Calibration of mobile manipulators using 2D positional features.

Robotic manipulators are increasingly being attached to Automatic Ground Vehicles (AGVs) to aid in the efficiency of assembly for manufacturing systems. However, calibrating these mobile manipulators is difficult as the offset between the robotic manipulator and the AGV is often unknown. This paper provides a novel, simple, and low-cost method for calibrating and measuring the performance of mobile manipulators by using data collected from a laser retroreflector that digitally detects the horizontal two-dimensional (2D) position of reflectors on an artifact as well as a navigation system that provides the heading angle and 2D position of the AGV. The method is mathematically presented by providing a closed form solution to the positional component of the 2D robotworld/hand-eye calibration problem AX Y= B. The method is then applied to simulated data as well as data collected in a laboratory setting and compared to other methods.

Dynamic Metrology and ASTM E57.02 Dynamic Measurement Standard.

Optical tracking systems are used in a wide range of fields, and their market has dramatically increased over the past several years, reaching $1.2 billion in sales revenue in 2014. This article describes the new ASTM E3064 standard test method procedures for optical tracking systems and will outline the theoretical basis for the analysis of the data from these systems. By way of an example, we will also verify the performance of a 12-camera optical tracking system using these standard procedures and related analysis. An artifact, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was verified by a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and then used in two experiments to verify the test method. This and other in-depth articles are intended to be base references for ASTM E3064.

Mobile Robot and Mobile Manipulator Research Towards ASTM Standards Development.

Performance standards for industrial mobile robots and mobile manipulators (robot arms onboard mobile robots) have only recently begun development. Low cost and standardized measurement techniques are needed to characterize system performance, compare different systems, and to determine if recalibration is required. This paper discusses work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and within the ASTM Committee F45 on Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles. This includes standards for both terminology, F45.91, and for navigation performance test methods, F45.02. The paper defines terms that are being considered. Additionally, the paper describes navigation test methods that are near ballot and docking test methods being designed for consideration within F45.02. This includes the use of low cost artifacts that can provide alternatives to using relatively expensive measurement systems.