This invention describes a robot system designed to move drill pipe stands. A robot arm, equipped with a gripper, manipulates the pipe stand while a computer controller ensures the gripper remains substantially aligned with the pipe. Specifically, the controller maintains the gripper's orientation so it points towards a designated pivot point.
Why it matters: Filed before significant advancements in real-time robotic control algorithms and sensor fusion. These improvements could now simplify the complex orientation maintenance and pivot point tracking described in the claims.
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