The Boeing Company

Jerald A Hull

Philip Lawrence Freeman

Branko Lakic

Craig Allen Charlton

Christopher A Greer

Justin H Pratt

Jonathan J Gallegos

Joseph Nolan Paranto

Matthew A Drago

Theodore I Kreifels

Jiaqin Liu

Stuart G Lambert

A bore metrology method includes aligning a first structure, which defines an initial bore, with a second structure, which defines a pilot bore, such that the initial bore is partially obstructed by the second structure and the pilot bore is superimposed with the initial bore. The initial bore includes a bore locating target assembly within the initial bore, the bore locating target assembly having an optical target, the optical target having a reflector and an optical absorbing feature, the optical absorbing feature defining a pattern on the optical target. At least a portion of the reflector and at least a portion of the pattern are visible through the pilot bore. The method further includes imaging the portion of the reflector and the portion of the pattern that are visible through the pilot bore. The method further includes determining a centerline of the initial bore based on the imaging.

Bore metrology methods and systems, and bore locating target assemblies for use therewith

A method, system and apparatus are provided in accordance with example embodiments for optically measuring workpiece features, and more particularly, to optically measure internal surfaces of round bores and countersinks. Methods include: advancing a probe through a bore and a countersink; and measuring dimensions of the bore and the countersink using a bore laser cone and a countersink laser cone, where the bore laser cone is received at the bore camera lens in response to reflecting from a first reflective surface of the probe to a surface of the bore to a third reflective surface of the probe and to the bore camera lens, and where the countersink laser cone is received at the countersink camera lens in response to the countersink laser cone reflecting from a second reflective surface of the probe to a surface of the countersink to a countersink beam reflector and to the countersink camera lens.

Method, system, and apparatus for optical measurement

Described are methods and systems for identifying processing locations in composite layups. An optical magnetic marker is magnetically supported by a layup tool at a target position, such that a portion of the marker protrudes above the tool processing surface. When a composite layup is placed onto that surface, the protruding portion extends into the layup at a processing location. When the layup is cured, the marker is permanently embedded into the layup. Separating the cured layup from the tool removes the marker from the tool and allows an additional marker to advance into the target position for processing another layup. The embedded marker or, more specifically, marker's reflective surface is used during optical inspection of the layup surface to precisely determine the processing location. In some examples, the marker is consumed while the layup is processed at that location,

Methods and systems for identifying processing locations in composite layups

A method includes making a first structure with a first plurality of pre-drilled holes at pre-defined locations, making a second structure with a second plurality of pre-drilled holes at pre-defined locations, making a third structure without pre-drilled full-size holes, measuring the location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures, determining the location of a third plurality of holes to be drilled in the third structure that correspond to first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes measured in the first and second structures, creating a program to drill the third plurality of holes in the third structure that align with the measured location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures based on the measure location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structure, drilling the third plurality of holes in the third structure based on the program, positioning the third structure on the first and second structures such that the third plurality of holes in the third structure are aligned with the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures, and inserting fasteners through the third plurality of holes and the first and second plurality of predrilled holes that are aligned with the third plurality of holes to secure the second structure to the first structure using the third structure.

Method and system for joining structures

A hole location target includes a self-centering insert having a centerline and a laser beam emitter attached to the self-centering insert. The axis of the emitted laser beam is concentric to the centerline of the self-centering insert.

Hole location targets and measurement systems, and methods for measuring a location of a hole

An apparatus for measuring edge features of a work piece includes an optical sensor assembly and a reference device. The reference device includes a contact surface configured to contact a surface of the work piece adjacent to an edge of the work piece and a marked surface including a plurality of markings indicating positions relative to the contact surface. The reference device is configured to be coupled to a portion of the optical sensor assembly such that the optical sensor assembly is positioned to capture an image representing a portion of the marked surface and an edge feature of the work piece.

Edge feature measurement

Described are methods and systems for identifying processing locations in composite layups. An optical magnetic marker is magnetically supported by a layup tool at a target position, such that a portion of the marker protrudes above the tool processing surface. When a composite layup is placed onto that surface, the protruding portion extends into the layup at a processing location. When the layup is cured, the marker is permanently embedded into the layup. Separating the cured layup from the tool removes the marker from the tool and allows an additional marker to advance into the target position for processing another layup. The embedded marker or, more specifically, marker's reflective surface is used during optical inspection of the layup surface to precisely determine the processing location. In some examples, the marker is consumed while the layup is processed at that location.

A hole location target includes a self-centering insert having a centerline and an optical target attached to the self-centering insert at a fixed position relative to the centerline of the self-centering insert. The optical target surface includes a two-dimensional pattern thereon.

A method, system and computer program product are provided for position and orientation measurement using a camera system having an optical boresight centerline. Methods may include: receiving at an aperture a collimated input beam; splitting the input beam at a first surface including a beam splitter into a first sub-beam and a second sub-beam; receiving at a first sensor the first sub-beam; receiving at a second sensor the second sub-beam; and determining one or more offsets of the input beam from the centerline based on data received from the first sensor and the second sensor. Methods may include: determining a location and irradiance of the first sub-beam of the input beam received by the first sensor; and determining a location and irradiance of the second sub-beam of the input beam received by the second sensor.

Method and system for determining alignment and orientation of a target

A hole location target includes a self-centering insert having a centerline and an optical target attached to the self-centering insert at a fixed position relative to the centerline of the self-centering insert. The optical target includes a light-emitting display. The light-emitting display includes a two-dimensional pattern thereon.

An optical coordinate measuring system (OCMS) for manufactured components having build variations that require splices for accurate integration of the components. The OCMS includes manufacturing the components that include integral three dimensional optical reticle image arrays affixed to predetermined surfaces of the components, such that those surfaces can be optically captured in three dimensional composite measurements associated with various-D scanned poses. Each pose includes an orthogonal pair of grid lines, and each pose involves a single field of view. A plurality of poses can then be collated to form composite measurements that extend out-of-range of any single pose. The three dimensional optical reticle image arrays can be concave or convex, ideally formed as an integral part of each as-manufactured component. The three dimensional aspect enhances scanning clarity of each scanned pose, thus assuring greater accuracies of composite measurements that result from any plurality of collated poses.

Optical coordinate measurement system

A method of determining a pose of a workpiece includes receiving known positions of a plurality of reference features of a workpiece in a first pose in a first coordinate space, determining from the known positions an estimate of the first pose of the workpiece in a second coordinate space in which any pose of the workpiece is defined by six distinct components, and at least one of the six components are known. The method includes receiving a position of a second feature of the workpiece in the second coordinate space when the workpiece is disposed in a distinct, second pose in which the at least one known components remain constant between the first and second pose. The method includes determining the second pose of the workpiece from the first pose estimate and the position of the second feature of the workpiece in the second pose.

Locating a workpiece using a measurement of a workpiece feature

Systems and methods are provided for collision prevention One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a robot. The robot includes an end effector that operates within a manufacturing cell, and actuators defining a kinematic chain that reorients the end effector within the manufacturing cell. The robot also includes an imaging system mounted with the end effector, and a controller. The controller is able to direct the actuators to orient the imaging system towards the mirror, to acquire a point cloud of 3D positions by operating the imaging system to scan an image in the mirror, and to revise the 3D positions in the point cloud by folding the 3D positions about a surface defined by the mirror. The robot is also able to determine a volume occupied by the robot within the manufacturing cell, and to direct the robot to operate based on the volume to prevent collisions.

Collision prevention in robotic manufacturing environments

A camera on a robotic arm end effector is used to locate a workpiece coordinate system transformation in rotation and translation with respect to the end effector coordinate system by successively measuring an offset between a target affixed to the workpiece and its expected location. The target reflects energy from a light beam provided by a light beam source. A beam splitter is used to align the light beam with a line of sight of the camera.

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Charleston, SC, United States of America

Jerald A Hull