Abstract: applications require agile and accurate positioning of a high power laser beam. Agile positioning is generally accomplished via manipulation of some jointed support apparatus such as a robot arm. The size and weight limitations of high power lasers prevent placement of the laser at the final node of the robot arm. Hughes has developed a continuous, automatic, closed loop, alignment system for robot arm propagation of a high power laser beam based on conical scan tracking. The Hughes design employs a low power, continuous, HeNe laser for control purposes which is co-aligned with the high power beam. The control system receives its continuous feedback from a retro- reflective annulus located at the final node of the robot arm. The system includes a coelostat at each joint enabling complete angular coverage. The type II control system operates with a 30 Hz bandwidth ensuring precise alignment over typical arm velocities and accelerations.!5
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