End-Effector Guidance of Robot Arms

Abstract

This paper deals with a robotic system in which the end-point is directly controlled. It consists of a remote guidance subsystem and a manipulator with an end-of-arm sensor subsystem. The guidance subsystem transmits and manipulates a laser beam in space, and the sensor detects the beam, sends the information to the robot controller, which, in turn, instructs the manipulator to follow the beam. The possible modifications in the manipulator structure, electronic hardware, and controller software of such systems are discussed. An experimental system consists of a SCARA-type flexible arm was constructed, and the results of the experiments are reported in the paper.