On Path Generation Method for Laser Cleaning Robot Based on Line Structured Light

Surface cleaning has always been an important procedure to improve quality and performance of final components in modern industrial manufacturing. Among various surface cleanings, laser cleaning has been identified as the most promising green cleaning technology to replace conventional mechanical and chemical cleaning. Laser cleaning is a green cleaning technology that will not result in environmental pollution. And, laser cleaning is a versatile, precise, and controllable technology. A set of laser cleaning system that consists of line structured light and industrial manipulator, was designed in this paper. The line structured light, combined with camera, was used to scan workpiece surface and reconstruct the 3D model of workpiece surface. The industrial manipulator was utilized to perform scanning and cleaning movements. This new system is called Laser Cleaning Robot (LCR). To improve automation level and cleaning efficiency of the LCR, a path generation method based on line structured light and industrial manipulator was proposed in this paper. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the proposed method in terms of cleaning efficiency for large-scale workpiece.