Kineo CAM creates first automatic Point Cloud path finding in cooperation with Promation Nuclear
TOULOUSE, France, May 2011: Kineo CAM the leading software components provider for collision detection and automatic path planning collaborates with Promation Engineering, Canada to create the first commercial automatic path finder in 3D Point Cloud models.
Promation Engineering Ltd. is a leading designer and manufacturer of tooling, automation and robotic systems for the automotive and nuclear industries. Promation Nuclear Division offers dedicated services to develop concepts, build prototypes, perform testing and manufacture sophisticated robotic tooling to the nuclear industry worldwide.
“Benefiting from Promation’s expertise in laser scanning processes to produce as-built 3D plant models, we were able to enhance our software technology to automatically find access paths of equipments and mobile robots directly from a 3D Point Cloud model of an existing power plant. This technique opens the way to tremendous time and cost savings in maintenance, refurbishing and dismantling of existing plants in the energy field” explains Laurent Maniscalco, Kineo CAM CEO.
To understand the scope of this advance, we must know that until now, the as-built 3D reconstruction of an industrial plant model was a long and tedious process, especially in finding collision-free removal paths:
- Step1: within the area of the industrial plant and the equipment to work with, a 3D laser scanner is used to get a 3D Point Cloud model
- Step2: the 3D Point Cloud model is totally or partially, manually converted into a surface or polygonal 3D model
- Step3: the path of the mobile robot or the equipment to be removed is manually defined by the operator through a time consuming trial and error process using interference checking tools
- Step4: potentially the same step as step 3 for the inverse operation (dismounting – remounting)
- Step5: the production of documents, animations and videos
Kineo CAM software solution simply eliminates steps 2 to 4, so users can find paths directly in Point Cloud. The interference checker ensures dynamic and real-time collision checking; quickly detecting collisions or displaying distance measurements between 3D objects and Point Cloud models. What’s more, the collision-free path finder is automatic; the user only specifies the start and goal positions with the appropriate kinematic model of the robot or of the equipment and it returns several valid paths respecting distances of clearance to obstacles.
The software products, KCD for Point CloudTM and KineoWorks™ are available as software components for an easy integration in third party software applications, as well as part of KiteTM the standalone solution.
To see a video: Path planning and collision detection in Point Cloud
About Kineo CAM
Kineo Computer Aided Motion “Kineo CAM” is the independent software developer of the worldwide leading technology for automatic motion and path planning, KineoWorks™.
Specialized in the development of advanced solutions, Kineo CAM provides business solutions to large companies and organizations in the United States, Europe and Japan.
The main market of Kineo CAM is Mechanical Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing. In this area, the large range of solutions, from stand-alone to fully integrated software, enables users to save money, shorten development time and increase quality in Product Design (validation of mechanical mounting/dismounting) and Process (simulation of operations in cluttered 3D environments).
Kineo CAM is the winner of the national contest of innovation from the Ministry of Research and Technology (2000), received the IEEE/IFR Innovation Award for Outstanding Achievements in Commercializing Innovative Robot and Automation technology (2005), winner of the 2007 Innovation ICT Prize from the European Commission and the European Council of Applied Sciences, Technologies & Engineering, and the regional Midi-Pyrénées Innovation and International award. Kineo CAM was awarded by Daratech, the title of emerging technology at the Daratech SUMMIT2006 with eight other innovative American companies.
Contact:
Laurent Maniscalco
Kineo CAM
Tel.:+33 (0)5 61 00 90 60
E-mail: Email Contact
