Using gripper mounted infrared proximity sensors for robot feedback control

Gripper mounted infrared proximity sensors can provide essential information concerning the neighborhood of the end effector whether it be for collision avoidance, workpiece location, or workpiece recognition. These sensors, along with a hierarchical control through an intelligent sensor interface computer, could offer simple, inexpensive, and reliable sensory feedback control of a robot in 3D space. This paper explains how infrared proximity sensors, strategically mounted in the finger tips of a general purpose parallel-jaw gripper, aid in the control of a robot arm. A sensor operating system was written in assembly language for the gripper control microcomputer to provide high level communications to a host computer. The system's input/output capabilities allow handshaking and sensory control between it and the robot.