Using a Laser Tracker to Periodically Update a Robot Trajectory to Minimize Path Deviations

Abstract

NIST's Configurable Robotic Millimeter Antenna Facility (CROMMA) uses commercial robots to move probes around antennas and other objects while measuring their electromagnetic emissions. At millimetre wavelengths the probe position must be known to roughly 20-100 micrometres, yet measurements can run for up to 14 hours while ambient temperature changes and the robot warms up. This presentation shows how a laser tracker is used to periodically update the robot trajectory to minimize those path deviations. Presentation slides only; no written abstract is held in the CMS archive.