A method for position correction of a machine relative to a work piece. The machine may be provided with an end effector. The work piece may be engaged with the end effector. A force or a moment resulting from engaging the work piece with the end effector may be measured. A pose error may be determined from the force and/or the moment, wherein the pose error may define a misalignment of the end effector. The end effector may be repositioned an amount equal to the pose error to correct the misalignment. One application may involve torqueing nuts with a nut runner, which may be accomplished through the use of an automated machine such as a robot.

An automated system for manipulating a workpiece includes a machining device, a locating device configured to determine a position of a workpiece, and a positioning system operatively connected to the machining device and being configured to adjust a position of the machining device to align a centerline of the machining device with a longitudinal axis of the workpiece, based upon the determined position of the workpiece. The machining device includes a stabilizing mechanism to engage the workpiece to maintain the workpiece in the determined position, and a cutting element for performing a machining operation on the workpiece.

A component manufacturing method includes a step of calculating, for a plurality of keyholes formed on a skin and disposed in a row along a first axial direction on the skin, a first imaginary line that passes an average position in a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction and is parallel to the first axial direction, a step of calculating, for a plurality of keyholes formed on a frame and disposed in a row along a third axial direction on the frame, a second imaginary line that passes an average position in a fourth axial direction perpendicular to the third axial direction and is parallel to the third axial direction, and a step of superimposing the skin and the frame such that the first imaginary line and the second imaginary line coincide.

A method includes controlling a multi-scanning electron microscope, mSEM, to capture a first image of a wafer attached to a motorized handling stage while the motorized handling stage is in a first position. The first image includes at least a part of a notch of the wafer. The method also includes determining a radial axis of the wafer based on the first image, and controlling the motorized handling stage to shift the wafer along the radial axis by half a diameter of the wafer so that the motorized handling stage is in a second position. The method further includes controlling the mSEM to capture a second image of the wafer while the motorized handling stage is in the second position. The second image includes wafer structures. In addition, the method includes determining a reference position of the wafer based on a structure recognition of the wafer structures of the second image, and registering a wafer coordinate system of the wafer to a stage coordinate system of the motorized handling stage based on the reference position and the radial axis.

A machine tool controller includes: a servo control unit that generates a positional error based on a difference between a position command for moving a tool and a present position of the tool and generates a drive command for a motor that moves the tool based on the positional error; and a displacement meter that measures a machining surface displacement amount of the workpiece. The servo control unit includes: a compensation amount calculating unit that calculates a shape error of the workpiece with respect to a desired shape for each rotation angle of the workpiece based on the measured machining surface displacement amount and obtains a compensation amount of the positional error based on the calculated shape error of the workpiece; and a first compensation unit that compensates the positional error for each rotation angle of the workpiece based on the calculated compensation amount.

In one embodiment, a spatial vector locator device includes a first tracker object, a first restraint, and a first bushing. The spatial vector locator device further includes a second tracker object, a second restraint, and a second bushing. A first reference point on the first tracker object is aligned with a vector to determine a first vector point along the vector. A second reference point on the second tracker object is aligned with the vector to determine a second vector point along the vector. An alignment rod is inserted through a first hole of the first bushing and a second hole of the second bushing to physically locate the vector in space.

A device and method for monitoring and correcting the position and orientation of an operating device (2) with respect to a piece (P). A measuring device (5) including a plurality of sensors (505) connected to the operating device is used to measure through contactless technology the distances of the sensors from a surface () of the piece along respective directions (l, r, s) having given orientations. The sensor measurements are compared to predetermined desired values and the position of the operating device (2) is selectively changed to maintain a desired positional relationship between a main operative axis (X1) of the operative device and operation axis (X2) defined by the surface of the piece.

Example systems and methods are described that are capable of manipulating fixtures and objects. In one implementation, a system includes a robotic actuator and a processing system configured to generate commands for positioning the robotic actuator. A vision system is configured to process visual information proximate the robotic actuator. The robotic actuator is configured to manipulate a fixture, where the fixture is configured to be placed on a work surface to aid in manipulating an object.

A drilling method is provided allowing drilling in confined spaces with less effort. Two independent data sources are used for reducing tolerances between the component to be joined to the workpiece. The component is measured at the supplier using photogrammetry or laser scanning. First geometric data of the component obtained by this measurement are put in a data storage, such as a barcode tag or database. At the manufacturer, the first geometric data are used to position the component relative to the workpiece. Subsequently, the component is measured to obtain second geometric data indicative of the positions and diameters of the component joining holes. After determining a deviation between the first and second geometric data to be smaller than a predetermined threshold, the automatic drill is positioned at the correct drilling location and joining holes are drilled into the workpiece. Finally, the component and the workpiece are joined by fasteners.

This invention provides a system and method for aligning a first work piece with an underlying second work piece in the presence of occlusion by the first work piece of critical alignment features of the second work piece. The vision system, which guides the motion of a manipulator holding the first work piece and a motion stage holding the second work piece, learns secondary alignment features at least one of the first and second work pieces. Using these secondary features, the vision system determines alignment between the work pieces and guides the manipulator and the motion stage to achieve alignment as the first work piece engages the second work piece. The secondary features are used to define a course alignment. Deterministic movements of the manipulator and/or motion stage are used to learn the relationship between the secondary and primary features. Secondary features are used to direct alignment.