Robot arm calibration system

In a robot arm system, where said robot arm includes an end effectuator and an associated vision system, where said robot arm operates in a nonuniform workspace comprising a plurality of work areas that are not precisely aligned with each other, a method of calibrating said robot arm comprising the steps of:

• storing a sequence of independent calibration operations, with each sequential calibration operation having a greater positional accuracy than the preceding operation;
• executing said stored sequence of calibration operations, wherein said sequence of calibration operations includes:
• sequentially positioning said end effectuator opposite each of two or more calibration targets in one of said work areas;
• activating said associated vision system at each of said calibration targets;
• and
• recording the position of each of said calibration targets as determined by said vision system.

In a robot arm system, wherein said robot arm includes an end effectuator consisting of roll, wrist, reach and grab mechanisms, a method of calibrating said robot arm comprising the steps of:

• storing a sequence of independent calibration operations, with each sequential calibration operation having a greater positional accuracy than the preceding operation;
• and
• executing said stored sequence of calibration operations, wherein said sequence of calibration operations includes:
• positioning said end effectuator opposite a calibration target that consists of a solid graspable object;
• powering down said roll and wrist mechanisms;
• activating said reach and grab mechanisms to grasp said solid graspable object;
• and
• recording the position of said roll and wrist mechanisms as a result of said grasp operation.

In a robot arm system, where said robot arm includes an end effectuator with an associated vision system, a method of calibrating said robot arm comprising the steps of:

• storing a sequence of independent calibration operations, with each sequential calibration operation having a greater positional accuracy than the preceding operation;
• executing said stored sequence of calibration operations, wherein said sequence of calibration operations includes:
• mechanically calibrating said robot arm using said end effectuator;
• and
• visually calibrating said robot arm using said vision system independent of said mechanical calibration.

In a robot arm system, where said robot arm includes an end effectuator with an associated vision system, a method of calibrating said robot arm comprising the steps of:

• storing a sequence of independent calibration operations, with each sequential calibration operation having a greater positional accuracy than the preceding operation;
• executing said stored sequence of calibration operations;
• mechanically calibrating said robot arm using said end effectuator;
• and
• subsequently calibrating said robot arm using said vision system independent of said mechanical calibration and with greater positional accuracy than said mechanical calibration.

In a robot arm system, where said robot arm is a non-anthromorphic mechanism consisting of two or more non-interactive mechanisms, a method of calibrating said robot arm comprising the steps of:

• storing a sequence of independent calibration operations, with each sequential calibration operation having a greater positional accuracy than the preceding operation;
• executing said stored sequence of calibration operations;
• sequentially performing an initial calibration operation on each of said two or more non-interactive mechanisms;
• and
• performing additional calibration operations on at least one of said two or more non-interactive mechanisms when all of said two or more non-interactive mechanisms have been initially calibrated.

In a robot arm system having an end effectuator with an associated vision system, wherein said robot arm includes an end effectuator consisting of roll, wrist, reach and grab mechanisms, a method of calibrating the position of said end effectuator comprising the steps of:

• storing a hierarchial sequence of independent calibration operations;
• executing all of said calibration operations on a first level of said hierarchy, including the steps of:
• locating a home position for said robot arm;
• recording the position of said robot arm;
• positioning said end effectuator opposite a calibration target that consists of a solid graspable object;
• powering down said roll and wrist mechanisms;
• activating said reach and grab mechanisms to grasp said solid graspable object;
• and
• recording the position of said roll and wrist mechanisms as a result of said grasp operation, and
• repeating said step of executing for each subsequent level of said hierarchy.

In a robot arm system having an end effectuator with an associated vision system, a method of calibrating the position of said end effectuator comprising the steps of:

• storing a hierarchial sequence of independent calibration operations;
• executing all of said calibration operations on a first level of said hierarchy including the step of:
• visually calibrating said robot arm using said vision system;
• and
• repeating said step of executing for each subsequent level of said hierarchy.

In a non-anthromorphic robot arm system consisting of two or more non-interactive mechanisms and having an end effectuator with an associated vision system, a method of calibrating the position of said end effectuator comprising the steps of:

• initially calibrating each of said two or more non-interactive mechanisms using mechanical calibrations consisting of:
• locating a home position for one or more of said two or more non-interactive mechanisms,
• grasping a graspable calibration target object with said end effectuator;
• calibrating one or more of said two or more non-interactive mechanisms using said vision system when said initial calibrations are completed comprising the steps of:
• positioning said end effectuator opposite a vision calibration target,
• activating said vision system to determine the position of said vision calibration target,
• recording the position of said vision calibration target,
• rotating said vision system 90 degrees from the position of said positioning step,
• reactivating said vision system to determine the position of said vision calibration target,
• recording the position of said vision calibration target,
• positioning said end effectuator opposite a designated storage location in response to a request to retrieve/replace an object in said designated storage location,
• activating said vision system to determine the position of a vision target associated with said storage location, and
• repositioning said end effectuator based on the position of said associated vision target as determined by said vision system.

Apparatus for calibrating a robot arm comprising:

• means for mechanically determining the position of said robot arm;
• means for visually determining the position of said robot arm, subsequent to and independent of said mechanical determination;
• and
• means for calibrating said arm based on said determined positions.