Deformation prediction based on an adaptive GA-BPNN and the online compensation of a 5-DOF hybrid robot

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to accurately obtain the deformation of a hybrid robot and rapidly enable real-time compensation in friction stir welding (FSW). In this paper, a prediction algorithm based on the back-propagation neural network (BPNN) optimized by the adaptive genetic algorithm (GA) is presented. Design/methodology/approach Via the algorithm, the deformations of a five-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) hybrid robot TriMule800 at a limited number of positions are taken as the training set. The current position of the robot and the axial force it is subjected to are used as the input; the deformation of the robot is taken as the output to construct a BPNN; and an adaptive GA is adopted to optimize the weights and thresholds of the BPNN. Findings This algorithm can quickly predict the deformation of a robot at any point in the workspace. In this study, a force-deformation experiment bench is built, and the experiment proves that the correspondence between the simulated and actual deformations is as high as 98%; therefore, the simulation data can be used as the actual deformation. Finally, 40 sets of data are taken as examples for the prediction, the errors of predicted and simulated deformations are calculated and the accuracy of the prediction algorithm is verified. Practical implications The entire algorithm is verified by the laboratory-developed 5-DOF hybrid robot, and it can be applied to other hybrid robots as well. Originality/value Robots have been widely used in FSW. Traditional series robots cannot bear the large axial force during welding, and the deformation of the robot will affect the machining quality. In some research studies, hybrid robots have been used in FSW. However, the deformation of a hybrid robot in thick-plate welding applications cannot be ignored. Presently, there is no research on the deformation of hybrid robots in FSW, let alone the analysis and prediction of their deformation. This research provides a feasible methodology for analysing the deformation and compensation of hybrid robots in FSW. This makes it possible to calculate the deformation of the hybrid robot in FSW without external sensors.