Adaptive Contact Force Control for Robotic Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) Inspection of Welded Structural Steel

Faculty Mentor

Hossein Taheri

Location

Russell Union Ballroom

Type of Research

Completed

Session Format

Poster Presentation

College

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

This study investigates the use of robotic systems to improve the reliability of ultrasonic nondestructive inspection of welded structural steel. Ultrasonic testing (UT) is widely used in forensic and quality-assurance investigations to detect hidden weld flaws; however, manual inspections often suffer from inconsistent probe pressure and surface contact, reducing data quality and increasing uncertainty in flaw sizing and interpretation. To address this limitation, a machine-vision-guided robotic inspection system was developed using a Universal Robots UR20 collaborative manipulator equipped with a force–torque sensor. The system automatically regulates the contact force applied by a Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) probe as it scans across variable weld geometries, ensuring stable acoustic coupling with the steel surface. Real-time force feedback and vision-based surface tracking are integrated to adaptively control probe loading during scanning. Quantitative analysis of ultrasonic responses demonstrates that adaptive force control significantly reduces signal amplitude variation and improves time-of-flight consistency and defect sizing accuracy. Results show that machine-vision-integrated robotic PAUT enhances signal stability, defect detectability, and data consistency compared to conventional manual inspection approaches. This methodology provides a scalable foundation for high-fidelity ultrasonic inspection in forensic investigations, bridge infrastructure monitoring, and automated quality-assurance workflows for welded steel connections.

Program Description

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Start Date

4-23-2026 2:00 PM

End Date

4-23-2026 4:00 PM

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Apr 23rd, 2:00 PM Apr 23rd, 4:00 PM

Adaptive Contact Force Control for Robotic Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) Inspection of Welded Structural Steel

Russell Union Ballroom

This study investigates the use of robotic systems to improve the reliability of ultrasonic nondestructive inspection of welded structural steel. Ultrasonic testing (UT) is widely used in forensic and quality-assurance investigations to detect hidden weld flaws; however, manual inspections often suffer from inconsistent probe pressure and surface contact, reducing data quality and increasing uncertainty in flaw sizing and interpretation. To address this limitation, a machine-vision-guided robotic inspection system was developed using a Universal Robots UR20 collaborative manipulator equipped with a force–torque sensor. The system automatically regulates the contact force applied by a Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) probe as it scans across variable weld geometries, ensuring stable acoustic coupling with the steel surface. Real-time force feedback and vision-based surface tracking are integrated to adaptively control probe loading during scanning. Quantitative analysis of ultrasonic responses demonstrates that adaptive force control significantly reduces signal amplitude variation and improves time-of-flight consistency and defect sizing accuracy. Results show that machine-vision-integrated robotic PAUT enhances signal stability, defect detectability, and data consistency compared to conventional manual inspection approaches. This methodology provides a scalable foundation for high-fidelity ultrasonic inspection in forensic investigations, bridge infrastructure monitoring, and automated quality-assurance workflows for welded steel connections.