Screw axis measurement for kinematic calibration of the Sarcos Dextrous Arm

A recently developed kinematic calibration technique for six degree-of-freedom (DOF) arms, the Jacobian measurement method, is generalized to include underconstrained and overconstrained arms. Using joint torque sensing and a wrist six-axis force/torque sensor to measure the Jacobian, experimental results are presented for the first five DOFs of the Sarcos Dextrous Arm. Results are compared to two standard calibration methods, i.e., open loop calibration and circle point analysis. Measurements of endpoint position and orientation were obtained with the Optotruk and the Bird sensor, two commercial motion tracking systems.