Patent · US Expired

Base force/torque sensor apparatus for the precise control of manipulators with joint friction and a method of use thereof

US5767648A · kind A · utility

91Cited by
13References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 19, 1996
Grant dateJun 16, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 19, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05B2219/40599
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An elegant, cost-effective apparatus and method is disclosed for compensating the effect of joint friction in manipuulators. The invention uses a six axis wrench sensor (also called a force/torque sensor) mounted between the manipulator and a reference body upon which it is supported. From the base wrench measurements, for rotary joints, the joint torques are estimated. The estimation apparatus uses Newton-Euler relations of successive link bodies. The estimated torque is fed back through a torque controller, that virtually eliminates friction and gravity effects. A position control loop encloses the torque controller and provides it with desired torques computed from measured position errors. For linear joints, appropriate forces are estimated. Coupled to link position sensors and the wrench sensor, is a gravity compensator, which generates a dynamic wrench signal that corresponds to the gravity compensated dynamic component of the base wrench signal, based on the position signals and the base wrench signal. Coupled to the gravity compensator and the position sensors is a joint analyzer, which generates a signal that corresponds to the gravity compensated torque that is actually a…

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