Pose alignment of aircraft structures with distance sensors and CCD cameras

A precise transshipment system is developed for automatic transporting material between an automated guided vehicle (AGV) and a load transfer station. In order to implement the alignment of the fixture base on board the AGV with that of the station, it's necessary to measure the pose of the AGV with respect to the station. The pose measurement system combined four distance sensors with two CCD cameras, with the distance sensors to measure the yaw, pitch angle and longitudinal deviation, and the cameras to determine the roll angle and the position deviation in the reference plane. A 6-degree of freedom (DOF) pose alignment system based on 3-DOF positioners is used to correct the pose deviation of the current pose with respect to the goal pose, lowering the demand on locating precision of AGV on the ground. The method to calibrate the whole measurement system is elaborately stated. The transshipment experiments have been conducted and the results show that the pose alignment system integrated with the proposed multi-sensor pose measurement system can meet the accuracy and repeatability required in industrial application.