Position determination system, e.g. for use with industrial robots, in which non-isotropic directional radiation is transmitted from an object being monitored and detected by detection screens arranged around a monitoring volume

摘要

Position determination system (31) for determining the position of an object (29) within a measurement volume, comprises: at least one radiation transmitter (41) attached to the object (29) for emission of directional radiation (59, 67, 73) with a non-isotopic radiation intensity distribution and detection surfaces or screens (37) outside the measurement volume which detect the radiation from the transmitter. A computer calculates the position of an object in the measurement volume. An Independent claim is made for a processing or machining system with a robot that has a base and a frame with a number of moving frame members fixed to the base. The frame members have radiation transmitters attached to them that are detected by the detection surfaces of a position measurement system.