To improve the accuracy of articulated arm coordinate measuring machines (AACMM) and simplify the calibration process, an improved self-calibration method was proposed. Unlike the traditional calibration methods, which need external expensive precision instruments and elaborate setups, the proposed self-calibration method only requires a gauge to assist the data acquisition operation. By designing a movement trajectory of the AACMM, a series of joint angles can be obtained to form overdetermined equations based on the kinematic model of the AACMM. Therefore, the structural parameters of the AACMM can be obtained by solving the equations. Consequently, the calibration can be achieved by solving these equations. The coefficient matrix of the equations was further analyzed to simplify the equations, and a constructive method was presented to identify the structural parameters by solving the simplified equations with a modified simulated annealing algorithm, in which an optimized search strategy was applied to improve the robustness and efficiency. Experimental studies on an AACMM validate the convenience and effectiveness of the proposed AACMM self-calibration approach.
Uncertainty Analysis of Three-Dimensional Coordinate Measuring Machines