Review on Development of Automatic Docking System for Weapons and Cabins

Background: In the manufacturing setup process of weapons, aviation, and aerospace, docking assembly is a key component in determining manufacturing efficiency and quality. The traditional docking method uses manual alignment, which depends on the experience and operation level of the workers, so the docking accuracy is low and the installation speed is slow. In response to this problem, how to achieve automatic docking of weapons and cabins has become a key technology. Objective: The objective of this study is to provide an overview of recent key technologies for automatic docking systems and introduce their respective classification, characteristics, and development. Methods: This paper reviews the patents and products related to the key technologies of automatic docking systems. The structural features, methodological principles, control characteristics and applications of the patents and products are summarized. Results: The key technologies related to different aspects of an automatic docking system are compared and analyzed, and the structural features, and methodological principles are also summarized. The problems of the current key technologies are analyzed, and the current status of research and future directions of the automatic docking system are discussed. Conclusion: According to the key technologies related to different aspects of the automatic docking system, they can be divided into motion mechanism, pose detection technology, and computer control technology. The accuracy, compliance, and flexibility of the automatic docking system can be improved by choosing the proper key technology. Further improvements are needed in terms of fast performance, robustness and authenticity, and more patents on key technologies of automatic docking systems should be invented.