End-Point Deflection And Slope Measurements Of A Flexible Robot Arm

Abstract

The increasing demand for the light-weight elastic manipulator requires the accurate means of measuring end-point deflection and slope of each link due to its flexibility. The end-effector position and orientation of an elastic robot depends on both link tip deflection and slope in addition to the joint angles. In other words, for an accurate control of end-effector position and orientation, the link tip deflection and slope should be measured using any sensory devices. The proposed system uses a laser beam to measure two-dimensional deflection and slope angle and can be utilized for static and dynamic correction of robot end-effector position using the appropriate control schemes.