Apparatus and methods for robotically servicing a vehicle wheel

1. A robot tool comprising a gripping system having an array of at least three gripping units spaced about and defining a system operational axis,

a first drive sub-system operable to angularly reorientate the array so as to angularly reorientate the operational axis and to translationally move the array so as to translationally move the operational axis,

a second drive sub-system for driving the gripping units in a direction parallel to the operational axis,

a third drive sub-system for driving the gripping units in directions perpendicular to the operational axis,

a first array of sensors spaced about the operational axis for sensing, along respective axes parallel to the operational axis, the positions of respective sidewall surface parts of a wheel located adjacent the robot tool,

a second array of sensors spaced about the operational axis for sensing the position of respective tread surface parts of the wheel along respective directions perpendicularly to the operational axis,

a control having inputs from the sensors of the first and second arrays and outputs responsive to the inputs to effect operation of the drive sub-systems to

align the operational axis with a rotational axis of the wheel,

move the gripping units parallel to the operational axis to positions adjacent the wheel tread surface, and

to move the gripping units perpendicularly to the operational axis to contact and grip the wheel tread surface.

2. The robot tool claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a sensor pad connected to a respective one of the sensors for transmitting an input to the sensor indicating a contact made between the sensor pad and the wheel, while absorbing dynamic impact from the wheel.

3. The robot tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the chassis has a plurality of rollers for supporting the robot tool on a support surface, and the first drive sub-system has independent drives to the rollers to effect movement of the chassis on the support surface such as to alter the orientation of the operational axis in a first direction.

4. The robot tool claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a support body above and connected to the chassis by a linkage, the support body supporting the gripping system, and a drive for adjusting the linkage to alter height of the support body above the chassis, thereby to alter the location of the operational axis.

5. The robot tool claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a support body above and connected to the chassis by a linkage, the support body supporting the gripping system, and a drive for adjusting the linkage to the support body thereby to alter the orientation of the operational axis in a second direction different from the first direction.

6. The robot tool as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the independent drives to the rollers are operable to implement any combination of rectilinear motion, curvilinear motion and spin of the chassis on the support surface.

7. The robot tool claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a wheel inspection sub-system co-mounted with one of the gripping units.

8. The robot tool as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a tire pressure measuring and regulating sub-system co-mounted with the wheel gripping system and having an operational axis coincident with the operational axis of the wheel gripping system.

9. The robot tool as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a wheel balancing sub-system co-mounted with the wheel gripping system and having an operational axis coincident with the operational axis of the wheel gripping system.

10. The robot tool claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a fastener attachment and detachment sub-system for applying and releasing fasteners to a supporting member of the wheel to clamp and unclamp a wheel to and from the supporting member, the fastener attachment and detachment sub-system co-mounted with the wheel gripping system and having an operational axis coincident with the operational axis of the wheel gripping system.

11. The robot tool claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a jacking sub-system mounted to the chassis for raising a part of a vehicle to enable removal or mounting of a wheel to be serviced.

12. The robot tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of gripping units has at least one camera co-mounted therewith for inspecting a part of the gripped wheel as the gripped wheel is rotated about the operational axis, said part being at least one of the outer sidewall of the gripped wheel, the tread surface of the gripped wheel, and an exterior side of a rim of the gripped wheel.

13. The robot tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the gripping units has an articulating arm co-mounted therewith and a camera co-mounted on the articulated arm manipulable into a position to inspect an inner side of the gripped wheel as the gripped wheel is rotated about the operational axis.

14. The robot tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the gripping units has at least one roller rotatable on a respective shaft, the third drive sub-system operable to bring the roller to bear against the tread surface.

15. The robot tool claimed in claim 14 , further comprising a roller drive to rotate at least one of the rollers about its axis, thereby to rotate the gripped wheel in counter-rotation about the operational axis.

16. The robot tool claimed in claim 14 , wherein said at least one of the gripping units has first and second rollers mounted with respective axes of rotation thereof within a common plane containing the operational axis, and wherein the third drive sub-system is operable to bring the rollers to bear against the wheel tread surface at respective regions of the wheel tread surface which are intersected by said plane and are adjacent to one another.

17. The robot tool as claimed in claim 16 , wherein one of the sensors of the second array is mounted between the first and second rollers.