Development of interaction and orientation method in welding simulator for welding training using augmented reality

This paper presents a method of interaction and orientation that can be implemented in welding simulator and will be used for basic welding training. In welding process there are many factors that can affect the welding results. One of them is the orientation angle and interaction distance between plate and torch. Therefore, a method to find an angle and a distance between plate and welding torch so then it can be used as a part of the welding simulator was developed. The required components are webcam in laptop used as a video tracking device, two sets of marker, and ARToolKit as software library. After the interaction and orientation method was successfully built, a measurement for the interaction method to get a relation between actual distance and virtual distance was performed. The result will receive a comparison value from 27 to 28 pixels per centimeter with specified limitation. Then for orientation method, standard deviation and root mean square error (RMSE) of an angle was measured. This is the first stage of development in welding simulator. Further development is required to get a more advanced welding simulator.