Development of a Spherical Arc Welding Manipulator with Virtual Reality for Hazardous Industrial Environments
Supervisor Name
Ahmad Albalasie
Supervisor Email
abalasie@birzeit.edu
University
Birzeit University
Research field
Mechanical Engineering
Bio
Dr. Ahmad Albalasie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Birzeit University in Palestine since 2016, where he also served as the Department Chair for a three-year term. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechatronics Engineering from Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, in 2016. Dr. Albalasie also holds a Master of Science degree in Automatic Control Technologies from Politecnico di Torino, Italy (2012), and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechatronics Engineering from Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU), Palestine (2008). Dr. Albalasie began his academic career at PPU, where he served as a lecturer for one year and a research and teaching assistant for two years before that. His research interests are focused on variable stiffness actuators, robust control, optimal control (with a particular emphasis on model predictive control), haptic control, the control of under-actuated robots, and floating parallel marine robots. He has authored numerous publications in these areas, contributing significantly to the advancement of research in these fields.
This project aims to design and build a prototype of a 3-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) spherical robot capable of performing arc welding tasks in hazardous manufacturing environments. Designed for remote operation and high-precision performance, the robot offers a safer, more efficient alternative to conventional methods used in confined or dangerous industrial settings. The system revisits the advantages of spherical robot architecture by developing a manipulator enhanced with modern control and sensing capabilities. This design reduces the need for complex, maintenance-intensive mechanisms typically found in traditional robotic systems. The robot is used ROS 2 as operating system for enabling high-level control, real-time trajectory planning, and seamless system integration. In addition, a vision system is incorporated to provide adaptive weld path correction, significantly boosting precision and flexibility. The integration of ROS 2 with real-time vision enhances the system’s performance and adaptability within advanced automation workflows. A key innovation in this project is the implementation of a virtual reality (VR)-based control method. This feature allows operators to visualize the robot’s environment in real time and control its actions remotely using VR controllers. Such capability is particularly valuable in scenarios where human expertise is required but direct physical access is unsafe. Through an intuitive VR interface, users can observe, guide, and perform welding operations with precision. The proposed system capitalizes on the compact and efficient design of spherical robots, supporting both autonomous weld seam tracking and manual VR-based control. The result is a versatile, accurate, and robust welding manipulator ideal for use in restricted or hazardous environments. Compared to traditional 6-DOF manipulators, it offers a more cost-effective, functional, and easier-to-maintain solution.
