Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090202854 | SKIN SYSTEM WITH ELASTIC COMPONENTS HAVING DIFFERING HARDNESSES FOR USE WITH ROBOTICS - An artificial skin system for use with a robotic assembly such as to provide an animated robot head with realistic skin movement. The skin system includes a receiving component for contacting the manipulator mechanism of the robotic assembly and also includes an exterior skin component that extends over the receiving component. An inner surface of the exterior skin component is integrally bonded to the receiving component such that the exterior skin component moves with the receiving component when a manipulator mechanism or robotics anchored to the receiving component moves or applies a force. The exterior skin component is formed of an elastic material with a second hardness that differs from a first hardness of elastic material of the receiving component, e.g., is less than the first hardness. The skin system includes a backing component bonded to the other components with a third hardness less than the first and second hardnesses. | 08-13-2009 |
20090289391 | FABRICATING MULTI-COMPONENT SKIN SYSTEMS FOR ROBOTICS AND OTHER APPLICATIONS - A method for fabricating a product, such as an amimatronic character, with artificial skin. The method includes providing data defining an exterior surface geometry of the product. A base geometry model of the product is generated based on the exterior surface geometry data, which in turn is used to fabricate a prototype of the product. Then, an exterior skin mold is formed using the product prototype mounted on an alignment block. The method includes fabricating an inner support structure based on the base geometry model having an exterior geometry smaller than the 3D base geometry model by the thickness of the exterior skin. The inner support structure is positioned within the mold with the inner support structure mounted upon the alignment block, which is received in the mold. The product is formed by pouring material for an exterior skin layer into the mold and over the inner support structure. | 11-26-2009 |
20100222914 | FABRICATING MULTI-COMPONENT SKIN SYSTEMS FOR ROBOTICS AND OTHER APPLICATIONS - A method for fabricating a product, such as an amimatronic character, with artificial skin. The method includes providing data defining an exterior surface geometry of the product. A base geometry model of the product is generated based on the exterior surface geometry data, which in turn is used to fabricate a prototype of the product. Then, an exterior skin mold is formed using the product prototype mounted on an alignment block. The method includes fabricating an inner support structure based on the base geometry model having an exterior geometry smaller than the 3D base geometry model by the thickness of the exterior skin. The inner support structure is positioned within the mold with the inner support structure mounted upon the alignment block, which is received in the mold. The product is formed by pouring material for an exterior skin layer into the mold and over the inner support structure. | 09-02-2010 |
20110087354 | MODELING SKIN-COVERED ROBOTICS DEVICES INCLUDING ARTISTIC DIGITAL ITERATIVE DESIGN PROCESSES - A method for fabricating a product, such as an animatronic character, with artificial skin. The method includes providing data defining an exterior surface geometry of the product. A base geometry model of the product is generated based on the exterior surface geometry data, which in turn is used to fabricate a prototype of the product. Then, an exterior skin mold is formed using the product prototype mounted on an alignment block. The method includes fabricating an inner support structure based on the base geometry model having an exterior geometry smaller than the 3D base geometry model by the thickness of the exterior skin. The inner support structure is positioned within the mold with the inner support structure mounted upon the alignment block, which is received in the mold. The product is formed by pouring material for an exterior skin layer into the mold and over the inner support structure. | 04-14-2011 |
20120153533 | FLEXIBLE SEAM JOINT FOR USE IN ROBOTIC SKIN - A method for fabricating a product, such as an animatronic character, with artificial skin. The method includes providing a mold assembly with an exterior mold and a core. In the mold assembly, a cavity is formed between inner surfaces of the exterior mold and exterior surfaces of the core that defines the skin system. The mold assembly includes a seam-forming wall extending between the inner and exterior surfaces. The method includes inserting an elongate, tubular guide through holes in the seam-forming wall and pouring an elastomeric material into the mold to occupy the cavity between the exterior mold and the interior core. The method includes, after the material has hardened to form the skin system, cutting a seam in the skin system by cutting the material along the seam-forming wall. The tubular guide is separated into guide segments and a staggered joint is formed at the cut seam. | 06-21-2012 |
20120156419 | METHOD OF FABRICATING A ROBOTICS SKIN SYSTEM HAVING INTEGRAL ACTUATION POINTS - A method for fabricating an artificial skin system for use with a robotics assembly. The method includes providing a mold core with an exterior surface defining an inner surface of a skin system, with this surface including a plurality of mounting elements. The method includes attaching, to each of the mounting elements, an elastomeric actuation piece or point (EAP). The mold core is positioned within an exterior skin mold, and a cavity is formed between the exterior surface of the mold core and inner surfaces of the exterior skin mold that defines topography and dimensions of the skin system. The method includes filling the cavity with skin-forming material. Then, after the skin-forming material hardens to form the skin system, the method includes removing the skin system from the mold core including detaching the EAPs from the mounting elements, and the EAPs are integrally bonded within the skin system. | 06-21-2012 |
20120185218 | PHYSICAL FACE CLONING - A computer-implemented method is provided for physical face cloning to generate a synthetic skin. Rather than attempt to reproduce the mechanical properties of biological tissue, an output-oriented approach is utilized that models the synthetic skin as an elastic material with isotropic and homogeneous properties (e.g., silicone rubber). The method includes capturing a plurality of expressive poses from a human subject and generating a computational model based on one or more material parameters of a material. In one embodiment, the computational model is a compressible neo-Hookean material model configured to simulate deformation behavior of the synthetic skin. The method further includes optimizing a shape geometry of the synthetic skin based on the computational model and the captured expressive poses. An optimization process is provided that varies the thickness of the synthetic skin based on a minimization of an elastic energy with respect to rest state positions of the synthetic skin. | 07-19-2012 |
20130189451 | FLEXIBLE SEAM JOINT FOR USE IN ROBOTIC SKIN - An artificial skin such as an outer covering or skin for an animatronic character. The skin may be formed by a method that includes providing a mold assembly with an exterior mold and a core. In the mold assembly, a cavity is formed between inner surfaces of the exterior mold and exterior surfaces of the core that defines the skin system. The mold assembly includes a seam-forming wall extending between the inner and exterior surfaces. The method includes inserting an elongate, tubular guide through holes in the seam-forming wall and pouring an elastomeric material into the mold to occupy the cavity between the exterior mold and the interior core. The method includes, after the material has hardened, cutting a seam in the skin system by cutting the material along the seam-forming wall. The tubular guide is separated into guide segments and a staggered joint is formed at the cut seam. | 07-25-2013 |
20150087431 | CANOPY OR LIVING MAT FOR HIDING SUPPORT FEATURES ON A RIDE OR DISPLAY PLATFORM - An assembly adapted for visually disguising drive or support features of an amusement park ride or a display system using a drive to move a show element about a space. The assembly includes a platform and a drive mechanism for selectively moving a support member. The assembly also includes an object supported upon an end of the support member spaced apart from the drive mechanism, and the support member extends through a slot in the platform. The assembly also includes a canopy positioned between the supported object and a surface of the platform facing the supported object. The canopy blocks an observer from seeing the slot in the platform. The canopy includes a plurality of camouflaging elements positioned between the slot in the platform and the supported object, and the camouflaging elements are arranged in two or more layers. | 03-26-2015 |