Patent · US Expired

Micropositioning apparatus for a robotic arm

US4808064A · kind A · utility

62Cited by
11References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 5, 1985
Grant dateFeb 28, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 5, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05B2219/39176
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention provides for precision micropositioning of a robotic structure. The micropositioning system includes a number of angular encoders indicating the angular orientations of various robotic elements with respect to one another and optical devices measuring the actual deflection of load bearing arm portions of the robotic structure. A separate optical device may be attached to each load bearing arm of the robotic structure. The optical device includes a target to be disposed at one end of the load bearing arms and an optical detecting system to be disposed at opposing ends of the load bearing arms. The target includes a plurality of light sources generally disposed in a plane and at least one light source disposed outside the plane. The optical detecting system includes first and second linear detector arrays adjacently disposed with longitudinal axes perpendicularly oriented. Each array senses target motion along a single line parallel to its longitudinal axis. An imaging lens and a cylindrical lens are provided for each array to focus images from the target light sources into lines oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the respective arrays. A portion…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.