A method of position estimation for an ALV (autonomous land vehicle) using features of the skyline is presented. The skyline from the vision system is assumed given and is compared with a computer map, called the CAD-MAP. The algorithm consists of identifying the peak points in the camera skyline, computing the ALV position for the identified peak points, and searching for the corresponding peak point in the CAD-MAP. Heuristics for computational efficiency and solution accuracy are also included in the algorithm. To test the validity and effectiveness of the algorithm, numerous simulations were performed and analyzed.

The four-axis numerical control (NC) configuration is suitable for the manufacture of a part family (called rotationally free-surface or RFS) requiring concurrent motions for the tool movement and part rotation. The authors develop algorithms for handling tool interference in four-axis machining in which three types of interferences exist: interferences due to step-size, tool-size, and tool-axis. The first two types are also present in three-axis machining, but the third type is unique and critical in four-axis machining. The performance of the algorithms was tested via graphic simulation and actual cutting. The results showed that the algorithms can be readily incorporated into existing CAD/CAM systems as a module for interference-free four-axis NC machining of a RFS.>

The four-axis NC configuration is suitable for the manufacture of a part family (called a rotationally free surface, or RFS) requiring concurrent motions for the tool movement and part rotation. Algorithms are developed for handling tool interference in four-axis machining in which three types of interference exist: interference due to step size, tool size, and tool axis. The first two types are also present in three-axis machining, but the third type is unique and critical in four-axis machining. The performance of the algorithms is tested by graphic simulation and actual cutting. The results show that the algorithms can be readily incorporated into existing CAD/CAM systems as a module for interference-free four-axis NC machining of an RFS.>

A prototype four-axis CAM module for the machining of industrial parts with rotational-free surfaces has been developed. The CAM module consists of geometric modeling of the rotational-free surface, CL-data generation, graphic simulation and verification, and postprocessing and communication. To test the validity and effectiveness of the developed module, several test cuts were made with an additional-four-axis CNC milling machine and compared with the graphic simulation.>

An automatic trajectory planning system (ATPS) for painting robots is developed. Geometric modeling, painting mechanics, and robot dynamics are considered to produce an optimal trajectory (in the sense of coating uniformity and painting time) based on the CAD data describing the shape of objects. The scheme was implemented on a SUN/4 workstation to develop an ATPS for painting robots. To test the effectiveness and illustrate the developed system, numerous experiments were performed and analyzed. The practical application of the developed system is for planning an optimal robot trajectory such that uniform coating thickness is achieved in minimum painting time.>

An approach to robot-path planning is developed by considering both the traveling distance and the safety of the robot. A computationally-efficient algorithm is developed to find a near-optimal path with a weighted distance-safety criterion by using a variational calculus and dynamic programming (VCDP) method. The algorithm is readily applicable to any factory environment by representing the free workspace as channels. A method for deriving these channels is also proposed. Although it is developed mainly for two-dimensional problems, this method can be easily extended to a class of three-dimensional problems. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the utility and power of this method.>