Abstract: An apparatus for performing an industrial working operation on a workpiece comprises: an anthropomorphous robot comprising an end effector including a 2D laser scanner and a working tool; an RTOS computer; and a robot controller. The computer provides successive positional data along a scanning path to robot controller, and a synchronization signal directly to input port of the 2D laser scanner, thereby commanding successive scanning operations on the workpiece in synchronism with successive poses of the end effector, to acquire 3D shape information about the workpiece. The working tool is operated while the end effector is subsequently moved along a tooling path and/or is moved along a combined scanning and tooling path. An apparatus for acquiring a shape of an object arranged at a working area and methods are further disclosed.

Abstract: A welding apparatus includes a multi-axis robotic arm having a first end; a welding tool attached to the first end; an image acquisition device attached to the first end and having a light filtering system; the image acquisition device is configured to monitor a welding target and to provide an image of the welding target to an operator; a control unit is configured to control the robotic arm and the welding tool; an input interface for a human operator is associated to the control unit and is configured to provide an input signal to the control unit and to control the robotic arm and welding tool substantially in real time.

Abstract: An apparatus for painting an object, the apparatus having a painting head equipped with a spraying nozzle arranged to deliver a flow of paint on a surface. The apparatus also includes a device for moving the painting head in the space according to at least two degrees of freedom. An identification device is also provided for identifying the three-dimensional shape of the surface. A processing means is also provided to process the detected projected image and to determine the spatial coordinates of each point.

Abstract: An apparatus for painting an object, the apparatus having a painting head equipped with a spraying nozzle arranged to deliver a flow of paint on a surface. The apparatus also includes a device for moving the painting head in the space according to at least two degrees of freedom. An identification device is also provided for identifying the three-dimensional shape of the surface. A processing means is also provided to process the detected projected image and to determine the spatial coordinates of each point.