Sensor-based 3-D autonomous contour-following control

Many industrial operations can be automated using robot arms but, however, require the use of robots being able to perform surface following in an adaptive way. Contour-following in real-time based on sensor information is a delicate task, yet very useful in operations like painting, welding, glues administration and surface polishing. The contour-following can be accomplished either by using previous knowledge of the shape of the surface, by executing a sequence of movements point-by-point, or in an adaptive way. In the last case a sensor or a set of sensors for collecting data about the environment are used. Furthermore, the contour-following can occur with or without contact. The paper describes a 3-D contour-following behavior controller. The contour-following operation is performed in real-time without contact using proximity information. Results of simulations and real-time implementation are presented and discussed