US 12,145,280 B2
Image-based guidance for robotic wire pickup
Heiko Hoffman, Simi Valley, CA (US); Jeffrey A. McCaskey, Everett, WA (US); Lars E. Blacken, Bothell, WA (US); Bradley J. Mitchell, Snohomish, WA (US); and Damien O. Martin, Everett, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/492,562.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/142,112, filed on Jan. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0234208 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01); H01R 43/052 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1697 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1612 (2013.01); B25J 9/1653 (2013.01); B25J 9/1664 (2013.01); B25J 13/089 (2013.01); H01R 43/052 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for guiding a robot having a wire gripper and at least one camera, the method comprising:
(a) holding a portion of a wire in a wire holder of a wire holding device which is fastened to a form board, wherein the wire has a wire contact disposed on one side of the wire holder;
(b) taking camera images from different viewpoints while the portion of the wire is being held, wherein the camera images include an image of a portion of a tip of the wire gripper;
(c) deriving, from the camera images taken in step (b), visual feedback data representing an orientation of the wire gripper and a position of the tip of the wire gripper relative to a portion of the wire not held by the wire holder and disposed on an opposite side of the wire holder;
(d) controlling the robot to align the wire gripper with the portion of the wire not held by the wire holder based on the visual feedback data derived in step (c);
(e) controlling the wire gripper to grip the wire while aligned with the portion of the wire not held by the wire holder and then open slightly to allow the wire gripper to slide along the wire;
(f) activating the wire holding device to release the portion of the wire that was previously held;
(g) taking camera images from different viewpoints after the portion of the wire has been released, wherein the camera images include an image of the portion of the tip of the wire gripper and a portion of a nearest end of the wire contact;
(h) controlling the robot to slide the wire gripper toward the wire contact by a distance based on the camera images taken in step (g); and
(i) controlling the wire gripper to grip the wire subsequent to step (h).