Automated wall finishing system and method

1. An automated finishing system for applying a coating to a flexible substrate of a wall assembly, the automated finishing system comprising:

a mobile base unit that includes:

a mud source configured to store coating material;

a platform,

a cart configured to move on the ground, and

a lift disposed between the platform and cart, the lift configured to raise the platform up and down;

an elongated robotic arm that extends between a base end and a distal end, the robotic arm coupled to the base unit on the platform at the base end of the robotic arm;

a coating end effector coupled at the distal end of the robotic arm, the coating end effector including:

a spray gun configured to generate a spray of coating material from a mixing nozzle of the spray gun, the spray gun coupled with a mud tube extending from the mud source via the robotic arm, the spray gun configured to receive coating material from the mud source via the mud tube to generate the spray of coating material, the mixing nozzle configured to mix the received coating material from the mud source with at least an accelerant and one or both of a tinting or pigmenting material at the mixing nozzle, the accelerant accelerating the setting time of applied coating material compared to setting time of applied coating material without the accelerant;

one or more air nozzles configured to produce an air flow curtain about a coating spray generated by a coating nozzle, the air flow curtain configured to control overspray of the coating spray, direct the coating spray, or control the size and/or shape of the coating spray;

a system configured to mount one or more environmental sensors onto a target surface, one or more environmental sensors capable of providing environmental condition data including temperature and humidity data; and

a drying source configured to apply heat and/or dry air to coating material that has been applied by the coating end effector to the target surface;

one or more vision systems;

one or more sensors;

a computing device executing a computational planner that:

obtains target surface data from the one or more vision systems and the one or more sensors, the target surface data including information regarding a configuration of a wall assembly including a plurality of flexible substrate pieces hung on the wall assembly;

obtains environmental condition data from one or more sensors disposed in the flexible substrate pieces, the environmental condition data comprising information about environmental conditions associated with plurality of flexible substrate pieces;

automatically generates, instructions for driving the coating end effector, robotic arm, and base unit to perform at least one coating task that includes:

applying a coating spray generated by the spray gun of the coating end effector to the plurality of flexible substrate pieces, the instructions based at least in part on the target surface data, a predetermined level of drywall finish, and environmental condition data;

producing the air flow curtain about the coating spray;

mounting environmental sensors capable of providing environmental data; and

applying heat and/or dry air to dry the coating material; and

automatically drives, the coating end effector, robotic arm, and base unit to perform the at least one coating task based on the generated instructions.

2. The automated finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate pieces are defined by a two-layer flexible substrate that includes:

a planar porous layer; and

a planar less-porous layer coupled to the porous layer, the porous layer facing outward from the wall assembly and having pores such that coating material applied to the flexible substrate pieces can enter the porous layer, and the less-porous layer being attached to studs of the wall assembly and impermeable to the coating material such that the coating material applied to the flexible substrate pieces does not permeate and enter the less-porous layer.

3. The automated finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the coating end effector further comprises a vacuum hood disposed around an end and the nozzle of the spray gun to capture overspray generated by the spray of coating material generated by the nozzle of the spray gun.

4. The automated finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the generating instructions for driving the coating end effector, robotic arm, and base unit to apply coating to the plurality of flexible substrate pieces, is further based on data obtained while the automated finishing system was hanging the flexible substrate pieces on the wall assembly.

5. An automated coating application system comprising:

a mobile base unit including a storage container configured to store coating material;

a robotic arm that extends between a base end and a distal end, the robotic arm coupled to the base unit at the base end of the robotic arm;

a coating end effector coupled at the distal end of the robotic arm, the coating end effector configured to:

apply coating material to a target surface via a mixing nozzle of a spray gun coupled with the storage container, the mixing nozzle configured to mix the coating material received from the storage container with at least an accelerant and one or both of a tinting or pigmenting material at the mixing nozzle, the accelerant accelerating the setting time of applied coating material compared to setting time of applied coating material without the accelerant;

provide one or more air nozzles, the one or more air nozzles producing an air flow curtain about a coating spray generated by a coating nozzle, the air flow curtain configured to control overspray of the coating spray, direct the coating spray, or control the size and/or shape of the coating spray;

mount one or more environmental sensors capable of providing environmental condition data onto the target surface; whereby the environmental sensors provide temperature and humidity data; and

provide a drying source, wherein the drying source is configured to apply heat and/or dry air to coating material that has been applied by the coating end effector to the target surface;

one or more vision systems; and

a computing device executing a computational planner that:

obtains target surface data from the one or more vision systems, the target surface data including information regarding a configuration of a wall assembly including one or more substrate pieces hung on the wall assembly;

automatically generates, instructions for driving the coating end effector, robotic arm, and base unit to perform at least one coating task that includes applying coating material, producing the air flow curtain about the coating spray, mounting environmental sensors capable of providing environmental data, and applying heat and/or dry air to dry the coating material, via the coating end effector, to the one or more substrate pieces, the instructions based at least in part on the target surface data and a predetermined level of drywall finish; and

automatically drives, the end effector, robotic arm, and base unit to perform the at least one coating task based on the generated instructions.

6. The automated coating system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more substrate pieces are defined by a two-layer substrate that includes:

a planar porous layer; and

a planar less-porous layer coupled to the porous layer, the porous layer facing outward from the wall assembly and having pores such that coating material applied to the substrate pieces can enter the porous layer.

7. The automated coating system of claim 5 , wherein the computational planner further automatically generates, instructions for driving a substrate end effector, the robotic arm, and the base unit to couple the one or more substrate piece to the wall assembly, and

wherein the substrate end effector comprises a roll of substrate material mounted within a roll body of the substrate end effector assembly, the roll of substrate material applied to the wall assembly to generate the one or more substrate pieces coupled to the wall assembly.

8. The automated coating system of claim 5 , wherein the coating end effector comprises a coating nozzle surrounded by one or more air nozzles, the one or more air nozzles generating an air flow curtain about a coating spray generated by the coating nozzle, the air flow curtain configured to control overspray of the coating spray, direct the coating spray, or control the size and/or shape of the coating spray.

9. The automated coating system of claim 5 , wherein the coating end effector further includes a guiding element configured to engage the target surface or adjacent portion of the wall assembly to guide the coating end effector in coating the target surface.

10. The automated coating system of claim 5 , wherein the generating instructions for driving the coating end effector, robotic arm, and base unit to apply coating to the one or more substrate pieces, is further based on data obtained while the automated coating system was hanging the one or more substrate pieces on the wall assembly.

11. The automated coating system of claim 5 , wherein the computational planner further automatically determines an amount of coating to apply to the one or more substrate pieces based at least in part on the target surface data and determines a coating profile for coating to be applied to the one or more substrate pieces, and wherein the computational planner further generates, the instructions for driving the coating end effector, robotic arm, and base unit to apply coating to the one or more substrate pieces based at least in part on the determined amount of coating to apply and the determined coating profile.

12. The automated coating system of claim 5 , wherein the automated coating system further comprises a mixing system for the mixing of coating material and providing the mixed coating material to the coating end effector, and

wherein the computational planner changes mixing parameters of the coating material generated by the mixing system based on environmental condition data obtained from one or more sensors of the automated coating system.

13. The automated coating system of claim 5 wherein the system uses a tool to apply or work the coating onto the substrate through contact.

14. A coating system comprising:

a robotic arm that extends between a base end and a distal end;

a coating end effector coupled at the distal end of the robotic arm, the coating end effector comprising:

a sprayer configured to apply coating material to a target surface via a mixing nozzle coupled with a mobile storage container storing coating material, the mixing nozzle configured to mix coating material received from the storage container with at least one of an accelerant, a tinting and pigmenting material at the mixing nozzle, the accelerant accelerating the setting time of applied coating material compared to setting time of applied coating material without the accelerant;

one or more air nozzles configured to produce an air flow curtain about a coating spray generated by a coating nozzle, the air flow curtain configured to control overspray of the coating spray, direct the coating spray, or control the size and/or shape of the coating spray;

a system configured to apply one or more environmental sensors capable of providing environmental condition data to the target surface; the environmental sensors configured to provide at least one of temperature and humidity data; and

a drying source configured to apply heat and/or dry air to coating material that has been applied by the coating end effector to the target surface;

a computing device executing a computational planner that:

generates instructions for driving the coating end effector and robotic arm to perform at least one coating task that includes applying coating material, via the coating end effector, to one or more substrate pieces that define the target surface, producing the air flow curtain about the coating spray, applying environmental sensors to the target surface, and applying heat and/or dry air to dry the coating material, the instructions based at least in part on obtained target surface data and a predetermined level of drywall finish; and

drives the end effector and robotic arm to perform the at least one coating task based on the generated instructions.

15. The coating system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more substrate pieces that define the target surface comprise a pre-impregnated substrate with a pre-impregnated coating material applied to the substrate before being hung on a wall assembly, the pre-impregnated coating material in the substrate converted into a rigid coating by the coating system spraying a liquid material on the substrate.

16. The coating system of claim 14 , wherein the coating material is electrostatically charged and one or more substrate pieces that define the target surface are grounded to accelerate coating particles of the coating material toward the one or more substrate pieces that define the target surface.

17. The coating system of claim 14 , wherein one or more substrate pieces that define the target surface comprise one or more sensors that measure at least one environmental condition associated with the one or more substrate pieces, the one or more sensors providing environmental condition data to the coating system during application of coating material to the one or more substrate pieces, and

wherein the computational planner further:

generates modified instructions for driving the coating end effector and robotic arm to perform the at least one coating task that includes applying coating material, via the coating end effector, to one or more substrate pieces, the generating of the modified instructions based at least in part on the environmental condition data; and

drives the end effector and robotic arm to perform the at least one coating task via the modified instructions.