Abstract: A spray application system and a method of its operation are provided for applying a spray treatment onto a surface of an airframe of an aircraft. The spray application system includes a set of multiple modular hood units that are combinable to form a combined enclosure that defines a shared interior volume. Each modular hood unit of the set includes one or more enclosure walls. At least two airframe-interfacing edges of each modular hood unit define a portion of a spray treatment region of the airframe. At least one inter-unit-interfacing edge of each modular hood unit is configured to interface with another inter-unit-interfacing edge of a neighboring modular hood unit of the set to form at least a portion of the combined enclosure. A spray access port is defined within an enclosure wall of each modular hood unit.

Abstract: A spray application system and a method of its operation are provided for applying a spray treatment onto a surface of an airframe of an aircraft. The spray application system includes a set of multiple modular hood units that are combinable to form a combined enclosure that defines a shared interior volume. Each modular hood unit of the set includes one or more enclosure walls. At least two airframe-interfacing edges of each modular hood unit define a portion of a spray treatment region of the airframe. At least one inter-unit-interfacing edge of each modular hood unit is configured to interface with another inter-unit-interfacing edge of a neighboring modular hood unit of the set to form at least a portion of the combined enclosure. A spray access port is defined within an enclosure wall of each modular hood unit.

Abstract: A spray application system and a method of its operation are provided for applying a spray treatment onto a surface of an airframe of an aircraft. The spray application system includes a set of multiple modular hood units that are combinable to form a combined enclosure that defines a shared interior volume. Each modular hood unit of the set includes one or more enclosure walls. At least two airframe-interfacing edges of each modular hood unit define a portion of a spray treatment region of the airframe. At least one inter-unit-interfacing edge of each modular hood unit is configured to interface with another inter-unit-interfacing edge of a neighboring modular hood unit of the set to form at least a portion of the combined enclosure. A spray access port is defined within an enclosure wall of each modular hood unit.

Abstract: A spray application system and a method of its operation are provided for applying a spray treatment onto a surface of an airframe of an aircraft. The spray application system includes a set of multiple modular hood units that are combinable to form a combined enclosure that defines a shared interior volume. Each modular hood unit of the set includes one or more enclosure walls. At least two airframe-interfacing edges of each modular hood unit define a portion of a spray treatment region of the airframe. At least one inter-unit-interfacing edge of each modular hood unit is configured to interface with another inter-unit-interfacing edge of a neighboring modular hood unit of the set to form at least a portion of the combined enclosure. A spray access port is defined within an enclosure wall of each modular hood unit.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling the motion of a tracked robot assembly. An exemplary method comprises disposing a mobile robot assembly proximate to a fuselage of an aircraft that is being assembled, aligning a left ranging sensor of the assembly with a left target, and aligning a right ranging sensor of the assembly with a right target. The method also includes directing the assembly to traverse to a location within the aircraft fuselage at which a robot on the assembly will perform work upon the fuselage, determining a left distance between the left ranging sensor and the left target while the assembly is moving, determining a right distance between the right ranging sensor and the right target while the assembly is moving, detecting a difference between the determined distances, and adjusting a direction of motion of the assembly based on the difference.

Abstract: Mobile robotic platforms include a robotic device and a pair of laser scanners. The robotic device is positioned near a front of the mobile robotic platform while the laser scanners are positioned on the sides of the mobile robotic platform. When the mobile robotic platform is located in a selected position relative to an assembly with the front of the mobile robotic platform facing the assembly, the scanners are set to a scan field area of either a selected area for a safety zone around the sides of the mobile robotic platform or a default area within a predetermined distance from the sides. Upon detection of an intrusion into the scan field area of the laser scanners, the robotic device and/or the mobile robotic platform is stopped to prevent harm to a person whom may have inadvertently intruded into the scan field areas around the mobile robotic platform.

Abstract: Mobile robotic platforms include a robotic device and a pair of laser scanners. The robotic device is positioned near a front of the mobile robotic platform while the laser scanners are positioned on the sides of the mobile robotic platform. When the mobile robotic platform is located in a selected position relative to an assembly with the front of the mobile robotic platform facing the assembly, the scanners are set to a scan field area of either a selected area for a safety zone around the sides of the mobile robotic platform or a default area within a predetermined distance from the sides. Upon detection of an intrusion into the scan field area of the laser scanners, the robotic device and/or the mobile robotic platform is stopped to prevent harm to a person whom may have inadvertently intruded into the scan field areas around the mobile robotic platform.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling the motion of a tracked robot assembly. An exemplary method comprises disposing a mobile robot assembly proximate to a fuselage of an aircraft that is being assembled, aligning a left ranging sensor of the assembly with a left target, and aligning a right ranging sensor of the assembly with a right target. The method also includes directing the assembly to traverse to a location within the aircraft fuselage at which a robot on the assembly will perform work upon the fuselage, determining a left distance between the left ranging sensor and the left target while the assembly is moving, determining a right distance between the right ranging sensor and the right target while the assembly is moving, detecting a difference between the determined distances, and adjusting a direction of motion of the assembly based on the difference.

Abstract: Work cell and factory level automation require that an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) achieve demanding positional accuracy and repeatability relative to a cradle fixture or workstand within a work cell. The AGV makes distance measurements of objects within the work cell using laser scanner sensors. The distance measurements are filtered of objects that are not target features on the cradle fixture or workstand. Systematic or bias errors of the laser scanner sensor are removed from the filtered distance measurements, and a mathematical filter or estimator is applied to the filtered distance measurements using random errors of the laser scanner sensor to generate estimated distance measurements. A map of the target features is then constructed using the estimated distance measurements, wherein the map is used for path planning and navigation control of the AGV relative to the cradle fixture or workstand within the work cell.