Application of 6-DOF sensing for robotic disturbance compensation

In the future of manufacturing and construction, the need will arise for robots that operate in larger work envelopes than can be supported using traditional fixed-base industrial robot systems. Robots may instead be mounted to mobile equipment subject to disturbance. Such disturbance may be compensated using robot arm motions if sufficiently precise and rapid sensing and control systems are available. In this paper we present the development of a disturbance compensation system using a Stäubli TX90 six axis industrial robot and controller. This is coupled with a developmental six degree of freedom sensor package capable of high bandwidth, accurate sensing throughout the workspace. The robot is mounted to an uncontrolled moveable platform. Sensor measurements are then processed and fed into the Stäubli CS8C controller in order to successfully stabilize the end-effector.