Co-operation of a Structured Light Sensor with an Industrial Robot for Arc Welding of Thin Sheet

Abstract

The principle difficulties encountered when implementing a co-operation between a sensor device and an industrial robot are enumerated considering the practical example of an arc welding task: seam line localization and profile geometry evaluation. The required functions for both the robot and the sensor are presented. An optical sensor that uses structured light has been developed and integrated within a robot end effector. In order to be able to process the signals of the sensor adequately, an adaptable robot control unit is used. Special attention is given to the interface between sensor and robot control. The information processing within the robot control unit is described. A short outlook gives a survey of predictable further applications.