Robotic welding systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12440911-B2
Application number	US-202017070652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2020
Priority date	Aug 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A robotic welding systems and related methods are described. In some embodiments, a robotic welding system may generate a target trajectory based at least partly on a trajectory of a welding torch during manual operation of the welding torch; and operate one or more actuators of the system to control movement of the welding torch based at least partly on the target trajectory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic welding system comprising:
a welding torch;
a support configured to support the welding torch during a welding operation; one or more actuators operatively coupled to the support, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to control a movement of the welding torch in one or more directions;
an input device configured to receive operator input related to manual operation of the welding torch, wherein the operator input includes manual operation of repeatedly moving the welding torch along a commanded trajectory by an operator; and
a processor operatively coupled to the one or more actuators and the input device, wherein the processor is configured to perform the steps of:
automatically estimating a repetitive trajectory based at least partially on the commanded trajectory, and approximating the repetitive trajectory as a target trajectory during the manual operation of moving the welding torch along the commanded trajectory; and
operating the one or more actuators to control movement of the welding torch based at least partly on the target trajectory upon approximating the repetitive trajectory as the target trajectory.

2. The robotic welding system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
operate the one or more actuators based at least partly on the target trajectory in response to an estimation of the repetitive trajectory converging with the commanded trajectory of the welding torch.

3. The robotic welding system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the one or more actuators based on the commanded trajectory prior to the repetitive trajectory converging with the commanded trajectory, and wherein the processor is configured to not use the commanded trajectory to operate the one or more actuators after the repetitive trajectory converges with the commanded trajectory.

4. The robotic welding system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to output an indication to a user when the robotic welding system transitions from the manual operation based on the commanded trajectory to autonomous operation based on the target trajectory.

5. The robotic welding system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to determine an error between the repetitive trajectory and the commanded trajectory of the welding torch, and wherein the processor is configured to transition to operating the one or more actuators based at least partly on the target trajectory when the error between the repetitive trajectory and the commanded trajectory is below a predetermined threshold error.

6. The robotic welding system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate a frequency of the repetitive trajectory based at least partly on the operator input related to the manual operation of the welding torch, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the target trajectory based at least partly on the estimated frequency.

7. The robotic welding system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to generate an initial estimate of the target trajectory based at least partly on a set of movements of the welding torch, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the target trajectory based at least partly on the initial estimate in real-time.

8. The robotic welding system of claim 1 , wherein the support is disposed on a self-propelled carriage.

9. The robotic welding system of claim 1 , wherein approximating the repetitive trajectory as the target trajectory comprises:
generating an initial target trajectory based at least partly on the commanded trajectory of the welding torch during manually operating the welding torch along the commanded trajectory; and
updating the initial target trajectory, upon generating the initial target trajectory, to generate an updated target trajectory by manually operating the welding torch along the commanded trajectory for at least one more time.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology
• Sumitomo Heavy Industries
• Sumitomo Heavy Industries

Inventors

• Asada Haruhiko Harry
• Eto Haruhiko

Classifications

• B23K9/0956

  using sensing means, e.g. optical · CPC title

• B23K37/0247

  Driving means · CPC title

• B23K9/1272

  Geometry oriented, e.g. beam optical trading · CPC title

• B23K9/1087

  Arc welding using remote control · CPC title

• B23K9/0216

  Seam profiling, e.g. weaving, multilayer · CPC title