Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the milling of an ablatable material and the like from substrate is disclosed. Embodiments for controlling the milling of ablatable materials and the like by pulses of high intensity radiant energy are described. The control process is accomplished by generating an electronic signal representative of the substrate surface topology through use of a structured light or other three dimensional mapping system and feeding the signal to a system control unit. By applying pre-programmed criteria regarding the final desired surface to the generated electronic signal, an electronic reference signal indicative of the dimensional coordinates of the final desired surface may be generated. An ablatable coating is then applied to a height sufficiently above the final desired surface to permit a milling off of the excess coating to produce the desired final surface topology.

Abstract: An adaptive tracking vision and guidance system for use with robot systems includes a structured light vision system and an expert system based look ahead feature tracker. The adaptive tracking vision system may be used to track a feature on which the robot is to operate and to supply guidance information in real time to the robot or to an adaptive stage on the robot arm train. The vision system may be a structured light system capable of scanning a relatively large window, and a control computer. The feature tracker includes an expert system software package and interface packages for the robot controller, host computer, vision camera and operator console. The vision system does an initial search to locate a feature based on a priori knowledge of characteristics of the feature. Then the system tracks the feature by scanning ahead, adaptively planning future scans, predicting the feature path and choosing the data to be used to reduce processing time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the removal of unwanted material from a site wherein there are present other materials utilizes pulses of high intensity radiant energy such as a laser beam. The control is accomplished by illuminating the site, with visible or invisible optical radiation, and subjecting the reflected optical radiation therefrom to spatial spectral dispersion. The spatial spectral dispersion is sensed and an electronic signal representative thereof is generated. The generated electronic signal is compared to a pre-recorded electronic signal representative of the spatial spectral dispersion of optical radiation reflected from the material to be removed before each pulse of high intensity radiant energy is applied to the surface, and the pulse is applied only upon such comparison resulting in a substantial match.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the stripping of paint and the like from a substrate is disclosed. Embodiments for controlling the stripping of paint and the like by pulses of high intensity radiant energy are described. The control is accomplished by illuminating the area of the paint and the like which is to be stripped and subjecting the light reflected therefrom to spatial spectral dispersion. The spatial spectral dispersion is sensed and an electronic signal representative thereof is generated. The generated electronic signal is compared to a pre-recorded electronic signal representative of the spatial spectral dispersion of light reflected from the paint and the like which is to be stripped before each pulse of high intensity radiant energy and the pulse is applied only upon such comparison resulting in a substantial match. Methods and means for normalization of the sensed spatial spectral dispersion and for utilizing mismatch comparisons are disclosed.