A machine processes a slab that is positioned with the finished face down on vacuum pods on a work table. The side edges of the slab are cut with the slab upside by following a mirror imaged slab cut layout to form a slab corresponding substantially to the shape of a countertop. Without removing the cut slab from the vacuum pods and maintaining the finished face down, the machine routes a sink hole using a finger bit that had been switched onto the spindle, the routing path based upon the mirror imaged slab cut layout. The slab is finished by forming an edge profile on the inside of any sink holes and edging and polishing the sides of the finished slab.

A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon and a tracking system that measures a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment. A control system acquires an indication of an end effector destination, determines a reference robot base position, calculates an end effector path extending to the end effector destination and repeatedly determines a current robot base position using signals from the tracking system, calculates robot arm kinematics using the current robot base position and the end effector path and controls the robot arm to cause the end effector to be moved towards the end effector destination.

A method and system for performing work from a suspension work platform incorporating a work tool attached to an articulating arm system.

A method and system for performing work from a suspension work platform incorporating a work tool attached to an articulating arm system.

A method and system for removing mortar from a plurality of joints between a plurality of masonry units in a masonry structure, incorporating a suspension work platform, a work tool, and an articulating arm system (500).

A method and system for removing mortar from a plurality of joints between a plurality of masonry units in a masonry structure, incorporating a suspension work platform, a work tool, and an articulating arm system (500).

A brick cleaning system has: a frame; a first saw comprising a first motor and a first saw blade driven by the first motor, the first saw being connected to the frame; a second saw comprising a second motor and a second saw blade driven by the first motor, the second saw being connected to the frame; and a brick cart connected to the frame. The brick cart is configured to hold a brick. The brick cart selectively translates relative to the frame for feeding the brick in a space between the first and second saw blades such that the first and second saw blades remove mortar from opposite sides of the brick. A method for cleaning used bricks is also disclosed.

An automated plant (10) for cutting and operating flat slabs made from ceramic or the like for typically but not exclusively manufacturing slabs intended for use as coating elements at both civil and industrial levels and for both indoor and outdoor environments, comprising a first macro-area (12) defining an area suitable for storing products consisting of semi-finished slabs or mother-slabs, a second macro-area (14) defining an area for storing auxiliary packing materials or consumable materials for operations or processes on said slabs, a third macro-area (16) defining a production area for processing, packaging, and packing daughter-slabs or sub-formats of slabs obtained from mother-slabs, a fourth macro-area (18) defining a finished product area or store for letting the products coming from the third macro-area (16) pass through/temporarily accumulate, said plant also comprising automatic handling means for slaving and handling materials and semi-finished and finished products between said macro-areas and internally thereto, and a central control unit for programming, managing, and controlling the operation of said macro-areas and the interaction therebetween.

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) may be used for static rock splitting. The SMAs may be used as high-energy multifunctional materials, which have a unique ability to recover large deformations and generate high stresses in response to thermal loads.

A method and system for removing mortar from a plurality of joints between a plurality of masonry units in a masonry structure, incorporating a suspension work platform, a work tool, and an articulating arm system (500).