Automatically guided tools
A position correcting system, method and tool for guiding a tool during its use based on its location relative to the material being worked on. Provided is a system and tool which uses its auto correcting technology to precisely rout or cut material. The invention provides a camera which is used to track the visual features of the surface of the material being cut to build a map and locate an image on that map used to reference the location of the tool for auto-correction of the cutting path.
1. A system for positioning a working member of a tool, the system comprising:
a stage;
a skid pad proximate to the stage to facilitate moving the stage;
at least one motor adapted to move the stage;
at least one motor controller that controls the at least one motor;
a processor in combination with one or more software applications for processing data and providing information to the at least one motor controller;
a first sensor configured to capture first information of a surface of a material to build a map of the surface, the first information comprising an image of the surface;
a second sensor communicatively coupled with the processor, the second sensor configured to capture second information of the surface used to determine at least one of a location of the working member and an orientation of the working member relative to the surface,
wherein the processor is configured to:
build the map of the surface using the first information captured by the first sensor;
receive, via a computing device, a design corresponding to the map of the surface built using the first information, the processor further configured to display the design overlaid on the map via a display screen;
receive, via the second sensor, the second information of the surface;
determine, based on the second information of the surface and based on the map, at least one of the location of the working member and the orientation of the working member relative to the surface, the processor further configured to display the location of the working member overlaid on the map via the display screen;
determine, based on the design registered on the map and at least one of the location and the orientation, a desired location for the working member;
provide motor control information to control the at least one motor to move the stage and the working member to the desired location while the tool is advanced in a first direction that is within a selected range substantially adjacent to an outline of the design; and
automatically realign the tool to a boundary edge of the design in a second direction as the tool is advanced in the first direction.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the location of the working member based upon a location of the second sensor.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the location of the tool based upon a location of the second sensor.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool is one of: a router, a drill, a nail gun, a jigsaw, a scroll saw, and a printer.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the working member is one of: a cutting bit, a saw blade, a drill bit, a hammer, and a printer head.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the display screen, wherein the processor is further configured to indicate, via the display screen, the location of the working member relative to at least a portion of the surface.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
display, via the display screen, the design relative to the at least the portion of the surface and the location of the working member.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine based on the design and the map, an intended path for the working member.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the motor control information moves the working member to a point on the intended path.
10. The tool of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor is a camera.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
stitch first information together to build the map of the surface.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
analyze, based on the second information, at least one of a characteristic of the surface of the material and a marker on the surface of the material to determine at least one of the location of the working member and the orientation of the working member relative to the surface.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of wood grains and deformations of the surface of the material.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the marker comprises at least one of a sticker, ink, invisible ink, projected features, pencil marking, and marker marking.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, IR range finder, and laser.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor is a same sensor.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.
18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base having a bottom plate to enclose the stage and skid pad.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stage further comprises:
an attachment point to attach the tool to the stage.
20. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base having a bottom plate to enclose the stage and skid pad; and
the stage further comprises an attachment point to attach the tool to the stage.