Apparatus and method for marking a surface

摘要

A method and apparatus for marking a surface with a predetermined pattern is described. The apparatus includes a surface marking mechanism that supports a material dispenser. The material dispenser is manipulated along a number of axes including an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. In addition, the material dispenser is manipulated to rotate around a w-axis and to form a tilt angle with the w-axis. The surface marking mechanism includes movement devices for initial positioning of the mechanism and for re-positioning the mechanism to complete a selected pattern that does not fit within the border of the mechanism. The surface marking mechanism is responsive to control signals from a controller. The control signals are derived from a mathematical model characterizing the spatial relationship between the predetermined pattern, the material dispenser, and the surface to be marked.