Abb Schweiz Ag

Abb Technology Ag

Abb Research Ltd.

Abb Inc.

Ford Motor Company Limited

Hitachi Energy Ltd

Abb Technology Ltd

Hitachi Energy Switzerland Ag

Abb Power Grids Switzerland Ag

Mcgillis, Daniel W.

George Q Zhang

Thomas A Fuhlbrigge

Gregory F Rossano

Sangeun Choi

William John Eakins

Biao Zhang

Jianjun Wang

Remus Boca

Tomas Groth

Harald Staab

Chao Li

Daniel T Lasko

Hui Zhang

Soenke Kock

Robert Kodadek

Gregory Penza

Carlos Martinez

Cajetan Pinto

Harald Josef Staab

ZhongXue Gan

Heping Chen

Xiongzi Li

Jeremy Newkirk

Jianmin He

Daniel W McGillis

Yanhua Yang

Bruno Barrey

Hermann Herrlich

Hetal V Lakhani

Luiz V Cheim

Gregory A Cole

James Stoupis

Torgny Brogardh

Xiaoming Feng

Poorvi Patel

Sang Joon Choi

Andrew Salm

Arnold Bell

Srinivas Nidamarthi

Mao Li

David P Gravel

Marek Budyn

Paul C Thulen

Daniel X Wappling

Thomas H McDonald

Rodney Lee Woll

Tuanwei Wang

Than Htaik

Ashutosh Srivastava

Luiz Av Cheim

Craig Stiegemeier

Anders Spaak

Andrew M Salm

Eduardo Botelho

Sang Choi

Thomas Groth

David Alan Bourne

Craig Lee Stiegemeier

An inspection device for use in a fluid container having at least an opening includes a housing sized to fit through the opening. The housing has at least two fluid flow channels extending therethrough, each having an inlet and an outlet, and a pump maintained in the housing within each fluid flow channel. The pumps are selectively controlled to maneuver the housing within the fluid container. The inspection device continues with a method of in-situ inspection of a container having at least one opening to receive a fluid, that includes up-loading a virtual model of the container into a computer, inserting the device into the container, generating a position signal by the device and receiving the position signal on a computer. A virtual image of the device in the virtual model of the container is generated to determine an actual position of the device within the container.

Device and method for transformer in-situ inspection

The present application is directed to an electrical system including a housing configured to hold electrical components within an internal volume. In one aspect the electrical system is a power transformer. A sensor is mounted to the housing and is configured to sense a parameter associated with one or more electrical components during operation of the electrical system. A control system including a communication unit and a data processing unit is operable for analyzing the sensed parameter and comparing the sensed parameter to a predetermined minimum or maximum threshold value.

Systems and methods for monitoring components in a power transformer or the like

A method for operating a robot includes: creating a production robot program for execution on a robotic controller, wherein the robot program defines a robot path; performing an offline simulation of robot motion along the robot path using the production robot program; analyzing loads between a robot end effector and an object along the robot path, based on the offline simulation, to identify a maximum load experienced during the simulation; tuning production robot program parameters to reduce the maximum load if the maximum load is not within a predefined limit; generating a test robot program to test the end effector and the object with the maximum load within the predefined limit; testing the end effector with the object online using the test robot program; repeating the tuning and testing until no objects are dropped during the testing; and operating the robot during production using tuned robot program parameters.

Method for operating a robot

A modular device is used to inspect a confined space in a machine. The entire inspection coverage area and corresponding status are mapped so that the inspection location and associated data are graphically visualized. An accelerometer mounted on the device serves as a tilt sensor and also provides data about a collision of the device with the space being inspected or defects therein. The accelerometer data in combination with an odometry system determines the axial position of the device. A gyroscope mounted on the device is used to determine the device heading. The locational information is used to generate an inspection map that provides inspection history, logged data and a reference that are useful in scheduling the next inspection. The output of the gyroscopes can be used to provide haptic feedback to the device operator to maintain proper device orientation.

Localization, mapping and haptic feedback for inspection of a confined space in machinery

A method for robotic adaptive production includes modifying program instructions online while performing production activities in response to detecting a change in the production environment. A robotic adaptive production method includes modifying program instructions online while performing production activities to minimize a production task cycle time or improve a production task quality. A robotic adaptive production method includes estimating a relationship between a control parameter and a sensor input; and modifying the control parameter online to achieve an updated parameter based on the estimating. A robotic adaptive production method includes receiving sensor input relating to robotic performance during the performance of production tasks and online optimizing a process parameter based on robotic performance during the performance of the production tasks. A robotic adaptive production method includes determining the position and/or orientation of a feature based on a learned position and/or orientation of another feature and on a geometric relationship.

Method and system for robotic adaptive production

One exemplary embodiment is a method comprising generating robot control code from one or more files including part geometry parameters, material addition parameters, and robot system parameters. The robot control code includes instructions to control position and material output of an additive manufacturing tool adjustable over six degrees of freedom. The method includes simulating execution of the robot control code to generate a virtual part file including virtual part geometry parameters and material addition parameters, analyzing the virtual part geometry parameters and material addition parameters relative to the one or more files, and executing the robot control code with the controller to produce the part with robot system if the analyzing indicates that the virtual part satisfies one or more conditions.

Robotic additive manufacturing apparatuses, systems and methods

A method inspects a conveyor () having opposing sides () and a length. The conveyor includes an endless belt () and a plurality of roller structures () disposed in spaced relation along at least a portion of the length of the conveyor and under a top flight () of the belt for supporting the belt while material is being conveyed on the belt. Each roller structure includes at least one roller (') constructed and arranged to rotate about an axis as the belt is conveyed with the material. The method orients an unmanned vehicle (), having sensor structure () thereon, at one side of the conveyor, and causes the vehicle to travel along the portion of the length of the conveyor while the sensor structure obtains data regarding a state of at least a portion of the belt and of rollers of the plurality of roller structures while the conveyor is operating.

Conveyor inspection with unmanned vehicle carying sensor structure

An inspection device for use in a fluid container includes a hull adapted to be received in the fluid container and a control mechanism carried by the hull. The control mechanism movably positions a weight about the hull so as to adjust an angular orientation of the hull within the fluid container.

Control mechanism for transformer in-situ inspection device

A machine has at least one actuated mechanism is remotely located from a control station. A two way real-time communication link connects the machine location with the control station. A controller at the machine location has program code that is configured to determine from data from one or more sensors at the machine location if an actual fault has occurred in the machine when the machine is performing its predetermined function and to determine for an actual fault one or more types for the fault and transmit the one or more fault types to the control station for analysis. The code in the controller is configured to be a preprogrammed trap routine specific to the machine function that is automatically executed when an error in machine operation is detected at the machine location. The controller also has a default trap routine that is executed when the specific routine does not exist.

Teleoperation of machines having at least one actuated mechanism and a fault detection and recovery system

An inspection device for use in a fluid container includes at least one thrust device, at least one ballast device and a cage which carries the at least one thrust device and the at least one ballast device. The cage includes at least two bars. Each bar provides an opening, the openings forming a cage cavity to carry the at least one thrust device and the at least one ballast device.

Transformer in-situ inspection vehicle with a cage hull

Stripping structure strips insulation from ends of a plurality of leads of a lead bundle. Each lead includes a conductor member coated with the insulation. The structure includes a housing having wall structure defining a stripping chamber, an inlet in fluid communication with the stripping chamber, and an outlet in fluid communication with the stripping chamber. A cover has an opening for receiving an end of the lead bundle in a sealing manner so that the leads thereof are received in the stripping chamber. Chemical stripping solution is in communication with the inlet. When the lead bundle is received through the opening with the leads in the stripping chamber and when the chemical stripping solution is provided though inlet and in the stripping chamber, the chemical stripping solution strips the insulation from the conductor members, with the stripping solution along with stripped insulation exiting through the outlet.

Stripping structure and method for removing enamel insulation from lead ends

A machine remotely located from a control station has at least one actuated mechanism. A two way real-time communication link connects the machine location with the control station. A controller at the machine location has program code that includes an instruction which when executed transfers control of the machine from the controller to the control station. The program code can have a task frame associated with the predetermined function performed by the machine with the task frame divided into a first set controlled by the controller and a second set controlled from the control station. The system can also have two or more remotely located control stations only one of which can control the machine at a given time.

Teleoperation of machines having at least one actuated mechanism and one machine controller comprising a program code including instructions for transferring control of the machine from said controller to a remote control station

A machine has at least one actuated mechanism is remotely located from a control station. A two way real-time communication link connects the machine location with the control station. A controller at the machine location has program code that is configured to determine from data from one or more sensors at the machine location if an actual fault has occurred in the machine when the machine is performing its predetermined function and to determine for an actual fault one or more types for the fault and transmit the one or more fault types to the control station for analysis. The code in the controller is configured to be a preprogrammed trap routine specific to the machine function that is automatically executed when an error in machine operation is detected at the machine location. The controller also has a default trap routine that is executed when specific routine does not exist.

A machine that has at least one actuated mechanism is remotely located from a control station. A two way real-time communication link connects the machine location with the control station. An interface at the control station allows an operator to select one or more virtual constraints on operation of the machine when the machine is performing a predetermined function. The virtual constraints are transmitted over the two way real-time communication link to the machine location. The machine has predetermined safety limits that are stored in a controlling device at the machine location. The stored predetermined safety limits are extracted and automatically mapped to the control station using the two way real-time communication link. The controlling device maps the predetermined safety limits to the virtual constraints.

Teleoperation of machines having at least one actuated mechanism

A method and system to optimize the parameters of a robot used in an assembly process. The assembly process is categorized based on its nature which may be cylindrical, radial and multi-stage insertion. The search pattern and search parameters are specified. The parameters are optimized and the optimized parameter set are verified and when a predetermined criteria such as assembly cycle time set and/or success rate is met the optimization process stops. When the optimization stops the verified parameters are used to cause the robot to perform the categorized assembly process. If the parameters do not meet the predetermined criteria, another round of optimization using the same or other parameters can be performed.

Method and system for robotic assembly parameter optimization

Growing community of inventors

Windsor, CT, United States of America

George Q Zhang