Weld angle correction device

A method of correcting angles of a welding torch positioned by a user while training a robot of a robotic welding system, the method comprising:

• determining 3D position and orientation data of a weld plane and a corresponding weld seam of a weldment in a robot coordinate space of a robotic welding system using a touch-sense searching strategy;
• importing user-placed 3D torch position and orientation data to a computer of a weld angle correction tool from a robot controller of the robotic welding system in the robot coordinate space for a recorded weld point along the corresponding weld seam;
• calculating, using the computer of the weld angle correction tool, at least one torch angle for the recorded weld point with respect to the weldment and the corresponding weld seam in the robot coordinate space based on the 3D position and orientation data of the weld plane and the corresponding weld seam of the weldment, and further based on the user-placed 3D torch position and orientation data;
• and
• correcting the at least one torch angle for the recorded weld point based on pre-stored ideal angles for the weldment and the corresponding weld seam.

A method to support training of a robot of a robotic welding system, the method comprising:

• acquiring a single image of a weldment in a regular camera view using a single image aperture of a depth camera of a weld assist tool;
• acquiring a single image of weldment depth data of the weldment using the depth camera of the weld assist tool;
• processing the single image of the weldment depth data using a computer of the weld assist tool to determine a 3D corner feature of the weldment in a 3D coordinate space of a robotic welding system;
• displaying the single image of the weldment, as acquired, on a display device of the weld assist tool;
• displaying augmented reality lines overlaid onto the single image of the weldment on the display device of the weld assist tool, where the augmented reality lines are overlaid onto three seams of the 3D corner feature;
• selecting weld points along a seam of the three seams of the 3D corner feature using a user interface of the weld assist tool;
• and
• recording position data, with respect to the 3D coordinate space and corresponding to the weld points as selected, within a memory of at least one of the computer of the weld assist tool and a controller of the robotic welding system to define a weld path.

A method to support training of a robot of a robotic welding system, the method comprising:

• acquiring a single image of a weldment having a weld seam in a regular camera view using a single image aperture of a depth camera of a weld assist tool, wherein the single image of the weldment captures marked symbols on the weldment;
• performing optical character recognition on the marked symbols in the single image of the weldment, wherein a computer of the weld assist tool performs the optical character recognition, and wherein the optical character recognition provides welding information;
• acquiring a single image of weldment depth data of the weldment having the weld seam using the depth camera of the weld assist tool;
• and
• processing the single image of the weldment depth data using the computer of the weld assist tool to determine 3D geometry information of the weldment,
• wherein the welding information provided by the optical character recognition and the 3D geometry information inform a controller of a robotic welding system at least which portion of the weld seam the robotic welding system is to weld.