Analysis and Visualisation of the Positioning Accuracy and Underlying Effects of Industrial Robots

Abstract

Industrial robots are usually not suitable for high-precision applications due to their limited absolute accuracy. This issue can be solved by calibrating the robot using an adequate model of its kinematic chain and physical behaviour. However, this presupposes a deep understanding of the effects that influence the absolute accuracy and repeatability of the robot. This paper outlines a set of experiments to gain this knowledge by analysing the effects that limit the precision and furthermore presents a way for the proper visualisation of the consequent errors. The investigation includes a range of robots with different characteristics to gather valid and preferably universal information for off-the-shelf industrial robots.