Patent ID: 7386408

Claim:
A parallel kinematic machine comprising: a parallel kinematic mechanism including a base supported on a support platform, a parallel link mechanism having a plurality of driver shafts for holding the end effecter in the base; a numerical control device for controlling a position and an orientation of the end effecter by driving the driver shafts based on kinematics of the parallel kinematic mechanism; a posture setter for setting an adjustment tool attached to the end effecter in a known posture in a reference coordinate system defined outside of the parallel kinematic mechanism based on a predetermined measurement method, an axis of the end effecter and an axis of the adjustment tool being in agreement with each other; a data acquirer for acquiring data that has a form in accordance with a measurement method selecting code for designating the measurement method used by the posture setter in setting the adjustment tool in the known posture, and defines a correlation between kinematic parameters necessary for the kinematics of the parallel kinematic mechanism, and the reference coordinate system; a calculator for calculating at least the kinematic parameters based on the acquired data by directly using a relational expression describing forward kinematics of the parallel kinematic mechanism; a measurement method selector for selecting the measurement method selecting code; and an error evaluation function storage for storing therein at least one error evaluation function which is designated by the measurement method selecting code selected by the measurement method selector to evaluate the acquired data, the error evaluation function being a relational expression describing the forward kinematics of the parallel kinematic mechanism, wherein the calculator extracts the error evaluation function designated by the measurement method selecting code among the error evaluation functions stored in the error evaluation function storage, and uses the extracted error evaluation function to calculate the kinematic parameters that minimize the sum of the error evaluation function with respect to a certain number of data sets sufficient for identifying the kinematic parameters.