Improvement of Robot Accuracy with an Optical Tracking System

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Industrial Automation
• Optical Metrology

Background:

• Robot positioning accuracy is critical for industrial automation.
• Existing methods may not fully account for kinematic parameter errors.
• High accuracy is essential for tasks like precise assembly and riveting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a method for improving robot positioning accuracy using an optical tracking system.
• To integrate a least-square numerical algorithm for kinematic parameter identification.
• To consider various error sources in the system kinematics model.

Main Methods:

• Development of a system kinematics model incorporating tool and base positioning errors.
• Analysis of linear dependence among Denavit-Hartenberg parameters.
• Validation through numerical simulation on a 6-axis UR robot.
• Implementation on an actual robot with an optical tracking system.

Main Results:

• Experimental results demonstrate improved robot accuracy.
• Achieved accuracy of ±0.35 mm for position and ±0.07° for orientation.
• The method is automatable for enhanced robot performance.

Conclusions:

• The proposed optical tracking system effectively improves robot positioning accuracy.
• The method is suitable for industrial applications demanding high precision.
• Automation of the procedure simplifies accuracy enhancement for complex tasks.