Advanced device for welding training, based on augmented reality simulation, which can be updated remotely

Abstract

Advanced device for the welding training based on simulation with Augmented reality and with remote updates that allows the simulation of: all the industrial welding types—s electrode stick (SMAW), MIG/MAG (GMAW, FCAW) and TIG (GTAW)—; all the materials; all the joint types and, also all the welding positions (1Fa 4F, 1G a 6G, 6GR, etc.). It offers an accurate simulation of a real welding equipment thanks to the use of the Augmented Reality technology, which allows the interaction between different elements in several layers. All this is implemented by a monitoring and student evaluating system that allows the teacher to control remotely what is happening in the classroom in real time and without the necessity of being physically present in the training.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a welding mask including a set of confocal cameras operably coupled to video glasses, the video glasses configured to display, to a wearer of the welding mask during use, a three-dimensional mixed-reality setting including real images captured by the set of confocal cameras and at least one virtual element; and   a workpiece including a marker disposed on a surface thereof, the marker having a predetermined pattern,   the set of confocal cameras configured to search for the predetermined pattern and, after identifying the predetermined pattern, the welding mask is configured to permit interaction between the workpiece and the at least one virtual element within the mixed-reality setting,   the predetermined pattern distinguishable from the workpiece by the set of confocal cameras due to a color difference.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pattern includes a two-dimensional barcode. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pattern includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pattern of the workpiece is a first predetermined pattern, the system further comprising a welding torch including a marker disposed on a surface thereof, the marker of the welding torch having a second predetermined pattern,
 in response to the first predetermined pattern and the second predetermined pattern being identified by the set of confocal cameras, the welding mask is configured to permit interaction between the workpiece, the welding torch, and the at least one virtual element within the mixed-reality setting.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a connector configured to removably receive a welding torch having a modified tip, the welding mask configured to permit interaction between the workpiece and the modified tip within the mixed-reality setting. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus comprising:
 an augmented reality welding mask including a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:
 generate a plurality of virtual elements for presentation to a wearer of the augmented reality welding mask; and 
 generate a representation of an interaction between at least one virtual element from the plurality of virtual elements and a non-virtual object in response to detection, by a camera operably coupled to the processor, of a marker disposed on the non-virtual object, the detection based at least in part on a color difference associated with the marker. 
   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the non-virtual object is a first non-virtual object, the processor further configured to generate a virtual representation of an interaction between the first non-virtual object and a second non-virtual object. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the non-virtual object is a first non-virtual object and the marker is a first marker, the processor further configured to generate a representation of an interaction between the at least one virtual element from the plurality of virtual elements, the first non-virtual object, and a second non-virtual object in response to detection, by the camera, of the first marker and a second marker disposed on the second non-virtual object. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a welding mask including a set of confocal cameras operably coupled to video glasses, the video glasses configured to display, to a wearer of the welding mask during use, a three-dimensional mixed-reality setting including real images captured by the set of confocal cameras and at least one virtual element,   the set of confocal cameras configured to recognize:
 a first marker having a first predetermined pattern associated with a welding torch; and 
 a second marker having a second predetermined pattern associated with a workpiece, and 
   the welding mask configured to permit interaction between the welding torch, the workpiece and the at least one virtual element within the three-dimensional mixed-reality setting in response to the first predetermined pattern and the second predetermined pattern being recognized.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one virtual element includes a plurality of virtual elements occupying a plurality of virtual image layers. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the welding mask further includes a control system configured to monitor actions of the wearer during use. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the second predetermined pattern is disposed on the workpiece, and distinguishable from the workpiece by the set of confocal cameras due to a color difference. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the welding mask is configured to simulate at least one of: shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), metal inert gas (MIG) welding, metal active gas (MAG) welding, gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding or gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the welding mask is further configured to display a simulated welding joint to the wearer during use. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first predetermined pattern is disposed on a tip of the welding torch.