Laser-Tracker-Based Robot Pose Measurement Using PSD Spot Sensing and Multi-Sensor Fusion with Simulation Validation

Accurate measurement of robotic pose is indispensable for large-scale precision manufacturing and robotic calibration, particularly because traditional robotic kinematic models often fall short owing to environmental disturbances and structural uncertainties. Laser tracker systems offer high-precision, large-volume measurement capabilities and are therefore appealing as external references for robot pose estimation; however, their practical efficacy is heavily reliant on optical tracking stability, sensor noise levels, and system robustness. This paper introduces a laser tracker-based framework for measuring robot pose, which integrates PSD-based optical spot sensing, multi-sensor fusion, and simulation-based system analysis. A prototype PSD sensing subsystem has been developed utilizing analog signal conditioning, high-speed A/D sampling, and FPGA-based centroid computation. Bench experiments validate the linearity, geometric sensitivity, and robustness of the PSD sensing chain under controlled spot translations and various ambient illumination conditions. Results demonstrate that the PSD response is nearly linear within a ±0.9 mm spot displacement and that the implementation of an interference optical filter significantly enhances measurement repeatability under background light. At the system level, a comprehensive simulation framework is established wherein PSD measurements are fused with inertial and encoder data via an extended Kalman filter. The simulations explore the effects of process noise tuning, time synchronization, systematic error sources, and control strategies on pose estimation accuracy. Ranging-related effects and error-compensation mechanisms are analyzed within the context of modeling and simulation, providing insights into the interferometric ranging principle underlying the complete laser tracker system. The validation of the prototype alongside simulation results demonstrates that PSD-based optical tracking, combined with multi-sensor fusion and layered error compensation, can effectively improve robustness and positional accuracy. The proposed framework offers valuable guidance for the development and phased validation of laser tracker-oriented robot pose measurement systems in complex industrial environments.