Improving the accuracy of a vibratory sensor using Kalman filtering

Abstract

SUMMARY This paper presents a Kalman filtering technique for reducing errors in locating 3-D objects using a sensor system. The location information is employed to control the motion of an industrial robot to pick up the objects. The sensor consists of a rigid platform mounted on a flexible column. Each object to be located is placed on the sensor. The static deflections and natural frequencies of vibrations of the sensor are measured and processed to determine the position and orientation of the object. In practice, the sensor signals obtained are corrupted with noise leading to errors in location determination. A Kalman filter is used to reduce the noise present in the sensor system.