Tele-Grinding Robot Control for Safe Remote Weld Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial manufacturing processes, particularly weld grinding, face challenges due to a lack of skilled workers, hazardous conditions, and inaccessible manufacturing facilities, necessitating remote-controlled systems for material removal.
Innovation Solution
A tele-grinding system that uses sensors to gather data, a processor to transform user input into motion commands, and a robot to execute these commands remotely, with haptic feedback and safety features to ensure precise material removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If weld grinding is performed manually by skilled workers, then grinding precision and finish quality are maintained, but worker safety is compromised due to hazardous conditions and physical inaccessibility of manufacturing facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the physical grinding environment through sensors, cameras, and digital twins. Operators interact with this virtual representation rather than the physical hazardous environment, allowing precise control of grinding operations from a safe remote location while maintaining full visibility and control over the grinding process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical grinding operations with automated robotic systems equipped with grinding wheels. These robotic systems are controlled through teleoperation interfaces, substituting the direct mechanical interaction between human operators and grinding equipment with automated mechanical systems that can be precisely controlled from a remote location
2Productivity
If manufacturing facilities are designed to optimize weight and space, then facility efficiency is improved, but human accessibility to equipment is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary teleoperation interface that mediates between the operator and the remote equipment. This intermediary includes virtual reality headsets, haptic feedback devices, and control panels that allow operators to interact with equipment in optimized facilities without direct physical access, bridging the gap between facility efficiency and operational capability
3Object-affected harmful factors
If remote-controlled material removal equipment is implemented, then worker safety and accessibility are improved, but system complexity increases due to sensors, processors, and real-time control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The teleoperation system is designed as a universal platform that can control various types of material removal equipment (grinders, cutters, polishers) through standardized interfaces. The same sensor array, processing unit, and control software can manage different equipment types, reducing overall system complexity through multi-functionality while maintaining safety and versatility
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for controlling a material removal process used in a manufacturing environment, comprising installing equipment used for a material removal process in the manufacturing environment; positioning a plurality of sensors within the manufacturing environment wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to gather data from the manufacturing environment; connecting at least one processor to the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one processor includes software for receiving data from the plurality of sensors and the material removal equipment; and wherein the at least one manual controller receives motion input, wherein the software on the processor mathematically transforms the motion input into corresponding motion commands, wherein the material removal equipment, which is physically remote from the at least one controller, executes the motion commands in real-time during the material removal process.