Suppose I pick up a AL5D or similar, how does one go about calibrating it for lab use? For example, if I put an object in the gripper and start from some origin in space, how do I go about translating the various servo’s positions into some X,Y, and Z scaled position with respect to that origin position. Does the included software provide that functionality through its inverse kinematics implementation? Or is the IK positioning done only in relative dimensionless fashion, from one “learned” position to the next?
Also, If I can derive position from reported servo position, what can I expect for resolution and repeatability and so forth?
OK, good to know. But, so far as calibration goes, or I guess I mean scaling or some such thing. Here’s what I’m after: I imagine the functionality where a position is recorded is about saving an ADC conversion of each of the servo’s feedback signals. Is there a built-in way to convert a saved collection of servo feedback signals to a scaled X,Y,Z location of the effector? For example, I start with the robot in a certain position and record that position. If I get to name the position, I’d call it “origin”. Then I move the robot so the effector is 5CM “up”, 5CM “over”, 5CM “away” and record that new position. I’d name that position “X=5, Y=5, Z=5”. Is there built in functionality to allow me to move to X=2.5, Y=2.5, Z=2.5 without having to “teach” the robot that position first?
If you opt for the AL5D w/FlowBotics Studio, you simply drag the arm on screen from starting position, record it, and then move it to the end position, record it, and play it back. Very simple. If you opt for the BotBoarduino version, we have sample code which uses the PS2 controller, so you would need to adapt this code (which uses inverse kinematics) to your needs.
Although both RIOS and FlowBotics have support for inverse kinematics and calculate the servo angles necessary to put the effector in a specific Cartesian position, none of them expose the coordinates systems in way that you can perform an operation like this.
However, since the AL5 demo project that comes with FlowBotics Studio is made to be edited, you could change the underlying code to expose such a coordinate system and adjust the UI to allow you to input your coordinates.
