The Boeing Company

University of Washington

Cameron Devine

Terrence J Rowe

Gary Alan Davis

Lance O McCann

John R Aubin

Alexander H De Marne

Tony Piaskowy

Kenneth W Latimer, Iii

A system for sanding a surface includes a sanding tool, a robotic manipulator to move the sanding tool relative to the surface, and a control unit operatively coupled with the sanding tool and the robotic manipulator. The control unit is operable to: (1) move the sanding tool to a sanding position relative to the surface in which an abrasive surface is in contact with the surface and a sanding force is approximately normal to the surface; (2) set one or more sanding parameters corresponding to a model material removal rate; (3) monitor one or more of the sanding parameters; (4) determine an actual material removal rate, based on one or more of the sanding parameters being monitored; and (5) modify one or more of the sanding parameters until the actual material removal rate is approximately equal to the model material removal rate.

Systems and methods for sanding a surface of a structure

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Cameron Devine