Abstract: An assembly system and a part holding assembly are configured to locate and secure a part defining holes. The part holding assembly further includes a first clamping device movable along a first track for positioning the first clamping device relative to the part. The first clamping device is configured to engage the part to secure the part to the first clamping device. The part holding assembly also includes a first pin device movable along a second track for positioning the first pin device relative to the location of one of the holes of the part. The first pin is configured to be disposed through the one of the holes of the part when in a closed position for locating the part. The first pin is configured to expand in the one of the holes when in an open position for securing the part to the first pin device.

Abstract: A tooling pivot is configured to pivot and to hold a tool in a plurality of operating positions. The tooling pivot includes a bracket, a tooling plate, a motor, a brake, and a controller. The tooling plate is connected to the bracket, connectable to the tool, and rotatable. The motor is connected to the bracket and to the tooling plate and is configured to rotate the tooling plate to an operating position. The brake is connected to the bracket and is configured to hold the tooling plate in the operating position. The controller is connected to the motor and to the brake and is configured to control the motion and position of the tooling plate and to control the holding of the tooling plate. The brake is configured to release the tooling plate when the motor rotates the tooling plate to the operating position.

Abstract: An expanding locating and clamping pin assembly configured to locate and clamp a part includes a housing, a locating pin, an actuating mechanism, and a controller. The housing is configured with a plurality of radial jaw guides and a part rest face. The locating pin has a plurality of jaws radially movable in the radial jaw guides, extending past the part rest face, and configured with a part clamping feature. The actuating mechanism is connected to the housing and the jaws and is configured to synchronously move the jaws to a radial position and to apply the clamping force. The controller controls the radial position of the jaws and the clamping force. The part rest face and the jaws of the locating pin are configured to receive the part in a located position and to clamp the part in the located position via the clamping force.

Abstract: An expanding locating pin assembly configured to locate and hold a part includes a housing, a locating pin, an actuating mechanism, and a controller. The housing is configured with a plurality of radial jaw guides and a part rest face. The locating pin has a plurality of jaws connected to and radially movable in the radial jaw guides and extending past the part rest face. The actuating mechanism synchronously moves the jaws to a radial position and applies a holding force to the part. The controller controls the radial position and the holding force of the jaws. The part rest face of the housing and the jaws of the locating pin are configured to receive the part in a located position. The jaws of the locating pin are configured to hold the part in the located position via the holding force and a friction force resulting from the holding force.

Abstract: An assembly system and a part holding assembly are configured to locate and secure a part defining a plurality of holes. The assembly includes a frame having a track. The assembly includes a first device and a second device each supported by the frame. One of the devices is movable along the track for positioning the devices relative to each other and relative to the location of the holes of the part. The first device includes a first pin and the second device includes a second pin. Each of the pins is movable between a closed position and an open position. The pins are configured to be disposed through respective holes of the part when in the closed position for locating the part. The pins are configured to expand in the respective holes when in the open position for securing the part to the devices.

Abstract: A tooling pivot is configured to pivot and to hold a tool in a plurality of operating positions. The tooling pivot includes a bracket, a tooling plate, a motor, a brake, and a controller. The tooling plate is connected to the bracket, connectable to the tool, and rotatable. The motor is connected to the bracket and to the tooling plate and is configured to rotate the tooling plate to an operating position. The brake is connected to the bracket and is configured to hold the tooling plate in the operating position. The controller is connected to the motor and to the brake and is configured to control the motion and position of the tooling plate and to control the holding of the tooling plate. The brake is configured to release the tooling plate when the motor rotates the tooling plate to the operating position.

Abstract: An expanding locating and clamping pin assembly configured to locate and clamp a part includes a housing, a locating pin, an actuating mechanism, and a controller. The housing is configured with a plurality of radial jaw guides and a part rest face. The locating pin has a plurality of jaws radially movable in the radial jaw guides, extending past the part rest face, and configured with a part clamping feature. The actuating mechanism is connected to the housing and the jaws and is configured to synchronously move the jaws to a radial position and to apply the clamping force. The controller controls the radial position of the jaws and the clamping force. The part rest face and the jaws of the locating pin are configured to receive the part in a located position and to clamp the part in the located position via the clamping force.

Abstract: An assembly system and a part holding assembly are configured to locate and secure a part defining holes. The part holding assembly further includes a first clamping device movable along a first track for positioning the first clamping device relative to the part. The first clamping device is configured to engage the part to secure the part to the first clamping device. The part holding assembly also includes a first pin device movable along a second track for positioning the first pin device relative to the location of one of the holes of the part. The first pin is configured to be disposed through the one of the holes of the part when in a closed position for locating the part. The first pin is configured to expand in the one of the holes when in an open position for securing the part to the first pin device.

Abstract: An assembly system and a part holding assembly are configured to locate and secure a part defining a plurality of holes. The assembly includes a frame having a track. The assembly includes a first device and a second device each supported by the frame. One of the devices is movable along the track for positioning the devices relative to each other and relative to the location of the holes of the part. The first device includes a first pin and the second device includes a second pin. Each of the pins is movable between a closed position and an open position. The pins are configured to be disposed through respective holes of the part when in the closed position for locating the part. The pins are configured to expand in the respective holes when in the open position for securing the part to the devices.

Abstract: An expanding locating pin assembly configured to locate and hold a part includes a housing, a locating pin, an actuating mechanism, and a controller. The housing is configured with a plurality of radial jaw guides and a part rest face. The locating pin has a plurality of jaws connected to and radially movable in the radial jaw guides and extending past the part rest face. The actuating mechanism synchronously moves the jaws to a radial position and applies a holding force to the part. The controller controls the radial position and the holding force of the jaws. The part rest face of the housing and the jaws of the locating pin are configured to receive the part in a located position. The jaws of the locating pin are configured to hold the part in the located position via the holding force and a friction force resulting from the holding force.

Abstract: Method for identifying objects within a three-dimensional point cloud data set. The method includes a fractal analysis (108) on a data set where the data set is comprised of data points (404) having positions distributed in three-dimensions. The fractal analysis facilitates identification of one or more object classes. The object class specifies a category of physical object. A phase congruency analysis (112) is then performed on the data set based on the object class identified by the fractal analysis. The phase congruency analysis is advantageously performed on an interpolated, noise reduced version of the data set (which can be obtained prior to performing the phase congruency analysis). Upon completion of the phase congruency analysis, a further object identifying step is performed based on the phase congruency analysis.

Abstract: An environmental condition detecting system may include an image processor cooperating with a database for generating a reference geospatial image corresponding to the collected geospatial image, a change detector cooperating with the image processor for detecting a change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image, and an environmental condition detector. The environmental condition detector may cooperate with the change detector for detecting the at least one environmental condition associated with the collected geospatial image based upon the change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image. The at least one environmental condition may include at least one weather condition, such as, for example, at least one of image obscuration and surface reflectivity. The at least one environmental condition may additionally or alternatively include at least one of a time of day and a time of year.

Abstract: The video summarization system and method supports a moving sensor or multiple sensors by mapping imagery back to a common ortho-rectified geometry. The video summarization system includes at least one video sensor to acquire video data, of at least one area of interest (AOI), including video frames having a plurality of different perspectives. The video sensor may be a moving sensor or a plurality of sensors to acquire video data, of the at least one AOI, from respective different perspectives. A memory stores the video data, and a processor is configured to cooperate with the memory to register video frames from the AOI, ortho-rectify registered video frames based upon a common geometry, identify events within the ortho-rectified registered video frames, and generate a video summary of selected events shifted in time within a selected AOI based upon identified events within the ortho-rectified registered video frames.

Abstract: An accuracy enhancing system may include an image processor cooperating with a database for generating a reference geospatial image corresponding to the collected geospatial image, a change detector cooperating with the image processor for detecting a change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image, and an accuracy enhancer. The accuracy enhancer may cooperate with the change detector for generating at least one enhanced accuracy value corresponding to the at least one geospatial collection value based upon the change detected between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image. The airborne platform may traverse an actual flight path based upon a planned flight path, and the image processor may generate the reference geospatial image based upon a desired match with the collected geospatial image.

Abstract: An image change detecting system may include an image processor cooperating with the database for generating a reference geospatial image corresponding to the collected geospatial image, an image enhancer for enhancing at least one of the reference geospatial image and the collected geospatial image based upon at least one environmental condition, and a change detector cooperating with the image processor and the image enhancer. The change detector may detect a change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image with at least one thereof enhanced by the image enhancer based upon the at least one environmental condition. The environmental condition may include a weather condition, a time of day, or a time of year. The environmental condition may be typically associated with the collected geospatial image.

Abstract: An image change detecting system may include an image processor cooperating with a geospatial scene model database for generating a reference geospatial image corresponding to the collected geospatial image, and a change detector cooperating with the image processor for detecting a change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image. The geospatial scene model database may include 3D scene model data, and the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image may each include respective 2D image data. The collected geospatial image may have at least one geospatial collection value associated therewith, and the image processor may generate the reference geospatial image based upon synthetically positioning a virtual geospatial image sensor within a geospatial scene model based upon the at least one geospatial collection value.

Abstract: An image change detecting system may include an image processor cooperating with a geospatial scene model database for generating a reference geospatial image corresponding to the collected geospatial image, and a change detector cooperating with the image processor for detecting a change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image. The geospatial scene model database may include 3D scene model data, and the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image may each include respective 2D image data. The collected geospatial image may have at least one geospatial collection value associated therewith, and the image processor may generate the reference geospatial image based upon synthetically positioning a virtual geospatial image sensor within a geospatial scene model based upon the at least one geospatial collection value.

Abstract: An image change detecting system may include an image processor cooperating with the database for generating a reference geospatial image corresponding to the collected geospatial image, an image enhancer for enhancing at least one of the reference geospatial image and the collected geospatial image based upon at least one environmental condition, and a change detector cooperating with the image processor and the image enhancer. The change detector may detect a change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image with at least one thereof enhanced by the image enhancer based upon the at least one environmental condition. The environmental condition may include a weather condition, a time of day, or a time of year. The environmental condition may be typically associated with the collected geospatial image.

Abstract: An environmental condition detecting system may include an image processor cooperating with a database for generating a reference geospatial image corresponding to the collected geospatial image, a change detector cooperating with the image processor for detecting a change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image, and an environmental condition detector. The environmental condition detector may cooperate with the change detector for detecting the at least one environmental condition associated with the collected geospatial image based upon the change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image. The at least one environmental condition may include at least one weather condition, such as, for example, at least one of image obscuration and surface reflectivity. The at least one environmental condition may additionally or alternatively include at least one of a time of day and a time of year.

Abstract: An accuracy enhancing system may include an image processor cooperating with a database for generating a reference geospatial image corresponding to the collected geospatial image, a change detector cooperating with the image processor for detecting a change between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image, and an accuracy enhancer. The accuracy enhancer may cooperate with the change detector for generating at least one enhanced accuracy value corresponding to the at least one geospatial collection value based upon the change detected between the collected geospatial image and the reference geospatial image. The airborne platform may traverse an actual flight path based upon a planned flight path, and the image processor may generate the reference geospatial image based upon a desired match with the collected geospatial image.