Flexible Robot Arm Position Modeling With Bragg Reflector Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible arm robots, such as continuum arm robots and borescopes, face challenges in accurate positional control due to their flexible nature, making it difficult to determine their shape and position within a workspace, which hinders automated control and precise task execution.
Innovation Solution
Integration of distributed Bragg reflectors into flexible arm robots, combined with machine learning algorithms that utilize data from sensors and interrogators to determine a calibration function for the position of the Bragg reflector, allowing for accurate shape and position determination of the robotic arm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If flexible arm robots are used to access inaccessible spaces, then versatility and adaptability are improved, but positional control accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical positioning systems with optical sensing systems. Distributed Bragg reflectors integrated into the flexible arm work with optical interrogators to detect position and shape through optical wavelength changes, eliminating reliance on mechanical encoders and sensors that are difficult to implement in flexible structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces distributed Bragg reflectors as intermediary elements embedded within the flexible arm structure. These reflectors act as mediators between the flexible arm's physical deformation and the measurement system, converting mechanical strain into measurable optical wavelength shifts that accurately represent the arm's position and shape.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the flexible arm robot structure is made more flexible, then adaptability is improved, but the ability to determine exact shape and position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds distributed Bragg reflectors directly within the layers of the flexible arm structure itself. The optical sensing elements are nested inside the flexible arm's construction, allowing the sensing system to move with the arm and accurately track its deformation without adding external bulk or rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in optical wavelength parameters detected by the distributed Bragg reflectors to measure the flexible arm's position and shape. As the arm deforms, the physical strain changes the reflected wavelength, providing continuous, accurate measurement data that correlates directly with the arm's configuration.
3Measurement precision
If complex systems are implemented to determine robot position and shape, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the distributed Bragg reflector system multi-functional. The same optical sensing infrastructure simultaneously provides both position information and shape information along the entire length of the flexible arm, eliminating the need for separate sensor systems for different measurement types and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous optical sensing along the flexible arm's length using distributed Bragg reflectors. Rather than discrete measurement points, the distributed nature of the reflectors provides continuous measurement data throughout the arm's structure, enabling precise determination of position and shape at any point along the flexible segment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed solution enables precise determination of the shape and position of flexible arm robots, improving their accuracy and enabling automated control, which is crucial for reliable inspection and repair processes.
Implementation Method 1
interrogating the distributed Bragg reflector during these movements; measuring the change in Bragg wavelength as the robot bends
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining the position and shape of a flexible arm robot having at least one distributed Bragg reflector integrated, the method comprising: moving the flexible arm robot through a series of movements; tracking the movements of the flexible arm robot and recording positional data of at least a section of the flexible arm robot as a ground truth and interrogating the distributed Bragg reflector during these movements; inputting the data from the interrogation of the distributed Bragg reflector and the camera into a machine learning algorithm; using the output of the machine learning algorithm to determine a calibration function for the position of the distributed Bragg reflector within the flexible arm robot; and applying the calibration function to software used to control the movement of the flexible arm robot.