A simple method of accuracy enhancement for industrial manipulators

Abstract

A robot calibration method which includes identification of kinematic parameters and error compensation is presented. The parameter identification process features an easy-to-perform measurement procedure using a low-cost, instrumented, articulated linkage, and with proper planning of the data collection process, the measurement of actual end effector positions can be performed automatically. The basis of the parameter identification approach is akin to that of closed-loop mechanism synthesis. For error compensation, a computation scheme based on the nominal model as opposed to the calibrated one is presented. The resulting algorithm, allowing the exploitation of the closed-form inverse kinematics solutions available for most industrial robots, is computationally efficient and therefore suited for on-line applications. Examples based on simulation studies, devised to include realistic operating conditions, are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of this method. The effects are also investigated of the number of measurements and of the sensor resolution on the overall quality of the identification.