Machine-Human Cooperative Control of Welding Process

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。本研究的目标是（1）使用机器来增强目前由人类焊工操作和控制的手工焊接过程，（2）为焊接过程的人机合作控制奠定基础。其做法是（1）利用人力焊工？的自然运动，以便于对焊接熔池表面的自动过程监控;（2）对人类焊工如何响应焊接过程建模;（3）对焊接过程如何响应人类焊工动作建模;以及（4）制定机器-人类协作控制方案，其中机器算法基于人类和过程响应的模型预测来确定对人类焊工控制的过程的调整。焊接是美国必须通过自动化或稳定合格劳动力来维持的关键能力。建议的合作控制提供了一个有效的和创新的方式来帮助稳定，改善和提高这一劳动力。它还将为下一代焊接机奠定基础，并可能激励其他制造/工业部门的发明。拟议研究的多学科性质以及与工业界的合作将为培训广泛领域的下一代学术和制造专家/研究人员提供机会。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The objective of this research is to (1) use a machine to enhance a manual welding process that is currently operated and controlled by a human welder and (2) establish the foundation for the resultant machine-human cooperative control of the welding process with a welder in loop. The approach is to (1) take advantage of human welder?s natural movement to facilitate automatic process monitoring for the weld pool surface; (2) model how a human welder responds to the welding process; (3) model how the welding process responds to human welder actions; and (4) formulate a machine-human cooperative control scheme in which a machine algorithm determines, based on model prediction of human and process responses, adjustments to the human welder controlled process. Welding is a critical capability that the United States must maintain through either automation or stabilization of qualified labor force. The proposed cooperative control provides an effective and innovative way to help stabilize, improve, and enhance this labor force. It will also establish the foundation for a next generation welding machine and potentially inspirit inventions in other manufacturing/industrial sectors. The multi-disciplinary nature of the proposed research and collaboration with industry will provide opportunities to train next generation academic and manufacturing experts/researchers in a wide range of areas.