Angle-Distance Constraints Based Position and Orientation Estimation Method Using Workshop Measuring and Positioning System (wMPS)

Abstract

With the development of large-scale manufacturing in aerospace industry, the technologies are also changing, in which digital coordination is dominating. Digital and intelligent manufacturing models have been the key factors to the upgrade of quality and efficiency. High-accuracy measuring and positioning technologies are becoming more and more urgently needed. Real-time position and orientation estimation of large components and end effectors will become an important prerequisite for in-depth integration of metrology and manufacturing process. Workshop Measuring and Positioning System (wMPS) is a representative in response to these requirements. It consists of transmitters, receivers, a signal processor and a terminal computer, as depicted in figure 1. Two line-laser modules are fixed in the rotating head of each transmitter and the rotating angular speed is constant. The scanning angles between the transmitter and receivers can be determined by precise timing.

We propose a novel method for position and orientation estimation. It utilizes the constraints of laser planes, distances between receivers to solve a constrained optimization problem. The coordinates of receivers can be achieved in case that it is visible to only one transmitter.