9631321 Barbieri Robotic welding's success has primarily been limited to repetitive and taught-welding tasks. This project seeks to apply robustness and adaptability to the welding process so that the robot can successfully complete changing tasks while minimizing human intervention. The proposed research employs proven advanced design techniques in Nonlinear Control skillfully adapted to handle the complexity of a robotic welding process in a very innovative manner which has not been previously reported elsewhere. The industrial participation by Laitram coupled with the investigators' expertise present the two ingredients necessary for a successful project. Results from this research will have immediate positive implications in several industries such as Ship Building (Avondale), Rig Building (McDermott), Manufacturing (Laitram), and other sheet metal and structural fabrication. ***
