Integrated optical position and orientation sensing for manufacturing robotics

这项提议的目的是研究新型光学仪器，以提高传统的基于机器人的制造作业的精度，并支持未来更敏捷和灵活的制造系统的制造目标。这将通过我们目前的研究基础上实现，在我们的研究中，我们已经开发了两种免费的机器人定位测量技术：距离分辨干涉测量(RRI)和激光散斑图案相关(LSC)。在这项提议中，我们的目标是进一步开发这种新型仪器，提供新的测量和在线监控能力，并通过这一附加功能显著提高性能，同时通过项目合作者探索机器人和自动化、激光加工和添加剂制造的新应用领域。这将提高机器人的性能，扩大柔性机器人在高精度制造过程中的适用性，并通过在线质量控制提高生产率。为了实现这一点，我们确定了一些最有希望的方向，需要进一步研究，将技术带到适当的水平以供开发：首先，除了目前实施的定位(x，y，z)之外，还可以通过测量平面外倾斜(俯仰和侧滚)角来测量机器人的方位。这将实现一系列新的应用领域，包括在机器人无损检测期间保持对零件的范围和正常测量，以及在机械加工操作期间保持定位和运动控制。同样，在机身制造中，在钻孔操作中保持正交性对于用于确保疲劳寿命和表面平整度以及空气动力学性能的铆钉/紧固孔的质量至关重要。此外，将通过应用光纤传感器头来研究传感器的微型化，以实现远程定位，从而实现一系列新的机器人制造应用。例如，为了便于在现有机床上进行重新装配，以及为了增加仪器的坚固性和灵活性，需要在靠近交互作用的位置进行测量的应用，因为仪器可以放置在远离机器人加工或加工中的潜在损害的原因的地方。最后要研究的领域是仪器与激光加工头的集成。这将使传感器能够在机器人激光加工的新应用领域中使用，例如基于激光的添加制造，其中需要在线过程监控，如沉积层高度测量和沉积过程中干扰的控制。或在激光切割中，控制焦点相对于工件的位置对于确保切割质量以及在存在平面外振动的情况下实现薄板的快速加工至关重要。利用加工激光构建的仪器的集成将产生一种新型的灵活仪器，能够进行高达5个自由度的定位和/或切割/烧蚀深度监测，这是目前现有技术无法实现的。

The aim of this proposal is to undertake research into novel optical instrumentation to improve the precision of traditional robot-based manufacturing operations and to support future manufacturing aims for more agile and flexible manufacturing systems. This will be achieved by building upon our current research, in which we have developed two complimentary techniques for robotic positioning measurement; range-resolved interferometry (RRI) and laser speckle pattern correlation (LSC).In this proposal we aim to further develop this novel instrumentation, to provide new measurement and in-process monitoring capabilities and to improve significantly the performance via this additional functionality, together with concomitant exploration of new application areas in robotics and automation, laser processing and additive manufacturing via project collaborators. This will enable improved robot performance, extend the applicability of flexible robots in high-precision manufacturing processes, and improve productivity through on-line quality control.To achieve this we have identified a number of the most promising directions which require further research to bring the techniques to an appropriate level for exploitation: The first is to enable robot orientation measurements by the measurement of out-of-plane tilt (pitch and roll) angles, in addition to the positioning (x, y, z) currently implemented. This will enable a range of new application areas including maintaining range and normal measurements to the part during robotic non-destructive testing and orientation and movement control during machining operations. Similarly in air-frame manufacturing maintaining orthogonality in hole drilling operations is critical to the quality of rivet/fastening holes used to ensure fatigue lifetime and surface smoothness and hence aerodynamic performance.In addition to this, the miniaturisation of the sensors will be investigated via the application of optical fibre sensor heads to allow remote positioning, to enable a range of new robotic manufacturing applications. For example applications requiring measurements to be made close to the interaction point, for ease of retro-fitting on existing machine tools and for additional robustness and flexibility in that the instrument can be located further from causes of potential damage in robotic machining or processing. The final area to be investigated is the integration of the instrumentation with laser processing heads. This will enable the use of the sensors in new application areas in robotic laser processing, such as laser based additive manufacturing, in which there is a need for on-line process monitoring such as deposition layer height measurements and control of disturbances during deposition. Or in laser cutting, where control of the focus position relative to the work-piece is critical to ensure cut quality, and to enable rapid processing on thin sheets in the presence of out-of-plane vibrations. The integration of the instruments constructed with the processing laser will result in a novel flexible instrument capable of up to 5 degree-of-freedom positioning and/or cut/ablation depth monitoring, something currently unavailable with existing technologies.