How can you maintain robotic manipulation and motion planning system accuracy?

1 Sensor calibration

One of the first steps to improve the accuracy of your robotic systems is to calibrate your sensors properly. Sensors are devices that measure physical quantities such as position, orientation, force, torque, velocity, acceleration, and so on. They provide feedback to your control algorithms and enable your robots to perceive the environment and adjust their actions accordingly. However, sensors can have errors, biases, drifts, noise, and nonlinearities that affect their performance and reliability. Therefore, you need to calibrate your sensors regularly and compensate for their imperfections using appropriate methods and tools.

2 Model identification

Another important step to enhance the accuracy of your robotic systems is to identify your models accurately. Models are mathematical representations of the dynamics and kinematics of your robots and their interactions with the environment. They allow you to simulate, analyze, and optimize your robotic systems and design suitable control strategies. However, models can have uncertainties, errors, and simplifications that limit their accuracy and validity. Therefore, you need to identify your models accurately using data-driven or physics-based methods and validate them using experiments and benchmarks.

3 Algorithm selection

A third crucial step to maintain the accuracy of your robotic systems is to select your algorithms wisely. Algorithms are the computational procedures that implement your control strategies and solve your manipulation and motion planning problems. They determine how your robots generate, execute, and adapt their motions and actions to achieve their goals and cope with uncertainties and constraints. However, algorithms can have limitations, trade-offs, and assumptions that affect their efficiency and robustness. Therefore, you need to select your algorithms wisely based on your objectives, requirements, and resources and evaluate them using performance metrics and criteria.

4 Actuator tuning

A fourth essential step to preserve the accuracy of your robotic systems is to tune your actuators properly. Actuators are the devices that convert electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic signals into mechanical motions and forces. They enable your robots to move and manipulate objects and interact with the environment. However, actuators can have nonlinearities, delays, hysteresis, backlash, and wear and tear that degrade their performance and durability. Therefore, you need to tune your actuators properly using feedback or feedforward control methods and adjust their parameters and settings according to your specifications and conditions.

5 Disturbance rejection

A fifth important step to protect the accuracy of your robotic systems is to reject disturbances effectively. Disturbances are the unwanted or unexpected inputs or outputs that affect your robotic systems and cause deviations from their desired behaviors and outcomes. They can originate from internal sources such as sensor noise, actuator faults, or model errors or from external sources such as environmental changes, human interference, or task variations. Therefore, you need to reject disturbances effectively using robust or adaptive control methods and enhance the resilience and stability of your robotic systems.

6 Accuracy assessment

A sixth and final step to verify the accuracy of your robotic systems is to assess it regularly. Accuracy assessment is the process of measuring, comparing, and evaluating the actual and desired performance and results of your robotic systems. It allows you to identify and quantify the sources and effects of errors and uncertainties and to improve your design and operation decisions and actions. Therefore, you need to assess the accuracy of your robotic systems regularly using appropriate methods and tools such as sensors, cameras, markers, trackers, or software.