Patent · US Expired

On-the-fly position calibration of a robotic arm

US5331232A · kind A · utility

27Cited by
18References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 14, 1992
Grant dateJul 19, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 14, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB25J9/1692
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for verifying the positional integrity of a robotic arm are disclosed. The robotic arm includes a servo mechanism which causes movement of the arm. The servo mechanism has a position encoder which indicates the relative position of the robotic arm with respect to a fixed reference point. A flag is attached to the robotic arm. A sensor for detecting the flag is attached to a point which is fixed with respect to the motion of the robotic arm. The sensor is located at a point such that the flag will pass by the sensor during the normal course of travel of the robotic arm. Each time the flag passes by the sensor, the sensor generates a signal. A controller which is coupled to the position encoder and to the sensor compares the position of the robotic device indicated by the position encoder at the time the sensor detects the presence of the flag with a predetermined value.

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