Optical Tool Guidance for Complex Cutting and Drawing Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual guidance of cutting tools on materials is challenging due to the difficulty in following complex paths and the limitations of mechanical guides, which can be time-consuming to set up and do not support intricate designs.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a data processing system to generate custom designs based on standard designs and customization parameters, which can be transmitted to user devices equipped with cutting or drawing tools, allowing for automatic correction and precise positioning using cameras, servomechanisms, and stepper motors to maintain alignment with the design plan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mechanical guides such as railings or fences are used to assist the user in guiding the tool, then the user can be guided along a path, but the setup time increases and complex paths are not supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical guides (railings or fences) with an optical guidance system using a camera to detect visual markers on the material. The camera captures images of the material surface, identifies marker positions and orientations, and provides real-time feedback to guide the tool along complex paths without requiring physical mechanical guides to be set up
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses visual markers that are placed on the material to represent the desired tool path and design features. These markers serve as a visual copy or representation of the intended path, allowing the camera-based system to detect and follow the design without physical mechanical guides
2Manufacturing precision
If mechanical guides are used to minimize tool movement, then tool path accuracy can be maintained, but the guides cannot support complex paths and require time-consuming setup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic guidance system where the camera continuously captures images and the system recalculates tool position and orientation in real-time based on detected marker positions. This allows the system to adapt to complex, non-linear paths that would be impossible with static mechanical guides
Solution Approach 2:
The optical detection system replaces the rigid, pre-defined paths of mechanical guides with a flexible visual marker system that can represent any complex path geometry, allowing the tool to follow intricate designs limited only by the marker placement rather than mechanical constraints
3Device complexity
If manual guidance is used, then no additional equipment is needed, but it is difficult to follow complex paths and maintain precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual markers as an intermediary between the material and the tool. These markers encode path information that the camera detects, providing a simple yet effective mediation that enables precise path following without complex equipment - just a camera and marker detection system
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses visual markers with distinct color or pattern characteristics that the camera can easily detect and differentiate from the material background. The markers may use specific colors, contrasts, or patterns that stand out visually, enabling reliable detection and precise path identification
4Ease of manufacture
If standard designs are used, then the design process is simplified, but customization capabilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal design system where standard design templates can be easily selected and applied, but the same system also allows customization through parameter modification. The marker generation system can adapt to both pre-defined standard designs and user-customized designs, making the system multi-functional for both simplicity and adaptability
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods of the present disclosure relate generally to facilitate performing a task on a surface such as woodworking or printing. More specifically, in some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to mapping the surface of the material and determining the precise location of a tool in reference to the surface of a material. Some embodiments relate to obtaining and relating a design with the map of the material or displaying the current position of the tool on a display device. In some embodiments, the present disclosure facilitates adjusting, moving or auto-correcting the tool along a predetermined path such as, e.g., a cutting or drawing path. In some embodiments, the reference location may correspond to a design or plan obtained from obtained via an online design store.