Contactless position and orientation measurement of robot end-effectors

A six-degree-of-freedom real-time robot measurement system that can dynamically track robot motions is presented. The measurement principle is based on a laser tracking system (LTS) with one laser beam. The LTS determines the position and orientation of a robot's end-effector with high accuracy during the movement of the robot. The position is measured using a modified triangulation. The orientation is determined by analyzing the intensity profile of the reflected laser-beam using a vision system. The tracking unit allows the system to follow arbitrary movements of the robot.<>