The Boeing Company

Jeffrey A McCaskey

Bradley James Mitchell

Damien O Martin

Lars Eric Blacken

Heiko Hoffmann

Ty Aaby Larsen

Grace L Duncan

Cindy X Li

Heiko Hoffman

Methods and apparatus for automated routing of wires of a wire harness on a form board. A wire harness comprising a wire end connector and a multiplicity of groups of wires is supported and carried by a carrier end effector mounted to an end of a first robotic arm. The wire groups are accessed and then routed on the form board by a routing end effector mounted to an end of a second robotic arm. Initially a wire gripper of the routing end effector is opened. The second robotic arm is then controlled to move the routing end effector so that respective first portions of all wire groups are accessible for gripping by the wire gripper. Then the wire gripper is closed to grip the first portions of wires. Then the second robotic arm is controlled to move the routing end effector to place second portions of the wires of all wire groups in a first elastic retainer wire routing device attached to the form board. Thereafter, the routing end effector routes the first group of wires through a second elastic retainer wire routing device and then routes the second group of wires through a third elastic retainer wire routing device.

Methods and apparatus for routing wires of pre-assembled wire harness on form board

A method, system and computer program product are provided for automated insertion of a wire contact into an insertion hole of a connector. Methods include: controlling a robot having an end-effector to position a wire contact proximate to a connector using a wire gripper and a separator device of the end-effector; controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector; controlling the robot to align the wire contact with a insertion hole of the connector; controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the insertion hole; controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and controlling the robot to withdraw the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

Method, system, and computer program product for wire connector assembly

Systems and methods for automated wire pickup using image-based robot guidance. The machine vision-based system includes: a robot arm; a tool head coupled to the distal end of the robot arm and including a wire gripper motor; a wire gripper movably coupled to the tool head and operatively coupled to the wire gripper motor; a wire holder configured for clamping a wire; cameras mounted to the distal end of the robot arm and having first and second fields of view which intersect in a volume of space that includes the tip of the wire gripper and the wire holder; and a computer system configured to control operation of the robot arm motors and wire gripper motor. More specifically, the computer system is configured for visually estimating the position and orientation of a contact-equipped wire being held by the wire holder and then generating robot guidance to enable automated pickup of the end section of the wire by the wire gripper.

Image-based guidance for robotic wire pickup

Methods and apparatus for temporarily holding one end of a wire on a harness form board during automated transfer from one robot to another robot. The apparatus includes a wire holding device which is designed to facilitate the transfer of a wire end from a first end effector of a first robot to a second end effector of a second robot. The wire holding devices have different structures, but share the common feature that opening of the wire holding device (to enable wire insertion) involves applying a contact force which overcomes a spring force that urges the wire holding device to be closed. The end effectors are designed and their movements are controlled in a manner such that the moving end effector applies the contact force necessary to overcome the closure-inducing spring force being exerted.

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Everett, WA, United States of America

Jeffrey A McCaskey