Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Torque sensor calibration using virtual load for a manipulator

  • Published:
International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Accurate load sensing of a manipulator becomes increasingly important in performing various tasks involving contact with an environment. Most of the research has been focused on improving the hardware of a force/torque sensor. The torque sensors for a manipulator suffer from crosstalk, which is difficult to compensate for even with sophisticated calibration. This research proposed a novel calibration method composed of two steps. Through the primary calibration, the torque sensor output can be related to the joint torques. The secondary calibration, which is based on a virtual load, is conducted to compensate for the crosstalk of a torque sensor. The virtual load is obtained from the sensed joint torques and manipulator configuration. Using the proposed calibration method, the external load acting on the end-effector of a manipulator can be accurately measured even with relatively low-quality torque sensors. The experimental results showed that the error in the load sensing was significantly reduced by the proposed calibration method.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kim, Y. H., “Laboratory-level Telesurgery with industrial robots and haptics devices communicating via the internet,” Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf., Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 25–29, 2009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kim, B. H., “Modeling and Analysis of Robotic Dual Soft-fingered Writing,” Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf., Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 17–23, 2009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Kang, C. G., “Performance Improvement of a 6-Axis Forcetorque Sensor via Novel Electronics and Cross-shaped Doublehole Structure,” Int. Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 469–476, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kim, G. S., “The design of a six-component force/moment sensor and evaluation of its uncertainty,” Measurement Science and Technology, Vol. 12, No. 9, pp. 1445–1455, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Shimano, B. E., “Kinematic design and force control of computer controlled manipulators,” Artificial Intelligence Lab., Stanford Univ., AI Memo No. 313, 1978.

  6. Bicchi, A., “A Criterion for Optimal Design of Multiaxis Force Sensors,” Journal of Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 269–286, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Voyles, Jr., R. M., Morrow, J. D. and Khosla, P. K., “Shape from motion approach to rapid and precise force/torque sensor calibration,” Proc. of Int. Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, DSC-Vol. 57-1, pp. 67–73, 1995.

  8. Ma, D., Hollerbach, J. M. and Xu, Y., “Gravity Based Autonomous Calibration for Robot Manipulators,” Proc. of Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 4, pp. 2763–2768, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kim, B. S., Yun, S. K. and Kang, S. C., “Development of a Joint Torque Sensor Fully Integrated with an Actuator,” Proc. of Int. Conf. on Control, Automation and Systems, pp. 1679–1683, 2005.

  10. Taghirad, H. D., Helmy, A. and Belanger, P. R., “Intelligent Built-in Torque Sensor for Harmonic Drive Systems,” Proc. of IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, pp. 969–974, 1997.

  11. Kim, J. Y., Park, I. W., Lee, J., Kim, M. S., Cho, B. K. and Oh, J. H., “System Design and Dynamic Walking of Humanoid Robot KHR-2,” Proc. of IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 1443–1448, 2005.

  12. Vischer, D. and Khatib, O., “Design and Development of High-Performance Torque-Controlled Joints,” IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 537–544, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Aghili, F., Buehler, M. and Hohherbach, J. M., “Design of a Hollow Hexaform Torque Sensor for Robot Joints,” International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 20, No. 12, pp. 967–976, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Denavit, J. and Hartenberg, R. S., “A Kinematic Notation for Lower Pair Mechanisms Based on Matrices,” J. of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 22, pp. 215–221, 1955.

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, 5Ga-1 Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 136-713

    Sang-Hyuk Lee, Young-Loul Kim & Jae-Bok Song

Authors
  1. Sang-Hyuk Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Young-Loul Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jae-Bok Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jae-Bok Song.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, SH., Kim, YL. & Song, JB. Torque sensor calibration using virtual load for a manipulator. Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf. 11, 219–225 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-010-0025-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-010-0025-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation