A ROS-based kinematic calibration tool for serial robots

The use of serial robots for industrial and research purposes is often limited by a flawed positioning accuracy, caused by the differences between the robot nominal model, and the real one. Such an issue can be solved by means of kinematic calibration, which is usually a tedious and intricate task. In this paper, we propose a complete kinematic calibration procedure relying on established geometric modeling, measurements design and parameters identification methods, as well as multiple integration tools, to provide a high adaptability and a simplified handling. The overall process was bundled up in a ROS-based modular and user-friendly package, whose main objective is to offer a smooth and fully integrated framework for the kinematic calibration of serial robots. Our solution was successfully tested using a motion tracking device, and allowed to increase the overall positioning accuracy of two different serial robots by 75% in a matter of hours.