Position and orientation tracking system

A robotic block laying system, including:

• a) a block laying robot including:
• i) a truck base;
• ii) a telescopingly extendable and foldable boom mounted to the truck base;
• iii) a block laying and adhesive applying head mounted at the end of the boom for receiving blocks transported along the boom from the truck base and laying blocks in a predetermined position;
• and,
• b) a tracking base provided in an environment, the tracking base including:
• i) a tracking head support including a platform;
• and,
• ii) at least three tracking heads rigidly mounted to the platform, each tracking head having:
• (1) a radiation source arranged to send a radiation beam to a respective target;
• (2) a base sensor that senses reflected radiation;
• (3) at least one tracking head actuator that controls an orientation of the tracking head;
• and,
• (4) at least one tracking head angle sensor that monitors an orientation of the tracking head;
• c) a target system including at least three targets mounted to the block laying and adhesive applying head, each target including a reflector that reflects the radiation beam to the base sensor of a respective tracking head;
• and,
• d) a control system that:
• i) causes each tracking head to track a respective target as it moves throughout the environment;
• ii) determines a position of each target with respect to a respective tracking head at least in part using signals from:
• (1) each base sensor;
• and,
• (2) the at least one tracking head angle sensor;
• iii) calculates an orientation of the target system using the determined position of each target;
• and,
• iv) determines the position and orientation of the brick laying and adhesive applying head using at least in part the position and orientation of the target system.