Real-time vision-based control of industrial manipulators for layer-width setting in concrete 3D printing applications

作     者：Barjuei, E. Shojaei Courteille, E. Rangeard, D. Marie, F. Perrot, A. 

作者机构：Univ Rennes INSA Rennes LGCGM F-35043 Rennes France Univ Bretagne Sud UMR CNRS 6027 IRDL F-56100 Lorient France 

出 版 物：《ADVANCES IN INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING》 (Adv. Ind. Manuf. Eng.)

年 卷 期：2022年第5卷

基　　金：European Community (FEDER funding) Brittany Region, France 

主　　题：Robotic concrete 3D printing Extrusion-based additive manufacturing Real-time vision-based control Edge detection algorithm Layer-width setting 

摘      要：In this paper, to have control over geometry specifications of rectangular bar-shaped layers in a robotic concrete 3D printing process, a real-time vision-based control framework is developed and proposed. The proposed control system is able to set the layer-width by automatically adjusting the velocity of an industrial manipulator during the 3D printing process of concrete based materials relying on a vision system feedback. Initially, details related to the control system, vision and processing units, and robotic platform are discussed. In continue, technical descriptions related to the printhead design, conversion process from a digital 3D drawing model to numerical motion control commands of an industrial manipulator and building material used in this work are reported. The reliability and responsiveness of the developed system is then evaluated through experimental tests by printing several single bar-shaped layers with different wideness by means of an unique printhead geometry and also by printing two layers with the same dimension centrally above another. Overall, the high accuracy and responsiveness of the developed system demonstrate a great potential for real-time vision-based control of industrial manipulators for layer-width setting in concrete 3D printing applications.