Robotic Welding Positioning With In-Line Motion Sensor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic welding systems face challenges in precise positioning and intuitive control, particularly when using direct human-robot collaboration methods, due to factors like friction and cogging characteristics, which can lead to increased programming time and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A six-degree-of-freedom motion sensor is mounted on the robot arm in-line with the last joint, allowing for intuitive control and amplification of motion resolution, combined with haptic feedback to simulate tactile experiences, enabling precise and efficient programming without the need for traditional teach pendant skills.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If direct human-robot collaboration is used for robot control, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to friction, gravitation deflection, and cogging characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
A motion sensor is introduced as an intermediary device between the operator and the robot manipulator. The sensor detects operator hand movements and translates them into precise robot motion commands, eliminating the need for direct manual manipulation of the robot while maintaining intuitive control. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling precise positioning through sensor-based detection rather than direct mechanical interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical control (manual guiding of robot joints) with a sensor-based detection system. The motion sensor detects operator intent and the controller translates this into precise robot movements, substituting the mechanical friction and cogging effects with electronic signal processing that maintains precision while preserving ease of operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If teach pendant is used for precise robot positioning, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to lack of intuitiveness and requirement for significant training
Solution Approach 1:
The teach pendant interface is replaced with a motion sensor that directly detects operator hand movements. This substitution eliminates the need for trained operators to use complex teach pendant controls, making precise robot positioning as intuitive as natural hand movements while maintaining manufacturing precision through sensor-based detection and electronic control.
Solution Approach 2:
The motion sensor serves as an intermediary that captures operator intent through natural hand movements and translates it into precise robot positioning commands. This mediator eliminates the need for operators to learn teach pendant operations while maintaining positioning precision, as the sensor directly detects and translates physical gestures into accurate robot movements.
3Ease of operation
If manual guiding of robot is used to achieve precise positioning, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to need to overcome friction and cogging characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
Direct manual guiding of robot joints is replaced with a motion sensor-based system. The sensor detects operator movements and the controller processes these signals to generate precise robot commands, eliminating the need for operators to directly overcome mechanical friction and cogging. This substitution reduces control system complexity by using sensor feedback rather than direct mechanical interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The motion sensor acts as an intermediary that detects operator intent and translates it into robot control signals, eliminating the need for direct mechanical interaction with the robot system. This approach simplifies the control system by using electronic signal processing rather than mechanical force application, reducing the complexity associated with overcoming friction and cogging characteristics.
4Manufacturing precision
If traditional lead-through-teach programming is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to programming time requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The motion sensor enables operators to perform preliminary positioning actions intuitively, and the system automatically records these positions and interpolates the weld path. This eliminates the need for time-consuming manual programming of each weld point while maintaining precision, as the system captures operator demonstrations and generates automated paths from these recorded positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system copies operator hand movements and recorded positions to generate the weld path automatically. Instead of requiring operators to program each movement sequentially, the system captures key positions through sensor detection and generates the complete weld path by interpolation, copying the operator's intuitive positioning into a automated program that maintains precision while reducing programming time.
Data Source
AI summary
This patent defines a method for making robot programming more intuitive for tasks such as welding. The method further is an enhancement of manual guiding methods of robot positioning and can improve situations in which finer resolution or control of the robot end-effector is required. A motion sensor is mounted in series with the n−1 joint and in parallel with the nth joint, where n is the number of degrees of freedom or number of joints of the serial manipulator. The motion sensor is further mounted directly in-line with the nth joint and becomes part the opposing portion of the nth joint. The motion sensor further is uniquely adapted to apply to non-spherical wrist robots. The motion sensor senses input movements by a robot operator and controls the output tool motion in a controlled manner with resolution defined by user input at the motion sensor.