A method for optimizing the tolerancing of a set of flexible parts subjected to forces. At the design phase, an optimum tolerancing for flexible parts is defined according to the assembly process plan and the desired functional requirements. The structural digital models are considered as parts to be assembled and composed of a plurality of assembly points, a plurality of structural points, and mathematical relations or mechanical stiffness, such as a non-null relative displacement of a structural/assembly point in relation to the other structural/assembly points in a single digital model, modify tensor in each structural/assembly point. From a mechanical point of view, these mathematical relations express the existence of an elastic recovery property between the points that make up the digital model. The issue of optimization is simplified by: the definition of influence factors; the simulation of parts deviating from the nominal by a distortion vector.

A system, method, and apparatus are provided for a robotic system effecting autonomous therapy or treatment of a body having soft and/or hard tissue. A system, method, and apparatus are provided for a robotic control system having a fused sensing stream for predicting the deformation of a robotic end effector and the tissue that the end effector is in contact with using, e.g., a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model. The model updates provide adjustment parameters for the control system to compensate for changes in the mechanical nature of the robotic end effector and the characteristics and/or movement of the tissue being treated by the robotic end effector.

A system and method is provided that facilitates finite element analysis of parts having variable spatial density graded regions produced via a 3D printer. A processor may receive at least one input through the input device that specifies a gradation pattern for variation in spatial density in at least one direction in at least one region of a 3D-model of the part. The processor may also carry out the simulation via finite element analysis for the 3D-model of the part based at least in part on simulation parameters and the gradation pattern for the at least one region, to produce simulation results involving the part having graded spatial density in the at least one region. The processor may also generate a configuration for the 3D printer that drives the 3D printer to additively build the part based on the 3D-model having the graded spatial density in the at least one region.

The present invention belongs to the technical field of health monitoring for civil structures, and an anomaly identification method considering spatial-temporal correlation is proposed for structural monitoring data. First, define current and past observation vectors for the monitoring data and pre-whiten them; second, establish a statistical correlation model for the pre-whitened current and past observation vectors to simultaneously consider the spatial-temporal correlation in the monitoring data; then, divide the model into two parts, i.e., the system-related and system-unrelated parts, and define two corresponding statistics; finally, determine the corresponding control limits of the statistics, and it can be decided that there is anomaly in the monitoring data when each of the statistics exceeds its corresponding control limit.

A system, method, and apparatus are provided for a robotic system effecting autonomous therapy or treatment of a body having soft and/or hard tissue. A system, method, and apparatus are provided for a robotic control system having a fused sensing stream for predicting the deformation of a robotic end effector and the tissue that the end effector is in contact with using, e.g., a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model. The model updates provide adjustment parameters for the control system to compensate for changes in the mechanical nature of the robotic end effector and the characteristics and/or movement of the tissue being treated by the robotic end effector.

A method and apparatus for producing an object (2) comprising providing a digital model (14) of the object (2) that is to be produced; using the digital model, identifying one or more parts (8) of the object (2) that satisfy certain criteria; for each identified part (8), adjusting, in the digital model (14), the thickness of that part (8) to satisfy further criteria, thereby producing an updated model; performing a first production process to produce the part or parts (4, 6) of the object (2) that do not satisfy the criteria, thereby producing an initial object (17); performing an Additive Manufacturing process to add, to the initial object (17), the one or more identified parts (8), thereby producing the object (2). The initial object (17) and identified parts (8) are made of the same material. The first production process is different to the Additive Manufacturing process.

Finite element methods for compensating for springback in aircraft parts meet the visual appearance and aerodynamics of complex parts including those made of fabricated sheet metal. The methods can be used to make narrow parts (e.g., leading edge and slats) and double negative curvature parts, and do not need to leave marks on the surface of the sheet so that visual aspects are not adversely affected. The point to point compensation technique uses approach equations with constants adjustable for curves. The constant(s) used depend on geometry and type of forming (e.g., stretch or hydraulic press). Use of mechanical properties of the material is not required.

A method for fabricating a component of an abatement apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises: meshing a 3D model representation of a component defining a reaction chamber of an abatement apparatus based on specified component characteristics to define an optimised finite element representation of the component; and fabricating the optimised finite element representation. In this way, a 3D model of a component of an abatement apparatus can be generated from which its performance can be modelled. Particular characteristics of the component may be defined which affect the operation of the abatement apparatus. Those characteristics may then be used to generate the optimized finite element representation of the component which has those characteristics using meshing (it will be appreciated that meshing is the operation of representing a geometric object as a set of finite elements). The optimized finite element representation may then fabricated, reliably producing a component having the required characteristics.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a robot (1) defined by a node model and deformable by means of actuators (2). Effector points of the robot must follow a predetermined path. A matrix K defines a change in the inner forces of the robot in each node, on the basis of the change in position of the nodes. Said method includes: updating the K values on the basis of the current position of the nodes of the robot; determining the Jacobian matrix J of the vector (x), x being a vector of the position of the nodes and the vector (x) comprising respective lines which indicate the coordinates of the gaps between the position of each effector point and the predetermined path thereof, and the movement of each actuator; calculating the values of the matrix W=J.Math.K.sup.1.Math.J.sup.T; and solving the equation =W.Math.+.sub.0 and controlling the robot on the basis of said resolution.

A method of producing a structure including a first component, having a first surface, and a second component, having second and third surfaces includes: measuring profiles of the second and third surfaces; measuring profiles of fourth and fifth surfaces of subcomponents; assembling the first component by coupling the subcomponents with adjustment; recording data representing the adjustment; estimating a changed profile of the second surface in case of coupling the third surface to the first surface; determining a coupling position of the third surface to the first surface; and coupling the third surface to the first surface at the determined coupling position. The predetermined contour degree is required for the second surface. The first surface is formed by the fourth surfaces. The fifth surfaces influence a profile of the first surface. The changed profile is estimated based on the profiles of the second to fifth surfaces and the recorded data.