Robot system that includes the following an
articulated robot arm (110) which includes a first arm section (120) which is mounted on a first rotary joint (125) at a near end (PE1) of the first arm section (120), wherein the first rotary joint (125) has an axis of rotation (RA1) that is aligned along a z-axis direction, such that the first arm section (120) moves about the first rotary joint (125) in an xy-plane that is perpendicular to the z-axis, wherein the first arm section (120) has a second pivot connection (135) located at a remote end (DE1) of the first arm section (120), wherein the axis of rotation (RA2) of the second rotary joint (135) is essentially aligned along the z-axis direction; a second arm section (130) which is mounted on the second pivot point (135) at a near end (PE2) of the second arm section (130), such that the second arm section (130) moves about the second pivot point in an xy-plane which is substantially perpendicular to the z-axis; and a
motion control system (140) configured to control an end tool position (ETP) of an end tool (ETL) with an accuracy level defined as
robot accuracy, based at least partially on sensing and controlling the angular positions of the first and second arm sections (130) to control the first and second rotary joints, respectively, using position sensors (SEN1, SEN2) incorporated in the
articulated robot (110); and a determination
system (150) for additional measurement position coordinates, which in turn comprises the following a first
image acquisition configuration (160) comprising a first camera (
CAM1), wherein the first
image acquisition configuration (160) has an
optical axis (OA1) that is substantially parallel to the z-axis and has a
focus area along its
optical axis (OA1); an XY scale (170) comprising a substantially
planar substrate (SUB) oriented substantially perpendicular to the z-axis and several corresponding mapping features (IIF, AIF) distributed on the substrate (SUB), wherein the corresponding mapping features (IIF, AIF) are located at corresponding known XY scale coordinates on the XY scale (170); an image trigger section (181) configured to input at least one input
signal belonging to the end tool position (ETP) and to determine the time of a first
image acquisition trigger
signal based on the at least one input
signal and to output the first image acquisition trigger signal to the first image acquisition configuration (160), wherein the first image acquisition configuration (160) is configured to acquire a
digital image of the XY scale (170) at an image
acquisition time in response to receiving the first image acquisition trigger signal, and a
metrology position coordinate
processing section (190) configured to input the captured image and to identify at least one corresponding mapping feature (IIF, AIF) of the XY scale (170) contained in the captured image and the associated corresponding known XY scale coordinate location, wherein the determination system (150) for additional measurement position coordinates is configured such that one movable element from the XY scale (170) or the first image acquisition configuration (160) is coupled to the second arm section (130) near the remote end (DE2) of the second arm section (130) and the other is coupled to a stationary element (STE), wherein the location of the XY scale (170) along the z-axis is within the
focus area of the first image acquisition configuration (160) and the stationary from the XY scale (170) or the first image acquisition configuration (160) defines a first reference position (REF1); the determination system (150) for additional
metrology position coordinates is configured such that the
metrology position coordinate
processing section (190) is configured to determine a relative position between the movable from the XY scale (170) or the first image acquisition configuration (160) and the first reference position (REF1) with an accuracy level better than the
robot accuracy, based on determining an image position of the identified at least one corresponding imageable feature (IIF, AIF) in the acquired image; and the specific relative position specifies the metrology position coordinates of the end tool position (ETP) at the time of image acquisition with an accuracy level that is better than the
robot accuracy, at least for x and y metrology position coordinates in an xy plane that is perpendicular to the z-axis.