Westinghouse Electric Corporation

James F Ellison

Jeffrey D Taft

Gerald A Breakey

A control processor in a robotic system treats optically sensed locations along the path ahead of the tool, which are classified in relation to elapsed distances and identified in 3-D coordinates and 3-axes tool orientation, to apply in real time and under feedforward a control signal representing the error between anticipated tool position and anticipated sensed location on the path. In the process, the anticipated sensed location is obtained by reference to a model made ahead of time with the stored sensed locations grouped as a function of elapsed distances and having a common algebraic feature, such as the slope or the change of slope. A taught path for the robot has been recovered by the control processor also based on elapsed distances and control is related to actual tool position provided by the robot.

Parametric path modeling for an optical automatic seam tracker and real

An image processing system uses the digital expression of the video image of a light stripe derived optically from a seam to create a 1-D signal representative of a one-pixel wide line. The target coordinates for the tool operating on the seam is converted directly into 3-D tool position and orientation from the 1-D signal. Matching with models is effected in real time by comparing symbolic attributes of the graphs built up with the 1-D signal and with standard seams. From such matching is selected the operative corner, or target for the tool.

Image processing system for an optical seam tracker

A control processor in a robotic system treats optically sensed locations along the seam path ahead of the tool, which are classified in relation to elapsed distances and identified in 3-D coordinates and 3-axes tool orientation, to apply in real time and under feedforward a control signal representing the error between anticipated tool position and anticipated sensed location on the path. In the process, the anticipated sensed location is obtained by interpolation between acutally sensed locations. A taught path is recovered from the robot. The control processor operation is also based on elapsed distances and related to actual tool position provided by the robot.

Optical automatic seam tracker and real time control system for an

A method and apparatus for illuminating a target, for example the wall and internal structures of a coal, oil, or gas fired combustion chamber for remote viewing. A coherent light source is used to illuminate the target with illumination of a selected spectral content different from that produced by ambient light resulting from the combustion of the fuel. The coherent light illuminates the target and a narrow band optical filter is placed in front of a viewing camera to filter ambient light but to pass the illuminating source reflected from the target. The coherent light source has a wavelength range of about 422 nm to about 780 nm. Source wavelengths are chosen to be sufficiently long to penetrate particulate laden gases and still be distinguishable from thermal radiation inside the furnace. A human observer may manipulate the laser source and view the target using filter spectacles.

Through flame optical viewing

The present invention includes a surface inspection system with a single light source producing two light stripe sheets projected from different angles onto an inspected surface so that a combined light sheet produces a light stripe image with no shadows results. The two light stripe sheets are created by tangentially reflecting a laser beam off of separate cylindrical reflectors. The light stripe is detected by an imaging system, including a camera having a CCD image array, held at a fixed angle with respect to the light sheet which allows the two-dimensional curvature of the stripe to be detected. The two-dimensional light stripe image is converted into a digital image and processed by linear and logical digital filters that narrow the stripe down to two pixels wide. A coordinate extraction apparatus extracts the coordinates of the bottom row of the pixel image producing a digital representation of the light stripe curve. The sample curve is compared by a computer with a reference curve by obtaining the absolute value of the difference in height of points along the sample and reference curves after alignment and comparing the absolute value to an error or tolerance threshold. Any deviation beyond the fixed tolerance is reported as a surface irregularity defect.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

James F Ellison