Path control of a three-dimensional linear motional mechanical system using laser

A sensory feedback controller for a three-dimensional linear-motion mechanical system is proposed. This controller specifies that the end-effector of the mechanical system will follow the path of a laser beam according to the operator´s commands. Thus, it is possible to manually position the end-effector by moving the laser beam and specifying whether the end-effector should move forward or backward along its path. This system is ideal for manually operating robots. The sensor is designed to detect both the laser beam´s direction and the end-effector´s deviation from the beam´s path. The experimental results confirm the viability of the proposed system. The controller can also be used for highly accurate servo-control because the position of the end-effector can be directly determined from the laser beam