Kinematic Calibration of a Redundant Robot in Closed-Loop System Using Indicated Competitive Swarm Method

Previous calibration techniques often relied on specialized end-effector trajectory tracking devices, such as a laser tracker, which can be expensive and impractical in specific environments. Furthermore, research on the calibration of redundant manipulators has been relatively scarce compared to non-redundant counterparts. To overcome these limitations, this article introduces a novel method for kinematic calibration of a damaged redundant serial robot, employing an indicated competitive swarm optimization with a finite-screw deviation model. The proposed kinematic calibration method utilizes a kinematic closed-loop method, which identifies an axis deviation without using expensive end-effector tracking equipment. Moreover, a competitive-swarm-inspired optimization model is introduced to efficiently identify axis deviations, significantly reducing the required calibration points compared to prior studies and facilitating calibration for redundant manipulators. Both simulation and experiment were conducted to validate the proposed method using a seven-degree-of-freedom redundant serial robot. The results demonstrate the proposed calibration method's effectiveness and practicality, which can be easily applied for a redundant robot calibration.