Robotic acoustic seam tracking: system development and application

Author

Umeagukwu, Charles ; Maqueira, Benigno ; Lambert, Russell

Author_Institution

George W. Woodruff Sch. of Mech. Eng., Georgia Inst. of Technol., Atlanta, GA, USA

Volume

36

Issue

3

fYear

1989

fDate

8/1/1989 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

338

Lastpage

348

Abstract

The description of an ultrasonic-based seam-tracking robotic system that guides a nonwelding torch along different welding grooves is presented. A 100 kHz airborne transducer is used to inspect the workpiece ahead of a welding torch and measures the joint orientation and lateral deviation caused by curvature or discontinuities in the joint part. Data pertaining to the joint orientation and lateral deviation (echo pulse amplitude and time of flight) are obtained periodically by sampling equi-spaced points along the joint as the torch advances. A trajectory-generating algorithm uses this data to calculate the x, y, θ coordinates of the torch-tip trajectory needed to meet the tracking requirements. The experimental results from a feasibility study conducted to determine if this system could be used for tracking during live welding are also presented

Keywords

industrial robots; position control; ultrasonic transducers; ultrasonic welding; 100 kHz; airborne transducer; echo pulse amplitude; joint orientation; live welding; nonwelding torch; robotic system; time of flight; ultrasonic-based seam-tracking; Acoustic applications; Acoustic transducers; Mechanical engineering; Optical sensors; Production; Robot kinematics; Space technology; Trajectory; Ultrasonic transducers; Welding;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Industrial Electronics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0278-0046

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/41.31496

Filename

31496