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P3, up close

One robot for the light, repetitive work inside a building: paint, sand, drill, mark, install small parts and check the result. Everything here comes from the CAD model and our simulations; P3 has not been built yet.

CAD rendering of P3 on a warm grey studio backdrop: an orange base with six docked tools, a white three stage mast and a white six axis arm holding a paint roller.
CAD rendering of P3 from behind: the push handle with the operator screen, the docked tools and the mast.

P3 at work

A one minute film animated from the CAD model and the arm's real joint limits, with every move checked for collisions: P3 drives in sideways, rolls a wall lane by lane, cuts the ceiling line while it drives, puts the roller back in its dock, picks up the drill and drills three holes.

P3

A swerve drive base, a three stage mast and a six axis arm. The base carries the paint, the batteries and six tools; the mast lifts the arm; the arm swaps tools on its own.

Wall reach From the baseboard up, with the mast raised
16 ft
Height, stowed Fits under an 80 in door
2.0 m
Weight Empty; about 186 kg with a full paint tank
174 kg
CAD rendering of P3 from the side with its arm reaching out and the paint roller on its wrist.
  1. LiDAR. On top of the mast, it maps the room and finds walls, doors, trim and people.
  2. Three stage mast. Stows at 2.0 m and lifts the arm so tools reach 16 ft walls and 17 ft ceilings.
  3. Six axis arm. A collaborative arm with 7.5 kg payload, 0.95 m reach and force sensing at the wrist.
  4. Tool changer. Passes paint, air, vacuum and signals to the tool, and holds it without power.
  5. Tool station. Six docks on the deck: roller, sprayer, sander, drill, gripper and tape.
  6. Base. Two swerve drive modules move it in any direction, including sideways along a wall.

The details

The parts that do the work, up close.

Close up CAD rendering of the P3 paint head on the arm.
Paint head. A standard 9 in roller fed through its core, an edger pad for the lines and a cover that closes while the paint dries.
Close up CAD rendering of the lidar on top of the P3 mast.
Mast head. The lidar sits on top of the inner stage, with a guard around it.
Close up CAD rendering of the P3 deck with the docked tools.
Tool station. Each tool waits in its own dock. The drill clamps to the wall with a vacuum ring, so the arm only has to hold it steady.
Close up CAD rendering of the P3 base corner with its bumper and depth camera.
Base. Paint tank, pump, dust extractor and two battery packs sit low, which keeps P3 stable without feet.

Specs

Design targets

Footprint
0.72 by 1.04 m with the bumper; fits a 36 in door
Height, stowed
2.0 m; fits under an 80 in door
Work height
Walls to 16 ft (5.0 m), ceilings to 17 ft (5.3 m)
Weight
About 174 kg empty, 186 kg with a full tank
Drive
Two swerve modules and four casters; drives sideways along a wall
Lift
Three stage telescopic mast; the arm carriage travels 3.3 m
Arm
Six axis collaborative arm, 7.5 kg payload, 0.95 m reach, force sensing
Tools
Paint fed roller with edger pad, sprayer, sander with dust extraction, rotary hammer with vacuum clamp, gripper with palm camera, tape applicator
Paint
10 L tank and pump in the base
Power
Two battery packs, swapped through the rear door
Sensing
360 degree LiDAR, four depth cameras on the base, a front camera on the carriage, a wrist camera and a color sensor
Operator
10 in screen on the handle, plus a tablet

Numbers come from the current CAD model and our kinematics. The prototype has not been built yet, and these numbers will change as we test it.