Geometry-aided inversion of manipulator telescopic link length from MEMS accelerometer and rate gyro readings

We consider solving telescopic manipulator link length using rate gyros and linear accelerometers. The research is built upon micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) components for low-cost “strap-down” implementation. By formulating a standard inversion problem, the telescopic manipulator´s link length is solved with the well-known Levenberg-Marquard algorithm in real-time. The inversion is based on linear accelerations of angular motion sensed by a triaxial MEMS accelerometer, which is attached to the tip of the telescopic extension. By fusing the operator control commands for the link extension actuator with the inverted length estimate of the telescopic link, experiments on a hydraulic heavy-duty manipulator demonstrate feasibility of our novel approach.