Method and apparatus for locating physical objects

Abstract

A system for robot manipulator calibration by locating a physcial object by determining the position of the object relative to a sensor, which is attached to the manipulator. The sensor consists of a support member and at least three sensor members which are mounted to the support member and are arranged to make tangential contact with a curved surface, preferably a spherical surface, simultaneously at three spaced points on the surface, upon such contact the object is deemed to be "located". Tangential contact is accomplished by the use of light beams as sensors.