Complete parameter identification of a robot from partial pose information

It is shown that incomplete pose information collected in accordance with a special data-collection scheme can be successfully used in identifying all the independent kinematic parameters of a robot. A radial-distance transducer, called the telescopic ball-bar system, is used to measure simply the distance of the robot endpoint from a fixed point in the workspace. Special fixtures are mounted on the robot endpoint and on the robot table in order to indirectly access the complete pose information of the robot. All the independent parameters of a six-degree-of-freedom robot have been identified. The procedure provides an easy and economic way of calibrating a robot