In some embodiments, an articulated arm coordinate measurement machine can include a plurality of transfer members and a plurality of articulation members connecting the plurality of transfer members to each other to measure an angle between the transfer members. The machine can additionally include at least one coordinate acquisition member positioned at an end of the articulated arm. Further, the machine can include a harness connected to at least one of the group consisting of the transfer members and the articulation members to support at least a portion of the weight of the transfer members and the articulation members. The harness can also be configured to mount to a human.

A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) includes an articulated arm including rotary joints. At least one of the rotary joints includes bearings; a shaft that engages an inner diameter of the bearings, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the bearings; a housing having at least one port that engages an outer diameter of at least one of the bearings; and at least one transducer configured to output an angle signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the axis of rotation. The shaft has no portion whose diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the first bearing or the second bearing, or the at least one port of the housing has no portion whose diameter is narrower than the outer diameter of the first bearing or the second bearing.

A probe for an optical measurement system includes a probe body arranged to be adjustably mounted in a measuring machine for optically measuring a test object. A single mode fiber optically coupled within the probe body transmits a source beam having an instantaneous or sequentially established bandwidth spanning a range of wavelengths to the probe body and also transmits a measurement beam from the probe body toward a detector. An adjustable beam manipulator within the probe body spatially excludes portions of the reference beam over a progression of different size portions from being focused within the acceptance cone of the single mode fiber to more closely balance the intensities of the reflected object beam and the reflected reference beam within the measurement beam.

Coordinate measuring machine, comprising an optical sensor for capturing image data of a workpiece. The optical sensor comprises a lens, which defines an optical axis, and an illumination device for illuminating the workpiece. The illumination device comprises a diffusely radiating luminous body and an optical filter having a plurality of separate light passages. Light emitted by the luminous body enters the filter on an underside thereof, passes through the light passages and emerges again from the filter on an opposite top side thereof. Each of the light passages transmits only light rays that form an angle smaller than a predefined limiting angle with a longitudinal axis of the respective light passage. The lens and the filter are inclined relative to one another in such a way that a normal vector aligned perpendicularly to the top side of the filter forms an inclination angle other than 0° with the optical axis.

Some embodiments of the present invention relate to a coordinate measuring machine CMM, comprising a carrier as a support and positioning structure for an end-effector as a target, the end-effector being movable in at least three degrees of freedom and positionable by the carrier, a stationary metrology table as a support for a possible target object, and a control unit controlling the moving of the end-effector by the carrier. The CMM further comprises at least one, in particular at least two, imaging detectors for measuring and determining in six degrees of freedom a position of the possible target object, and an analysing unit for processing electronic signals and/or data delivered by the imaging detectors. According to the invention, the imaging detectors are firmly mounted to the metrology table, mechanically de-coupled from the carrier.

A position detection system is able to detect the three dimensional position of at least one target (10). Each target (10) is configured to act as a retro-reflector for light incident from any direction. At least one light emitter illuminates the at least one target (10) and at least one detector (24) is provided for detecting and taking measurements of light retro-reflected from a target (10). There is also provided a processor for processing measurements taken by each detector (24) to determine the three dimensional position of the at least one target (10).

An illumination device includes first, second, and third light-emitting diode chips arranged around a center axis along virtual outlines of first, second, and third geometric figures, respectively. The geometric figures are concentric. A bond wire is connected to a connection point of each chip in its peripheral region. Multiple groups are defined, with each including one each of the first, second, and third chips. Within a first group, the first, second, and third chips are arranged on first, second, and third virtual rays, respectively. The rays each intersect only a single light-emitting diode chip, are transverse to the center axis, and originate at, and extend outwardly from, the center axis. In the first group, the second chip neighbors the first chip, the third chip neighbors the second chip, and the chips are rotated relative to one another such that the respective connection points are oriented in different directions.

A measuring apparatus, in particular a coordinate measuring machine, comprising a first optical sensor for recording an image in an image capturing region during a first image recording time period, a first control signal transducer providing a first control signal representing the first image recording time period, a measurement illumination arrangement for illuminating the image capturing region, a second optical sensor for recording an image in the image capturing region during a second image recording time period outside of the first image recording time period, a second control signal transducer providing a second control signal representing the second image recording time period, and a control device for controlling the measurement illumination arrangement during the first image recording time period in a manner dependent on the first control signal and controlling the measurement illumination arrangement during the second image recording time period in a manner dependent on the second control signal.

A method for testing printed circuit boards (20) in a test apparatus having a carrying apparatus for the printed circuit board (20) and having test modules for measuring physical variables of components (EB) and contact points (29) on the printed circuit board (20), in which the width of the printed circuit board (20) defines an X direction, its length defines a Y direction and its thickness defines a Z direction inside the test apparatus, reference points, the X, Y and Z positions of which relative to the carrying apparatus are known, are present on the printed circuit board (20) or outside the latter, the X and Y positions of the components (EB) and contact points (29) relative to the reference points are known, the measurement of the physical variables depends on an actual Z position of the printed circuit board at the X and Y positions of the component (EB) or contact point (29) to be measured, and the actual Z position of the printed circuit board at the X and Y positions of the component (EB) or contact point (29) to be measured is determined by means of an interpolation method starting from the X, Y and Z positions of selected reference points.

A system and method for determining an absolute position of an object in an area is presented. The system includes a server having a processor, and a plurality of camera nodes coupled to the server. Each node includes a camera that acquires images of the object and area. The server receives image data from a camera, detects the object within an approximate location by image analysis techniques, and determines a relative position of the object in pixel coordinates. The processor then detects stationary markers proximate to the relative location of the object, determines an absolute position of the detected markers relative to known markers to define an absolute position of the marker, and determines an absolute location of the object in relation to the absolute location of the detected marker. This absolute position of the object is provided to an official to accurately locate the object in the area.