Methods, systems, and apparatus for calibration of an orientation between an end effector and an article

A robot calibration system, comprising:

• robotic component having an end effector with end effector fingers that are moveable relative to one another;
• a light beam sensor provided in a fixed orientation to the end effector fingers and oriented to determine whether the end effector fingers have an item to grasp;
• a teach tool coupled to an article at a first location, the teach tool including a geometrical calibration feature;
• and
• a controller adapted to command a robotic component to rotate a light beam of the light beam sensor about the centerline axis of the end effector around the geometrical calibration feature of the teach tool and calculate a position of a center of the geometrical calibration feature based upon edge interferences between the geometrical calibration feature and the light beam.

A calibration assisting tool, comprising:

• a base including a configuration adapted to couple to a receptacle of a sample rack;
• a first cylindrical post geometrical calibration feature extending from the base, the first cylindrical post geometrical calibration feature adapted to calibrate a geometrical center of the receptacle;
• a second flat surface geometrical calibration feature adapted to calibrate a vertical orientation of a bottom registry point of the receptacle;
• and
• a third crosswise geometrical calibration feature extending crosswise through the base or cylindrical post and adapted to calibrate a rotational orientation about the tool axis of the tool.

A method of calibrating a rotational position of end effector fingers of an end effector, comprising:

• providing a robotic component having the end effector and the end effector fingers that are moveable and adapted to grasp a component and a light beam sensor provided in a fixed orientation to the end effector fingers;
• providing a teach tool within a work envelope reachable by the end effector, the teach tool having a rotational geometrical calibration feature;
• grasping the teach tool with the end effector fingers of the end effector and rotating the teach tool relative to a scanner;
• scanning the teach tool with a bar code reader during the rotation to determine a rotational orientation of the teach tool;
• positioning the teach tool with the end effector in a known rotational orientation and releasing the end effector fingers from the teach tool;
• positioning the end effector with the light beam sensor proximate to the rotational geometrical calibration feature;
• and
• rotating the end effector and the light beam of the light beam sensor about the centerline axis of the end effector to determine the rotational orientation of the fingers relative to the rotational geometrical calibration feature.