Method and system for compensating for accuracy errors of a hexapod

A system for compensating for accuracy errors of a hexapod, said hexapod comprising:

• a fixed base;
• an actuation assembly equipped with six independent, controllable linear translation actuators;
• a control unit (6) for the actuation assembly;
• and
• a moveable carriage comprising a platform linked to the base by the actuation assembly, each of said actuators of the actuation assembly being linked by a first longitudinal extremity to the base by a first hinge and by the second longitudinal extremity to the carriage by a second hinge, said six actuators defining six pivot centres on the base and six pivot centres on the carriage, said compensation system comprising:
• a measurement system configured to determine geometry and positioning errors on the hexapod, the measurement system comprising:
• a first measurement assembly configured to measure the positions of each of the pivot centres on the carriage and each of the pivot centres on the base, in order to determine positioning errors of the pivot centres, and to measure the length of each of the actuators, in order to determine length errors of said actuators;
• and
• a second measurement assembly configured to measure positioning errors of each of the actuators along its path;
• and
• a calculation unit configured to calculate, from these measurements, error compensation values, the error compensation values being applied to the control unit of the hexapod during a use of the latter.