HK40003701B - Method for treating a surface and corresponding automated device - Google Patents

Description

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to a surface treatment process and a corresponding automaton. In particular, the present invention relates to a surface painting process by an assisting automaton.

There are already robots for surface treatment, for example painting or sanding. Such robots are used in the automotive sector, for example, to paint the bodies of vehicles. These robots are autonomous and are programmed to perform a series of operations without the control of an operator: they then replace one or more people by performing the tasks programmed in advance in the robot's control computer.

However, these painter robots, like other robots used on assembly lines, are stationary on the ground and only the arm holding the tool is mobile: their range of action is therefore geographically limited.

There are also robots in the building. Such robots are used in particular to work in places that are difficult for people to access or even prohibited. This is the case, for example, where the surface to be treated has high ceilings or is located in an area with a radiation risk. An example of a robot that can operate in such conditions is described in particular in application FR 2 902 038.

The robot is then directly controlled by an operator, to process the surface in its place and under its control. Thus, such robots are not autonomous, and require to be continuously controlled by an operator: the use of such a robot then facilitates the operator's task, but always requires its presence, whether next to or away from the robot. The robot then does not replace the operator who has to perform the operation, but rather acts as a tool that remains under the operator's control and does not act alone.

In particular, the robot can only process a given surface by the instructions given by the operator when processing the said surface, in order to adapt the actions performed by the robot in real time. A robot according to the previous art is disclosed in document EP2090506A1.

Subject matter and summary of the invention

The present invention is intended to solve the various technical problems described above. In particular, the present invention is intended to propose a process for processing a surface by an automaton and the corresponding automaton, enabling the automaton to process the surface autonomously and efficiently. Furthermore, the present invention is also intended to propose a process for processing a surface, enabling an automaton to operate alone and with people around it.

For example, one approach is to treat a surface by means of an automaton with: a platform configured to move on a floor,a platform mounted on the platform and configured to move at least partly perpendicular to the platform, e.g. vertically, and a processing device, e.g. an arm, mounted on the platform and having a movable end configured to process a given surface area, - What? process in which: (b) the surface of each subdivision is treated by moving the treatment medium, etc. (c) the subdivision is changed by moving, e.g. vertical translation, the platform and/or the ground base.

The process allows the surface to be treated to be planned in adjacent subdivisions. In particular, the process takes into account the structure of the machine performing the surface treatment, to subdivide the surface to be treated. Thus, the machine with a base moving on the ground, that is, significantly horizontally, and a platform moving perpendicular to the base, that is, significantly vertically, the process provides for a cutting of the surface to be treated into contiguous subdivisions. The intersections between adjacent subdivisions may be vertical or horizontal, that is, the passage from one subdivision to another is done, respectively, horizontally or by vertical movement of the subdivision through the platform.

In particular, the machine processes the surface to be processed in portions and moves from subdivision to subdivision: this makes it easy, especially for people working near the machine, to anticipate its movements and therefore to act accordingly: for example, by avoiding processing a surface close to the subdivision to be processed by the machine. The machine can then work in collaboration with the people working around it: the machine performs the repetitive and technical tasks, while the professionals perform the more specific tasks.

This results in an automaton that can work autonomously without the need for continuous human supervision, thus reducing the time the operator has to work on the automaton, since the operator can in turn perform surface treatment at the same time as the automaton, for example by performing work requiring special technical or know-how such as the treatment of specific surfaces such as the contour of wall sockets, the back of pipes, stairs, etc.

Preferably, the moving end of the treatment medium is configured to treat the surface of each subdivision by moving parallel to the surface of the subdivision to be treated, for example in a vertical plane. The moving end of the treatment medium performs the role of a person's hand performing the surface treatment. In the case of a projection treatment (paint or coating), this end is configured either to remain at a uniform distance from the surface to be treated, so that the treatment carried out by the moving end is uniform over the entire surface of the subdivision, or to change the configuration of the subdivision to be treated, in order to adapt the treatment to varying conditions. In the case of a treatment, for example, bridging or painting with a buffer or a brush, this force is always applied uniformly over the surface to be treated, so that the distance to the surface is constantly varied, or to change the processing surface to be treated.

Preferably, the process also includes, between steps a) and b), a step a') in which a chronological order of processing of the subdivisions is determined. A step of determining the order of processing of the subdivisions allows to optimize the movements of the machine and therefore the duration of the surface treatment.

Preferably during step b) the platform and the base remain stationary and/or during step c) the processing medium remains stationary. The movements of the automaton are deliberately programmed to be carried out separately from each other, i.e. either the platform and/or the base move or the processing medium but not both at the same time. It then becomes easier for people who can work around the automaton to predict and anticipate its movements, in order to act accordingly.

Preferably in step (b) the treatment medium is moved in a vertical and/or horizontal direction and/or is oriented by rotation at least along an axis parallel to the surface to be treated during surface treatment.

Preferably, at least one of the subdivisions of the surface to be treated includes a peripheral contour delimiting an inner surface, and in step (b) the treatment medium is moved so as to treat first the peripheral contour and then the inner surface of the subdivision.

Preferably during step (b) the position of the treatment medium in relation to the surface to be treated is determined and controlled. The control process of the machine may thus include the control and management of various sensors to verify that the machine has carried out the surface treatment correctly.

Preferably, the treatment of a surface to be treated is painting of the surface to be treated, sanding of the surface to be treated and/or spraying of coating on the surface to be treated.

Preferably, the surface to be treated is an interior surface of a building. In particular, the surface to be treated may be an interior surface of a house, apartment building or office building. The treatment process here concerns surfaces normally treated by operators, as involving restrictions on access (reduced size to pass through doors or stairs of the building, maximum weight limited by the structure of the building), surface (the interior surfaces of a building are generally smaller and more accessible to operators than the exterior surfaces) and power supply (no local electrical installation in a building) which normally lead to operators relying on automated surface treatment rather than construction.

Preferably, the surface to be treated may also be an external surface of a building, such as a building façade, terrace or balcony.

In particular, surface treatment may be an industrial and automated process. In this case, the process may involve a search and/or identification step for each new surface to be treated, before the processing steps. Thus, the automaton may be configured to identify a new surface to be treated on a production line in which the surfaces to be treated are translated in front of the automaton, or it may be configured to move, in a static production line, from one surface to another. The surfaces to be treated may be: either all identical, or of a shape known to the automaton and identifiable in a database of surface treatments, or of any shape but whose characteristics (contours) are particularly identifiable by the automaton.

Preferably, the surface to be treated includes one or more walls, one or more facades, one or more ceilings and/or one or more floors.

In another respect, the invention also concerns an automaton for the treatment of a surface to be treated, comprising: a platform configured to move on a floor,a platform mounted on the platform and configured to move at least partly perpendicular to the platform, e.g. vertically, and a processing device, e.g. an arm, mounted on the platform and having a movable end configured to process a given surface.

In particular, the automatic control unit shall also have an electronic control unit configured to: (a) divide the area to be treated into subdivisions of area less than or equal to the area given, (b) treat the surface of each subdivision by moving the treatment medium, etc.

The automaton is configured to pass through the openings, especially the doors, of a building, such as a house, apartment building or office building. For example, the automaton may have a height of 2.5 meters or less, preferably less than or equal to 2 meters. The automaton may also have a width of 2 meters or less, preferably less than or equal to 1 meter. The automaton may also have a length of 4 meters or less, preferably less than or equal to 2 meters.

Moreover, such size and weight characteristics also allow the machine to be used in a wide variety of environments, while remaining operational, notably thanks to its handling due to its small footprint.

Preferably, the automatic is configured to move outdoors, for example on public roads such as sidewalks.

Alternatively, the automaton can be configured to move in an industrial environment, such as a manufacturing line.

Preferably, the machine also has one or more location sensors in space and relative to the surface to be treated, for example ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors, flight time sensors, video systems or sensors with markers delimiting at least part of the surface to be treated.

The automaton may thus include an optical locating system, for example one or more cameras, such as stereoscopically positioned cameras, allowing the automaton to position itself in its environment in three dimensions, thus ensuring the precision of the movements and operations performed by the automaton.

The automaton is configured to detect the presence of such persons and act accordingly so as not to injure or disturb them. The automaton then becomes collaborative, since it can come to support people in their work, by performing its own work nearby. - What? Preferably, the automaton also includes an interface configured to allow an operator to enter instructions and/or display information relating to the operation of the automaton. Such an interface allows the automaton to be controlled and given instructions. In particular, as the automaton is autonomous, instructions are given to it first, before leaving it alone to perform the programmed tasks.

Preferably, one of the inner surfaces of the workpiece is the surface to be treated.

Preferably, the automaton is configured to move around the room.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention and its advantages will be better understood by reading the detailed description of a particular method of production, taken as a non-limiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings on which: Figure 1 is a schematic view from the perspective of an automaton according to the present invention,Figure 2 is an example of subdivision of a surface to be treated by the process according to the invention, andFigure 3 is an organization chart of an example of how to implement the process of treatment of a surface according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

Figure 1 shows a schematic view from the perspective of an automaton for processing a surface according to the present invention. Automaton 1 thus comprises a base 2 for moving the automaton on the ground, and comprising: means of movement, in this case 4 wheels advantageously configured so as not to damage the ground, for example by being formed or coated by a flexible material such as an elastic material, and a means of driving the wheels, for example an engine (not shown). Base 2 is a chassis for automaton 1 and supports all the elements of automaton 1 described below.

The automaton 1 also has a platform 6. Platform 6 is mounted on platform 2, e.g. via two rails 8 mounted significantly perpendicular to platform 2. Platform 6 is configured to move along the rails 8, i.e. significantly perpendicular to platform 2, by means of a drive (not represented), e.g. a motor.

The automaton 1 also comprises a processing device, in this case an arm 10. The arm 10 is mounted on platform 6 and comprises on the one hand a processing end 12 at which the surface treatment tool 14 is mounted, in this case a paint-spray nozzle 14, and on the other hand one or more joints 16 connecting one or more portions of arms 18. The joints 16 allow the processing tool 14 to be moved and oriented as desired over the whole surface of a given surface. The surface depends in particular on the length of the portions of arms 18 and the width of the joints 16. Moreover, the arm 10 also allows the processing tool 14 to be moved parallel to the surface in order to obtain a uniform processing result.

Finally, the control unit 1 has a control unit 20. The control unit 20 can be mounted on the base 2 of the control unit 1, or be located remotely (off-site), or be partly mounted on the base 2 and partly off-site. The control unit 20 may include a screen. The control unit 20 allows the control of the various means of the control unit 1, including the means of driving the base 2, platform 6 and arm 10. The controls are determined by the control unit 20 based on the instructions and data communicated to it.

In particular, the electronic control unit 20 is configured to plan the treatment of the surface to be treated, taking into account the structure of the machine 1, and to facilitate the work of individuals in the vicinity of the machine 1.

Thus, the control unit 20 is configured to first divide the surface to be processed into subdivisions of area less than or equal to the given area. That is, the surface to be processed is subdivided into portions that can be processed individually only by moving the arm, platform 6 and base 2 remaining stationary. Then the control unit is configured to process the surface of each subdivision by controlling the movement of the arm 10. When the subdivision is processed, the electronic control unit 20 then commands to change subdivision by moving platform 6 vertically, and/or moving base 2 to the ground.

Automatic 1 therefore works by subdivision, or cell, each subdivision corresponding to the surface that can be processed by the single movement of the arm 10 of Automatic 1.

Figure 2 shows an example of work planning to be performed to process the entire surface to be treated 22. More specifically, although the surface to be treated 22 is not a regular surface, it is considered by the electronic processing unit 20 as a set of subdivisions 24 whose surfaces are not equal to each other, due to the irregularity of the surface to be treated 22.

The subdivisions 24 are obtained by cutting the surface 22 to be treated according to a regular grid whose lines correspond to the movements of platform 6 and platform 2, in this case the vertical and horizontal lines.

Once the cutting of the surface to be processed 22 has been completed by the control unit 20, it can then command the automaton 1 to process the various subdivisions 24 successively. Preferably, all subdivisions 24 corresponding to the same position of the base 2, i.e. requiring only the movement of arm 10 and platform 6, are processed successively. Then the base 2 is moved to another position to process all the corresponding subdivisions 24 successively, and so on. This limits the movements of the floor of the automaton 1 which favors the work of the automaton 1 with individuals nearby.

Within each subdivision 24, the treatment applied by the machine 1 can also be planned, in particular to give a rendering close to that provided by a professional. For example, in the case of a painting treatment, the control unit 20 can be configured to control the treatment first of an edge or contour of the surface to be treated 22 . such treatment applies only when the subdivision in question is positioned at the edge of the surface to be treated 22 and is not relevant if the subdivision in question is entirely surrounded by other subdivisions 24.

Once the contour has been established, the control unit 20 can then control arm 10 to process the remainder of the area of subdivision 24, i.e. the inside of subdivision 24. For this work, the control unit 20 can in particular provide for a movement of arm 10 along a horizontal or vertical grid, i.e. to process the inside of subdivision 24 following certain contour lines of said subdivision 24 (horizontal or vertical contours).

Similarly, when the subdivision 24 has a particular element, such as a switch or an electrical outlet, the same technique may be used: the control unit 20 may be configured to perform the treatment along the contour of the particular element, before performing the treatment between the particular element and the contour of the subdivision 24.

When all subdivisions 24 are processed, the automaton 1 may then stop. It should be noted that in the example described above, the surface to be processed 22 is a single surface. However, the work of the automaton 1 of the invention does not stop at such surfaces, but may process a surface to be processed with several distinct and separate parts and each other. In this case, each part of the surface to be processed is worked as previously shown, i.e. is specifically divided into subdivisions which are worked successively. When one part is finished, the control unit 20 commands the base 2 and/or platform 6 to move to another unprocessed part of the surface.

Such a shift may in practice be effected by assigning to each separate part of the surface to be treated a specific work bench used by machine 1 for the processing of that separate part of the surface and by placing the different specific work benchs in a single overall bench between them in order to allow machine 1 to move from a separate part of the surface to be treated to another separate part of the surface to be treated. For example, the different parts of the surface to be treated may be two walls of a part, for example two adjacent walls but at an angle to each other, or two parallel walls facing each other. In both cases, machine 1 is obliged to re-train in relation to the surface before moving to another part of the surface, for example when they are facing one part of the surface.

The control unit 20 can also allow an operator to specify the tasks to be performed and their parameters, as well as to take note of the various status messages or alerts detected by the control unit 20. Thus, the control unit 20 can allow the operator to specify processing parameters, for example sanding (speed, effort, ...), or painting (number of layers to be applied, type of paint, amount of paint, pattern, interlacing of layers, covering of two adjacent passes, ...); the different areas of the surface to be treated, in particular when the processing parameters must not be uniform on the surface to be treated, but must change according to any given data.

The control unit 20 may also be used to define the surface to be treated, and in particular to position it in space so that the automaton 1 can identify and delimit it.

In order to allow the automaton 1 to locate and move in space to process the different surfaces, the automaton 1 may include sensors. The sensors may be of different technologies, depending on the amplitude and/or precision of the distances involved. Thus, the automaton 1 may include two distance sensors, e.g. ultrasonic, mounted in the processing plane of the arm 10 and allowing to determine the distance between the surface to be processed and the automaton 1 and the angle between the axis of the automaton 1 and the surface to be processed.

Alternatively, where the treatment requires contact with the surface to be treated, e.g. sanding, the determination of the distance to the surface to be treated, and possibly the angle between the axis of the machine 1 and the surface to be treated, may be directly assessed by the treatment tool, from internal resistance sensors used to control the force applied to the surface to be treated.

The automaton 1 may also include flight time sensors, e.g. lasers, to control the position of the automaton 1 in its environment. To this end, beacons may also be positioned at different locations identified by the automaton 1 to ensure that it is well in front of the portion of surface to be treated. Such sensors also ensure that the movements of the base 2 are parallel to the surface to be treated, so that the junctions between the different subdivisions 24 coincide.

Alternatively, in addition to or instead of sensors, one or more cameras may be provided to enable the machine 1 to position itself in its environment in three dimensions. For example, two cameras positioned stereoscopically may enable the control unit 20 to position itself in space by determining the distance and angle between the machine 1 and the surfaces to be treated or the surfaces delimiting its movement environment. This may also enable the machine 1 to move from one part of the surface to be treated to another, when these are separate and separated from each other, as described above.

In any case, a preliminary step of identification of the surface to be treated in the environment detectable by the machine 1 and a calibration of the initial position of the machine 1 in its environment may be necessary for the implementation of the locating and positioning steps during the treatment of the surface to be treated.

Finally, Automatic 1 may also include presence sensors, to ensure that Automatic 1 can operate near individuals without hitting or injuring them. For example, Automatic 1 may include optical sensors that form a barrier between the evolution zone of Automatic 1, and more specifically the evolution zone of Platform 6 and Arm 10, and the rest of the room. Thus, if an object is detected to be intruding into the evolution zone, the control of Platform 6 and Arm 10 may be interrupted to ensure that no one is injured or injured by Automatic 1. Alternatively, the Automatic 1 may check the control unit 20 to check the different means of automatic monitoring, such as the movement of the arm 1, or the movement of the arm 2, to ensure that the control unit 20 is not in danger of being injured. In this case, the control unit 1 may be reversed to check the control unit 20 for different reasons, such as to prevent the control unit 1 from moving, or the control unit 1 may be disrupted, so that the control unit 1 may be in the middle of the room.

Figure 3 shows an organization chart of an example of process 26 for processing a surface to be treated by the machine 1 described above. Process 26 first includes a first step 28 in which the surface to be treated is divided into subdivisions of area less than or equal to the given area. Then in a second step 30 a chronological order of processing of these subdivisions is determined.

The invention makes it possible to process a surface with the help of an automaton, while allowing people to intervene near the automaton. In particular, although the automaton is autonomous, its movements are planned to limit problems with people working nearby. The automaton can therefore serve as an assistant on a construction site, in order to perform especially the most repetitive tasks and without special technical skills. It can perform a painting treatment, for example, paint projection on the surface, or sanding, for example, rotation of an abrasive on the surface to be processed, or even the application of coating, for example, projection.

Claims (14)

1. A treatment method (26) for treating a surface for treatment by means of an automaton (1) comprising:

   - a base (2) configured to move over ground;

   - a platform (6) mounted on the base and configured to move, at least in part, perpendicularly to the base (2), e.g. vertically; and

   - treatment means (10), e.g. an arm, mounted on the platform (6) and including a movable end (12) configured to treat a given area; the method being characterized in that it comprises:

   a) subdividing (28) the surface for treatment (22) into subdivisions (24) of area less than or equal to the given area, the subdivisions being obtained by splitting up the surface for treatment (22) with a regular rectangular grid with lines corresponding to movements of the platform (6) and of the base (2);

   a') determining (30) a chronological order for treating said subdivisions (24);

   b) treating (32) the surface of each subdivision (24) by controlling movements of the treatment means (10); and

   c) changing (34) subdivision (24) by moving the platform (6), e.g. in vertical translation, and/or by moving the base (2) over the ground.
2. A treatment method (26) according to claim 1, wherein the movable end (12) of the treatment means (10) is configured to treat the surface of each subdivision (24) by moving parallel to the surface of the subdivision for treatment, e.g. in a vertical plane.
3. A treatment method (26) according to any preceding claim, wherein, during step b), the platform (6) and the base (2) remain stationary, and/or wherein, during step c), the treatment means (10) remain stationary.
4. A treatment method (26) according to any preceding claim, wherein, in step b), the treatment means (10) are moved in a vertical and/or horizontal direction, and/or they are steered by turning about at least one axis parallel to the surface for treatment, while treating the surface.
5. A treatment method (26) according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the subdivisions (24) of the surface for treatment (22) has a peripheral outline defining an inside area, and wherein, in step b), the treatment means (10) are moved so as to begin by treating the peripheral outline of said subdivision (24), followed by treating its inside area.
6. A treatment method (26) according to any preceding claim, wherein, during step b), the position of the treatment means (10) relative to the surface for treatment is determined and monitored.
7. A treatment method (26) according to any preceding claim, wherein the treatment of a surface for treatment is painting said surface for treatment, sanding said surface for treatment, and/or spraying a plaster coating on said surface for treatment.
8. A treatment method (26) according to any preceding claim, wherein the surface for treatment (22) comprises one or more walls, one or more facades, one or more ceilings, and/or one or more floors.
9. A treatment method (26) according to any preceding claim, wherein the surface for treatment is an inside surface in a building, e.g. an inside surface in a house, in an apartment building, or in an office building, or indeed an outside surface of a building.
10. A treatment method (26) according to any preceding claim, performed in industrial and automated manner, in which the method also includes a step of searching for and/or identifying each new surface for treatment, prior to step a).
11. An automaton (1) for treating a surface for treatment, the automaton comprising:

    - a base (2) configured to move over ground;

    - a platform (6) mounted on the base and configured to move, at least in part, perpendicularly to the base, e.g. vertically; and

    - treatment means (10), e.g. an arm, mounted on the platform (6) and including a movable end (12) configured to treat a given area; characterized in that the automaton (1) also comprises an electronic control unit (20) configured to:

    a) subdivide the surface for treatment into subdivisions (24) of area less than or equal to the given area, the subdivisions being obtained by splitting up the surface for treatment (22) in a regular rectangular grid having lines that correspond to movements of the platform (6) and of the base (2) ;

    a') determine (30) a chronological order for treating said subdivisions (24);

    b) treat the surface of each subdivision (24) by controlling movements of the treatment means (10); and

    c) change subdivision (24) by moving the platform (6), e.g. vertically, and/or by moving the base (2) over the ground.
12. An automaton (1) according to claim 11, also including presence sensors and configured to limit, or even avoid, contacts with potential obstacles, e.g. with people.
13. An automaton (1) according to claim 11 or claim 12, including one or more cameras, e.g. two cameras that are positioned stereoscopically, enabling the automaton (1) to position itself in three dimensions in its surroundings.
14. An automaton (1) according to any one of claims 11 to 13, presenting: a height less than or equal to 2.5 m, preferably less than or equal to 2 m, a width less than or equal to 2 m, preferably less than or equal to 1 m, a length less than or equal to 4 m, preferably less than or equal to 2 m, and/or a weight less than or equal to 500 kg, preferably less than or equal to 250 kg.