A three-dimensional imaging and display system is provided in which user input is optically detected in an imaging volume by measuring the path length of an amplitude modulated scanning beam as a function of the phase shift thereof. Visual image user feedback concerning the detected user input is presented.

Three-dimensional imaging and display system

What is disclosed is a 3-D laser measurement system, including a mirror continuously rotatable about a rotation axis which extends, e.g., in parallel or coaxial with a measuring beam emitted by an optical emitter and impinging on the mirror.

Laser measurement system

A combined image of the jointing region is taken with a light section pattern and a grey-scale image for the evaluation of the position and quality of jointing regions The grey-scale image is analysed to determine the quality of the jointing region The above permits the recognition of the position as well as the quality of the jointing region in a simple manner

Method and device for evaluation of jointing regions on workpieces

A method of controlling a robot to perform a weaving action and a tracking action using a non-contact sensor. When a weaving start command with a condition of a cycle Tw is issued, a laser sensor starts scanning in a cycle Tw/2n in synchronism with the start of weaving action, and outputs sensor data for every scanning time to be stored in a memory. After starting the weaving action, the robot performs a weaving action with a welding line as a reference path, until the tool reaches the weaving extreme (Sm, Sn+m, S2n+m, . . . ) or the termination of the weaving according to the weaving condition. Since a timed relationship between the weaving action and the scanning action of the laser sensor is known, the robot position corresponding to detection data can be calculated, based on which it is possible to successively determine a target position of the robot movement by adding a weaving amount for each detection point. The weaving action is synchronized with the scanning of the laser sensor every time the robot reaches the position of the weaving extreme Sm, Sn+m, . . . to pause and the weaving action is continued tracing the welding line as a reference path.

Tracking control method for robot with weaving action

The wetting angle of a bead, such as a welding bead, is detected and controlled by a feedback operation. In particular, one or more optical profiler heads are used to detect the wetting angle along the edge of a bead. If the wetting angles differ from a preferred value, a feedback control system adjusts one or more weld parameters in order to bring the wetting angles to a desired value. If the wetting angle obtains a value which makes the weld joint completely unacceptable, an alarm condition may be activated. The detection of the bead wetting angles may be provided by two optical profiler heads, each head tracking a corresponding one of the edges or sides of the bead so as to provide information from which a corresponding wetting angle may be obtained.

Weld bead wetting angle detection and control

A measurement head in an arc welding machine modulates the light intensity of a laser light beam with a modulating signal of 50 KHz or higher, and radiates the laser light beam onto an object to be measured while changing the direction of laser beam emission in one plane. A light receiving unit in the measurement head changes its direction of detecting a reflected beam in the same plane. Angles at which the light beams are emitted and detected are detected at the time a modulated signal component is detected from an output from the light receiving unit. The position of a bright spot produced on the surface by the radiated laser light beam is computed from the detected angles based on the principle of triangulation.

Measurement head for welding machines

Visual sensor for robot

PURPOSE:To make it possible to perform automatic detection of the posture of a laser gun by providing a plurality of posture detecting parts comprising incident parts and light receiving parts within a machining head CONSTITUTION:A signal which is transduced from light into an electric output V1 in a photodetector S1 is amplified Thereafter the noise component is removed through a filter, and a digital signal is outputted Output data, ie, data such as the amount of change in codes and distances indicating the fact that on which side of the regular position a luminescent spot a1 is located, ie on the far side or the near side, are sent into a sensor computer SPC through an interface In the computer SPC, the computation of the four measured data is performed in real time Posture control data are sent into a controller MCP for machining equipment The controller MCP generates a driving power for the posture control so that the posture of a laser gun G is properly corrected In this way, automatic posture control during the operation can be performed

Posture control sensor

PURPOSE:To enable accurate detection of a weldment with a simplified construction, by overlapping bright point and view line, obtaining an electrical signal of light-receiver caused on this occasion as a timing signal and measuring each position co-ordinate of the measured point using a value of each angle obtained. CONSTITUTION:A robot sensor proper Q is provided with light-projector L and light-receiver R respectively in position QL, QR apart from the center axis by a distance d. When a light beam LP of the projector L changes its direction maintaining the distance (d) as constant and a bright point alpha generated on the specimen surface J is laid on its after crossing a view line beta, an image of the bright point alpha is developed on a light-receiving diode of the light-receiver R and an electric output is derived from its output terminal. A position of intersection of view line beta and bright point alpha is calculated by the principle of the triangulation by reading value of each angle with the pulse signal of the electrical output. Thus, shape of a body can welding position to be welded are measured correctly under an intense beam of welding arc.

Ichizo Nakano

Papers

Measurement head for welding machines

Visual sensor for robot

Posture control sensor

Robot sensor by irregular trianglulation method