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable positioning through autonomous navigation while enabling full adaptability when process changes are needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical fixed-rail system with an autonomous mobile robotic system that uses sensors, processors, and navigation algorithms instead of physical rails. This substitution eliminates the inflexibility of mechanical rail installations while maintaining the ability to position and tend machines reliably through software-controlled autonomous navigation.
2Productivity
If a fixed rail system is installed, then the robot arm can tend machines, but significant infrastructure planning and cost are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the complex mechanical rail infrastructure with a mobile robot that uses sensors, processors, and navigation systems. This substitution maintains machine tending productivity while dramatically reducing infrastructure complexity and cost, as the mobile robot can operate on existing facility floors without requiring installed rails or specialized mounting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile robot is designed as a universal platform that can tend multiple different machines and processes throughout the facility. Instead of requiring dedicated rail systems for each machine location, the single mobile robot can navigate to and service various machines, reducing overall infrastructure requirements while maintaining productivity.
3Ease of operation
If the robot arm is mounted on a rail, then it gains an extra linear axis for movement, but flexibility for altering the manufacturing process is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the static rail-mounted configuration with a dynamic mobile robot that achieves movement capability through autonomous navigation. The mobile robot can reposition itself to any location in the facility without being constrained to fixed rails, providing both ease of operation through programmable movement and full flexibility for process alterations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding a linear axis through rail mounting, the system transitions to three-dimensional autonomous navigation on the facility floor. The mobile robot can move in multiple directions and access locations that would be impossible or impractical with linear rail systems, providing enhanced movement capability while maintaining complete flexibility for process changes.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for process tending with a robot arm are presented. The system comprises a robot arm and robot arm control system mounted on a self-driving vehicle, and a server in communication with the vehicle and/or robot arm control system. The vehicle has a vehicle control system for storing a map and receiving a waypoint based on a process location provided by the server. The robot arm control system stores at programs that is executable by the robot arm. The vehicle control system autonomously navigates the vehicle to the waypoint based on the map, and the robot arm control system selects a target program from the stored programs based on the process location and/or a process identifier.