Joint Angle Measurement Using Strategically Placed Accelerometers and Gyroscope

Abstract

Optical and magnetic encoders are widely used to measure joint angles. These sensors are required to be installed at the axes of rotation (joint centers). However, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer and gyroscopebased joint angle measurement sensors possess the advantage of being flexible with regard to the point of installation. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are capable of providing orientation and are also used for joint angle estimation. They conventionally fuse gyroscope and accelerometer data using Kalman filterlike algorithm to estimate the joint angles. This research presents a novel approach of measuring joint parameters—joint angles, angular velocities, and accelerations, of two links joined by revolute or universal joint. The gravityinvariant vestibular dynamic inclinometer (VDI) and planar VDI (pVDI) are used on each link to measure the joint parameters of links joined by revolute and universal joints, respectively. The VDI consists of two dualaxis accelerometers and an uniaxial gyroscope, while the pVDI consists of four strategically placed dualaxis accelerometers and a triaxial gyroscope. The measurements of joint parameters using the presented algorithms are independent of integration errors/drift, do not require knowledge of robot dynamics, and are computationally less burdensome.