The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Edward A Van Duyne

Donald C Fyler

Michael G Kelly

A system for locating a corner of an angularly oriented workpiece on a worksurface includes a gripper and associated two axis transport assembly, and a set of sensors on the gripper for detecting reflected radiation from the workpiece and surrounding work. A controller translates the gripper in the directions of two orthogonal axes until the sensors each overlie an edge of the corner-to-be detected. In the preferred form, the transport assembly includes a pneumatic position control system for each axis. Each pneumatic position control system includes an air cylinder and associated piston, a position valve assembly and a controller, and may further include a velocity valve assembly. The controller may control the position valve assembly to be in a first state during a selected time interval, thereby establishing axial motion of the piston in a first direction during that interval. Alternatively, the controller may control the position valve assembly to be in a second state during a selected time interval, thereby establishing axial motion of the piston in a second direction during that interval. The controller may also establish substantially no motion of the piston during a selected interval by alternately controlling the position valve assembly to be in its first state and its second state during the time interval. The velocity valve assembly controls the pneumatic impedance in the coupling path to the cylinder in order to selectively establish desired velocity for piston motion.

Growing community of inventors

Framingham, MA, United States of America

Edward A Van Duyne