The Boeing Company

David Hassan Amirehteshami

Branko Sarh

Rodney Stephen Wright

Arun Ayyagari

John Walter Pringle, Iv

Harinder Singh Oberoi

Thi Q Nguyen

Ngoc S Le

Angelica Davancens

Eric Whinnem

William Paul Zanteson

Bally Bang

Benjamin J Ivers

Wen Xin Wang

Benjamin Ivers

Systems and methods are provided for controlling the motion of a tracked robot assembly. An exemplary method comprises disposing a mobile robot assembly proximate to a fuselage of an aircraft that is being assembled, aligning a left ranging sensor of the assembly with a left target, and aligning a right ranging sensor of the assembly with a right target. The method also includes directing the assembly to traverse to a location within the aircraft fuselage at which a robot on the assembly will perform work upon the fuselage, determining a left distance between the left ranging sensor and the left target while the assembly is moving, determining a right distance between the right ranging sensor and the right target while the assembly is moving, detecting a difference between the determined distances, and adjusting a direction of motion of the assembly based on the difference.

Movement control for tracked robot assemblies that manufacture aircraft

Method and apparatus for assembling, with fasteners, components of a structure having an outboard side, an inboard side, and a supporting frame. The components are placed together on the frame. An electromagnet having a core with multiple openings is positioned on the outboard side. A magnetically attractive member is placed against the inboard side opposite and aligned with the electromagnet. When activated, the electromagnet is attracted towards the magnetically attractive member and the two hold the components together. Multiple drill members pass through the openings in the core of the electromagnet and multiple openings are drilled simultaneously through the components. Subsequently, multiple rivets or huck bolts are simultaneously inserted into the drilled openings.

Method and apparatus for automated multi-drilling and multi-rivet machine

Work cell and factory level automation require that an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) achieve demanding positional accuracy and repeatability relative to a cradle fixture or workstand within a work cell. The AGV makes distance measurements of objects within the work cell using laser scanner sensors. The distance measurements are filtered of objects that are not target features on the cradle fixture or workstand. Systematic or bias errors of the laser scanner sensor are removed from the filtered distance measurements, and a mathematical filter or estimator is applied to the filtered distance measurements using random errors of the laser scanner sensor to generate estimated distance measurements. A map of the target features is then constructed using the estimated distance measurements, wherein the map is used for path planning and navigation control of the AGV relative to the cradle fixture or workstand within the work cell.

Application of factory automation for an airline assembly and build process

A riveting tool including a magnet, a magnetically attractive housing, a non-magnetically attractive bucking bar received in the housing, the bucking bar being moveable relative to the housing along a bucking bar axis, and an actuation mechanism to move the bucking bar along the bucking bar axis.

Riveting tool and method with electromagnetic bucking bar normalization

Method and apparatus for assembling, with fasteners, components of a structure having an outboard side, an inboard side, and a supporting frame. The components are placed together on the frame. An electromagnet having a core with multiple openings is positioned on the outboard side. A magnetically attractive member is placed against the inboard side opposite and aligned with the electromagnet. When activated, the electromagnet is attracted towards the magnetically attractive member and the two hold the components together. Multiple drill members pass through the openings in the core of the electromagnet and multiple openings are drilled simultaneously through the components. Subsequently, multiple rivets or huck bolts are simultaneously inserted into the drilled openings. Finally, fasteners are hammered through the drilled openings and rivets are secured by bucking bars provided on the magnetically attractive member. Alternatively, openings are provided in the magnetically attractive member for manually securing huck bolts to the components.

A method and apparatus for performing operations on a workpiece. A first frame in a frame system may be held on the workpiece by applying a vacuum to the first frame. A second frame in the frame system may be detached from the workpiece by applying a pressure to the second frame. The second frame may be moved to a location on the workpiece. The second frame may be attached to the workpiece by applying the vacuum to the second frame. An operation may be performed on the workpiece.

Electromagnetic crawler assembly system

A method and an apparatus for performing operations on a workpiece is provided. A first frame in a frame system may be held on the workpiece by applying a vacuum to the first frame. A second frame in the frame system may be detached from the workpiece by applying a pressure to the second frame. The second frame may be moved to a location on the workpiece. The second frame may be attached to the workpiece by applying the vacuum to the second frame. An operation may be performed on the workpiece.

The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus that may comprise a number of robotic platforms, a wireless communications system, and a computer system. The number of robotic platforms may be configured to move to a number of locations in an assembly area and interact with a number of robotic devices. The wireless communications system may be configured to provide communication with the number of robotic platforms and the number of robotic devices within the assembly area. The computer system may be configured to exchange information with the number of robotic platforms and the number of robotic devices using the wireless communications system.

Autonomous robotic platform

A method, apparatus and computer program product are present for performing a manufacturing procedure. A component may be positioned in a work area. A plurality of groups of robots may be operated in parallel and robots of each group of robots of the plurality of groups of robots may be operated in synchronism for performing a plurality of manufacturing operations at a plurality of locations on the component.

Agile manufacturing apparatus and method for high throughput

A fully automated method is performed on a structure having a confined space. The structure has a location that is identifiable from within the confined space and from outside the confined space. A first robotic system moves a first end effector inside the confined space such that the first end effector is positioned over the location. A first vector corresponding to the location is generated. A second robotic system moves a second end effector outside the confined space such that the second end effector is positioned over the location. A second vector corresponding to the location is generated. The first and second vectors are used to move the first and second end effectors to a new location such that the first and second end effectors are in working opposition. The first and second end effectors perform a synchronous operation at the new location.

Synchronous robotic operation on a structure having a confined space

One embodiment of a fastening apparatus may include at least one of a fastener and a collar having a code with information regarding the fastener and/or collar. The code may be communicated to one or more databases of a computer. The fastener and/or collar may be tightened, located, maintained, and/or inspected according to the code and/or database information.

Intelligent fastener installation system

Methods are disclosed for producing a hole in a work-piece having first and second layers of material. The first layer of material contains a full-sized hole through the first layer of material. The first layer of material is positioned adjacent the second layer of material. An orbital drill is secured to the first layer of material to position a cutting tool of the drill within the through-hole. During operation, when the cutting tool is used to cut a hole in the second layer of material, the alignment keeps the orbital drill stationary.

Growing community of inventors

Rossmoor, CA, United States of America

David Hassan Amirehteshami