Ongoing Project News

New project approved:  Robotic Painting Optimization of Military Vehicles

Few commercial robotic painting systems in use require the versatility that is required for the military vehicle painting scenario.  A major advance in systems approach is postulated in this project to address this requirement.  This project involves combining the abilities of state-of-the-art “vision technology” and friendlier robot programming methodologies now in use in commercial robotic painting applications.  However, until this combination can be demonstrated to show high reliability and affordable operational and support costs, the concerns of reliability and cost remain.  The principal focus of this project is to address these programming/operational concerns by using selected visioning hardware and software, coupled with robotic programming methodologies, to demonstrate the ability and inherent reliability needed to address these software and system related issues.  A second concern is that of the actual maintainability of the “vision” and robotic painting hardware. 

The Robot Painting Optimization project will bring the following benefits:

• A capability assessment of state-of-the-art vision and robotic painting technologies against the technical requirements for applying military camouflage painting patterns to military vehicles.
• A preliminary risk and economic assessment of robotic application of military camouflage patterns to military vehicles and forecast for Phase II-A demonstration.
• Physical demonstration to prove-out state-of-the-art robotic and customized vision technologies’ capability to identify and apply military camouflage painting patterns to a military vehicle having various features and sizes.
• An equipment plan and layout for a full-scale robotic painting system equipped with the necessary vision capabilities for the new painting facility at U.S. Marine Corps Maintenance Center at Barstow.
• An assessment of the technical risk and economic business case for the installation of a full-scale robotic painting system at the U.S. Marine Corps Maintenance Center at Barstow.
• Installation and validation of vision equipment (and demonstrated interface with the robots) for the full scale-up at Barstow and a full summary report of the entire project.  
• Reduction of paint costs through less paint per unit volume.  
• A substantial decrease in paint application time per unit.  
• An increase in quality of the camouflage patterning.  
• An improvement in worker health and welfare through less direct exposure to the VOCs of the painting operation.  

DoD participants include the Marine Corps Maintenance Center, Barstow, and the Red River Army Depot.  NCMS project manager is Connie Philips, 734-995-7051.