Rapid Adaptive Programming using Image Data (RAPID)

In many welding applications, programming time has been the biggest obstacle for the widespread acceptance of robots, impeding the advancement of this technology and limiting it to medium or large batch applications. In particular, for repair of worn components where the damage is irregular, reprogramming by skilled personnel is required at added cost and time. This paper outlines a novel offline programming technique which allows robot programming to be automated and completed in a few seconds. This technique is applicable to a wide range of industrial wear applications.