Vision Sensor System for Weld Seam Tracking of I-Butt Joint with Height Variation

Kim, Moo-Yeon; Kim, Jae-Woong

Journal of KWJS 2004;22(6):43-49.
Published online January 26, 2005.

[연구논문] 높이 변화가 있는 맞대기 용접선 추적용 시각센서

Vision Sensor System for Weld Seam Tracking of I-Butt Joint with Height Variation

Abstract

In this study, a visual sensor system which can detect I-butt weld joint with height variation and includes a seam tracking algorithm was investigated. Three-dimensional position of an object can be acquired by using the method of distance measurement, i.e., an optical trigonometry which results from the spatial relations between the camera, the object and the structured light by a visible laser. Effects of laser intensity and iris number for the image quality as well as object material were investigated for the optical system design. For the image processing, a region of interest is defined from the whole image and a line image of laser is drew by using the gray level difference in the image. From the drew laser line, the weld joint can be recognized in searching the biggest point position calculated from the central difference method. Through a series of welding experiments, a good tracking performance was confirmed under GMA welding.