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A Method to Estimate the Encoder Dependent Repeatability of General Serial Manipulators

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Recent Advances in Mechanism Design for Robotics

Part of the book series: Mechanisms and Machine Science ((Mechan. Machine Science,volume 33))

Abstract

A crucial parameter for the operational capability of a serial robot is its accuracy. For recurring tasks the high repeatability of the manipulator is utilized by programming the robot online. Therefore, the end effector is moved manually to all desired or necessary poses of a given task and the joint angles of the manipulator are stored at these poses. The end effector can return to these stored poses very accurately due to the high repeatability of industrial robots. But even this repeatability is subject to limits. A major influencing factor is the finite resolution of the encoders integrated within the manipulators joints. Based on the discrete encoder readings, the end effector pose can only be estimated. Despite the typically high resolution of encoders in modern industrial robots, it is worth considering this issue in detail, as one can identify interesting structural properties that are invariant with respect to the encoder resolution. In this work, we will show how to compute the upper limit of the estimation error depending on a desired pose and posture of the manipulator. Both positioning and orientation error due to this discretization effects are considered. Simulation results are illustrated by means of a general 6R serial manipulator and a path, which the end effector can follow with 16 different postures.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    IEEE 754 double precision.

  2. 2.

    The major part of the algorithm error is attributed to the inverse kinematics.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Biomedical Informatics and Mechatronics, Institute of Automation and Control Engineering, UMIT, Hall in Tirol, Austria

    M. Brandstötter & Ch. Gruber

  2. Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics, Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft MbH, Graz, Austria

    M. Hofbaur

Authors
  1. M. Brandstötter
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  2. Ch. Gruber
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  3. M. Hofbaur
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Brandstötter .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

    Shaoping Bai

  2. Laboratory of Robotics & Mechatronics LARM, University of Cassino and South Latium, Cassino, Italy

    Marco Ceccarelli

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Brandstötter, M., Gruber, C., Hofbaur, M. (2015). A Method to Estimate the Encoder Dependent Repeatability of General Serial Manipulators. In: Bai, S., Ceccarelli, M. (eds) Recent Advances in Mechanism Design for Robotics. Mechanisms and Machine Science, vol 33. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18126-4_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18126-4_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-18125-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-18126-4

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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