Full-pose calibration of a robot manipulator using a coordinate-measuring machine

The work reported in this article addresses the kinematic calibration of a robot manipulator using a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) which is able to obtain the full pose of the end-effector. A kinematic model is developed for the manipulator, its relationship to the world coordinate frame and the tool. The derivation of the tool pose from experimental measurements is discussed, as is the identification methodology. A complete simulation of the experiment is performed, allowing the observation strategy to be defined. The experimental work is described together with the parameter identification and accuracy verification. The principal conclusion is that the method is able to calibrate the robot successfully, with a resulting accuracy approaching that of its repeatability.