Misalignment, tip degradation, and manufacturing inconsistencies in a spraying end effector at a distal end of a robotic arm can cause unintended deviations to a width and/or thickness of sprayed band of material and/or cause an untended offset of the sprayed band of material relative to the intended center line. Calibration techniques can be implemented to determine offsets in pitch, yaw, and/or roll, fan width, and/or thickness. Offsets in the pitch, yaw, and roll axes, fan width, and thickness can be determined using algorithms (e.g., computer vision algorithms, digital signal processing algorithms, and machine learning algorithms) and/or from user input. Compensation can be applied to the tool path parameters so that errors in spraying and/or deviations from intended spraying can be corrected in subsequent sprays.
Drywall finishing is a labor intensive task. Robotics can be designed and configured to perform drywall finishing tasks with little to no human intervention. As with many robotics applications, it is not trivial to design systems to accomplish tasks that a skilled manual worker would perform. One type of drywall finish involves targeted removal of material, e.g., via sanding, to achieve a visually smooth finish without damaging the drywall panels or over removal of the material. An exemplary robotic system can accomplish targeted removal of material by sensing characteristics of a target surface that has a seam and material deposited onto the seam, and selecting an appropriate sanding plan based on the characteristics. The robotic system can be controlled to remove a portion of the material according to the selected sanding plan.
B05B 1/28 - Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with integral means for shielding the discharged liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to limit area of sprayNozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with integral means for catching drips or collecting surplus liquid or other fluent material
B05B 12/12 - Arrangements for controlling deliveryArrangements for controlling the spray area responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material discharged, of ambient medium or of target responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature
3.
ALIGNMENT TOOL FOR END EFFECTOR ATTACHED TO ROBOTIC ARM
Misalignment in a spraying end effector relative to a distal end of a robotic arm can cause unintended deviations to a width of sprayed band of material and/or cause an untended offset of the sprayed band of material relative to the intended center line. To address misalignment, an alignment tool can be provided to ensure that a rotatable spray tip and a rotatable spray guard of the spraying end effector maintain a fixed alignment relative to the distal end of the robotic arm. Misalignment in the pitch and roll axis can be effectively reduced or minimized by the alignment tool, so that the resulting sprayed band of material can be consistent over many sprayed bands. Also, the sprayed bands can have an accurate or intended width without a significant offset from the intended center line.
The present disclosure describes systems and methods for detecting data corresponding to an object and selectively affect, based at least in part on the data, a material on the object. In some embodiments, the data is, at least in part, used to selectively apply a material to the object, selectively avoid applying a material to the object; selectively remove at least a portion of a material from the object; and/or selectively avoid removing at least a portion of a material from the object.
B05B 1/28 - Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with integral means for shielding the discharged liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to limit area of sprayNozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with integral means for catching drips or collecting surplus liquid or other fluent material
5.
SURFACE FINISH QUALITY EVALUATION SYSTEM AND METHOD
A surface evaluation system that includes one or more vision systems that generate target surface data during evaluation of a surface, the one or more vision systems comprising two or more of: at least one light, a camera, a structured light camera, a laser scanner and a 3D scanner.
A coating system for applying a coating to a substrate that can be part of a wall assembly. The system includes a positioning stage and an end effector coupled at a distal end of the positioning stage, the end effector configured to apply coating to a target surface. The system can further include a computing device executing a computational planner that: generates instructions for driving the end effector and positioning stage to perform at least one coating task that includes applying coating, via the coating the end effector, to one or more substrate pieces, the generating based at least in part on obtained target surface data; and drives the end effector and positioning stage to perform the at least one coating task.
An automated painting system that includes a robotic arm and a painting end effector coupled at a distal end of the robotic arm, with the painting end effector configured to apply paint to a target surface. The painting system can also include a computing device executing a computational planner that: generates instructions for driving the painting end effector and robotic arm to perform at least one painting task that includes applying paint, via the painting the end effector, to a plurality of drywall pieces, the generating based at least in part on obtained target surface data; and drives the end effector and robotic arm to perform the at least one painting task.
B05B 13/00 - Machines or plants for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces of objects or other work by spraying, not covered by groups
B05B 12/12 - Arrangements for controlling deliveryArrangements for controlling the spray area responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material discharged, of ambient medium or of target responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature
B25J 5/00 - Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages
E04F 21/06 - Implements for applying plaster, insulating material, or the like
8.
AUTOMATED INSULATION APPLICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD
An automated insulation application system that includes a robotic arm and an insulation end effector coupled at a distal end of the robotic arm, the insulation end effector configured to apply insulation material to a target surface. The system can further include a computing device executing a computational planner that: generates instructions for driving the insulation end effector and robotic arm to perform at least one insulation application task that includes applying insulation material via the insulation end effector to a target surface, the generating based at least in part on obtained target surface data; and drives the end effector and robotic arm to perform the at least one insulation application task.
An automated drywalling system network that including one or more automated drywalling systems that each has a robotic arm. The automated drywalling system network can also include a computational planner that generates instructions for the one or more automated drywalling systems to perform two or more drywalling tasks associated with a target wall assembly. The two or more drywalling tasks can include a hanging task that includes hanging pieces of drywall on studs of the target wall assembly; a mudding task that includes applying joint compound to pieces of drywall hung on studs of the target wall assembly; a sanding task that includes sanding joint compound applied to the pieces of drywall hung on studs of the target wall assembly; and a painting task that includes painting sanded the joint compound applied to the pieces of drywall hung on studs of the target wall assembly.
An automated drywalling system network that include one or more automated drywalling systems that each comprise a robotic arm. The automated drywalling system network can also include one or more drywalling end effectors configured to couple to a distal end of the robotic arms of the one or more automated drywalling systems. The drywalling end effectors can include a drywall hanging end effector; a drywall mudding end effector; a drywalling sanding end effector; and a drywall painting end effector.
An automated drywalling system for applying joint compound or plaster to drywall pieces. The system includes a robotic arm and a mudding end effector coupled at a distal end of the robotic arm, the mudding end effector configured to apply joint compound or plaster to a target surface. The system can further include a computing device executing a computational planner that: generates instructions for driving the mudding end effector and robotic arm to perform at least one mudding task that includes applying joint compound or plaster, via the mudding the end effector, to one or more joints between a plurality of drywall pieces, the generating based at least in part on obtained target surface data; and drives the end effector and robotic arm to perform the at least one mudding task.
An automated drywalling system for cutting and/or hanging drywall that includes one or more vision systems and a computing device executing a computational planner. The computational planner obtains target wall assembly data from the one or more vision systems, the target wall assembly data including information regarding a configuration of a target wall assembly including a plurality of studs that define a portion of the target wall assembly; and generates a plan for a configuration of a plurality of drywall pieces to be disposed on studs of the target wall assembly based on the target wall assembly data.
An automated sanding system that includes a robotic arm and a sanding end effector coupled at the distal end of the robotic arm, with the sanding end effector configured to sand a target surface. The system can further include a computing device executing a computational planner that generates instructions for driving the sanding end effector and robotic arm to perform at least one sanding task that at least includes the sanding end effector sanding a target surface, the generating based at least in part on obtained target surface data; and drives the end effector and robotic arm to perform the at least one sanding task.
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