Test Stage Path Visualization for Precise Specimen Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional test systems lack clear indications of test points and paths, leading to reduced accuracy and operator efficiency when defining and performing test sequences on test specimens.
Innovation Solution
The system includes a test stage, actuators, a user interface, and control circuitry to secure and position test specimens, allowing operators to define and display a graphic representation of test points and paths, enabling precise control of the test sequence and movement of the stage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional test systems are used without visual indicators, then the device complexity is reduced, but the operator efficiency and accuracy in defining test sequences deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy or representation of the test stage and specimen on a display device. This graphical user interface (GUI) presents a visual representation of the test stage, specimen, and test points, allowing operators to define and monitor test sequences visually. This copying approach improves operator efficiency by providing clear visual indications without adding physical complexity to the actual test stage mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device and GUI serve as an intermediary between the operator and the physical test stage. Instead of directly interacting with complex mechanical controls, operators interact with a simplified visual representation on the display. This intermediary layer translates complex stage positions and test point coordinates into intuitive visual information, improving ease of operation while keeping the physical system relatively simple.
2Measurement precision
If visual representations of test sequences are implemented, then accuracy in defining test points improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates accurate visual copies of test points, stage positions, and test paths on the display. By presenting precise coordinate information and stage positioning visually, operators can define test points with higher accuracy. The visual representation maintains precise measurement data while presenting it in an easily interpretable format, improving measurement precision without requiring additional physical measurement devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The GUI provides continuous visual feedback to operators about stage position, test point locations, and test sequence progress. This feedback mechanism allows operators to verify their definitions of test points and adjust them for greater accuracy. The system displays information about current stage position and test point coordinates, enabling operators to make precise adjustments based on visual confirmation rather than relying solely on manual input.
3Productivity
If clear indications of test paths are provided, then operator efficiency improves, but information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates visual copies of test paths and sequences on the display device. Instead of requiring operators to mentally track complex test sequences, the GUI presents visual representations of test paths, showing the stage movement trajectory and test point sequence. This visual copying improves productivity by making test sequences immediately understandable, while the information is processed and displayed rather than stored in complex data structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The test sequence information is segmented and presented in a structured visual format on the GUI. Test paths are broken down into discrete segments between test points, with each segment clearly indicated. This segmentation allows operators to process information in manageable units rather than as a single complex sequence, improving productivity while reducing the cognitive and computational load of processing test sequence information.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and apparatus to control staging of test specimens. Disclosed example systems to perform automated testing include: a stage configured to secure one or more test specimens; one or more actuators configured to position the stage and the one or more test specimens; a user interface configured to: receive input defining a test sequence of a plurality of points to be tested on the one or more test specimens; display a graphic indicative of positions of the plurality of points on the one or more test specimens and one or more paths to be taken by the stage to traverse the plurality of points during testing of the test sequence; and control circuitry configured to control a test process of the test sequence in accordance with the plurality of points and the one or more paths.