Welding Helmet HUD for In-View Current and Voltage Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Welders face challenges in monitoring welding parameters without diverting their attention from the work area, as traditional methods require looking at gauges on control panels or relying on audio cues that are hard to interpret and lack precision.
Innovation Solution
A welding helmet with a face-mounted or head-up display that provides visual cues of welding parameters, such as current and voltage, directly in the welder's field of view, using cameras and projectors to overlay information onto the lens, allowing focus on the work area while accessing necessary data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If welders look at gauges on the control panel to monitor welding parameters, then they can obtain information about current and voltage, but they must divert their field of vision away from the welding work area
Solution Approach 1:
A camera mounted on the welding helmet acts as an intermediary to capture the welding work area view, while a separate display device shows welding parameters. This allows the welder to see both the work area and parameter information simultaneously without moving their head or eyes between locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system overlays welding parameter information as graphical user interface elements on top of the video feed from the work area camera. This adds an informational dimension to the visual field without requiring the welder to shift focus to a different physical location.
2Ease of operation
If audio cues are used to indicate welding parameters, then welders can receive information without visual distraction, but the cues are hard to hear and interpolate and lack precision
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the acoustic field (audio cues) with an optical field (visual display). The display device presents welding parameters as visual graphical elements that can be precisely read, substituting the imprecise auditory interpretation with accurate visual information.
Solution Approach 2:
The display uses color-coded visual indicators to represent welding parameter states, providing precise and easily distinguishable information. Different colors can indicate different parameter ranges or alarm conditions, offering clear visual differentiation that audio cues cannot provide.
3Loss of information
If display readouts are physically located on the welding machine, then welders can access welding parameter information, but the welding machine may not be located close to the work space requiring multiple trips
Solution Approach 1:
The display device is extracted from the main welding machine body and positioned near the work area. This separates the information display function from the power supply unit, allowing the display to be located where the welder needs it most - right at the welding position.
Solution Approach 2:
A camera system acts as an intermediary to capture images of the work area and welder, while the display device shows both the captured images and welding parameters. This intermediary system bridges the gap between the remote welding machine and the local work area, providing information without requiring physical proximity to the machine.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for aiding a user in at least one of welding, cutting, joining, and cladding operations is provided. The system includes a welding tool and a welding helmet with a face-mounted display. The system also includes a spatial tracker configured to track the welding helmet and the welding tool in 3-D space relative to an object to be worked on. A processor based subsystem is configured to generate visual cues based on information from the spatial tracker and transmit the visual cues to a predetermined location on the face-mounted display.