Advanced Controller Software
A feature of the SwRI robot depaint system is the creation of aircraft zones and their implementation with respect to robot arbitration, collision avoidance, and path file mirroring. Robot zone arbitration consists of new proprietary code, which prevents robot collisions by coordinating robot access to aircraft zones that may be entered by only one robot at a time. The arbitration routine resides on the cell controller, and arbitration data and permissions are passed through the network interface. These zones are the areas above and below the centerline of the aircraft and the empennage, around which all three robots operate.
The robots are programmed to begin and end motion in a safe zone and they are also programmed to avoid conflicts. For example, the left and right robots don't both begin operation on top of the fuselage behind the canopy, as this would create a conflict. Despite the best planning, however, some conflicts are expected during normal operation. The purpose of zone arbitration is to prevent robot damage, so that operations can continue. Aircraft depaint experience dictates that the rate of paint removal varies with a variety of factors. As a robot encounters thick paint and primer on the leading edges, for example, the strip rate decreases. Thick paint is also encountered on the forward port fuselage. In this scenario, the other robots operating at higher depaint rates may overcome the slow robot and create a conflict.
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The F-15 aircraft is segmented into zones, as shown above. These zones are assigned unique numbers that identify top from bottom, left from right, and nose from tail. This information allows the robots to uniquely identify their position with respect to the other robots, thereby, avoiding collisions. |
