The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 31, 1999
Filed:
Apr. 02, 1997
Stephen Lang Dickerson, Atlanta, GA (US);
Wayne J Book, Atlanta, GA (US);
Nader Sadegh, Marietta, GA (US);
Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus which allows one to maintain precision placement of a manipulator which undergoes repeated controlled motions or trajectories is provided. The structure of the apparatus is compliant such that the manipulator may be displaced by forces applied to the mechanical structure. This compliance is due to a lack of precision in the fabrication of the component parts of the machine, and to a lack of rigidity due to a lightweight design. This displacement is of a greater magnitude than the precision positioning tolerance of the apparatus. Consequently, the manipulator may then be displaced outside of the positioning tolerance due to applied forces. However, it is a characteristic of the present invention, that despite the compliance of the mechanical structure of the apparatus, the positioning tolerance will be maintained. The controlled motion is accomplished by the generation of control signals by computer software running on a computer control system. The control software enables the system to run at much greater speeds while not exciting unwanted movement or vibration in the compliant mechanical structure.