A sensor used for measurements in the calibration of production robots

Author

Everett, Louis J. ; Ives, Thomas W.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX, USA

Volume

12

Issue

1

fYear

1996

fDate

2/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

121

Lastpage

125

Abstract

A sensor has been developed and successfully implemented to automate robot calibration. Its simple design makes it ideal for production environments. It works in conjunction with precision spheres that are mounted in the workspace. The relative positions of the spheres are measured in advance, and the sensor is positioned over them automatically and precisely. The positioning of the sensor is governed by three light beams that define position with respect to the sensor. This eliminates the problems experienced by other short range devices in that it acts digitally and without contact. Design of the sensor and its autonomous control from a PC are presented along with proven measurement tactics and results of performance tests

Keywords

calibration; industrial robots; optical sensors; position measurement; robots; PC; light beams; production robots; robot calibration; sensor; spheres; Automatic control; Calibration; Fixtures; Manipulators; Mechanical sensors; Production; Robot kinematics; Robot sensing systems; Robotics and automation; Sensor phenomena and characterization;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Robotics and Automation, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1042-296X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/70.481756

Filename

481756