An inductive position detector (IPD) for stylus position measurement in a scanning probe comprises a coil board configuration located along a central axis in the probe with a motion volume extending on opposite sides of the coil board configuration. The coil board configuration includes N top rotary sensing coils (RSCs) and a top axial sensing coil configuration (ASCC), and N bottom RSCs and a bottom ASCC. A pair of stylus-coupled conductive disruptors move along Z (axial) and X-Y (rotary) directions in the motion volume. A generating coil (GC) of the coil board configuration generates a changing magnetic flux (e.g., encompassing all or at least part of the disruptors), and coil signals indicate the disruptors and/or stylus positions. Areas of the conductive disruptors may be larger than an area of the generating coil in some implementations, and the conductive disruptors may each comprise a plurality of concentric conductive loops, spirals, etc.

A sensor comprising a whisker shaft and a follicle is provided. The shaft has a root end and a tip end and the shaft tapers from the root end to the tip end so that the root end is wider and the tip end is narrower. The root end is pivotably mounted in the follicle.

An inductive position detector (IPD) for stylus position measurement in a scanning probe comprises two substrates located along a central axis in the probe with a motion volume therebetween, each including N rotary sensing coils (RSCs) and respective axial sensing coil configurations (ASCC). A stylus-coupled conductive disruptor moves along Z (axial) and X-Y (rotary) directions in the motion volume. A generating coil (GC) generates a changing magnetic flux encompassing the disruptor and coils, and coil signals indicate the disruptor and/or stylus position. Axial projection of the disruptor defines axial sensing overlap area (ASOA) with the ASCC, and rotary sensing overlap areas (RSOAs) with respective RSCs. The IPD is configured such that the ASOA is independent of disruptor position, and N complementary pairs (CPs) of RSCs are provided, wherein the magnitude of the change in the RSOA in the two coils of a CP is the same for any disruptor displacement.

An articulating probe for a measurement device includes a base platform, a rotor platform that is movable relative to the base platform, and a sensor element coupled to the rotor platform. The rotor platform is coupled to the base platform via a spherical parallel kinematic system.

Provided is a defect judging unit for a measuring probe including: a stylus; four detection elements; and a signal processing part. The defect judging unit includes a defect judging part configured to compare four judged signals corresponding to the generated signals with predetermined thresholds when the object to be measured and the contact part are out of contact with each other and judge that a defect exists if any of the judged signals is greater than the predetermined threshold, and a judged result output part configured to output a judged result of the defect judging part. According to this configuration, the defect judging unit of the measuring probe and the defect judging method thereof capable of ensuring measurement reliability with a simple configuration are provided.

An inductive position detector (IPD) for stylus position measurement in a scanning probe comprises a coil board configuration located along a central axis in the probe with a motion volume extending on opposite sides of the coil board configuration. The coil board configuration includes N top rotary sensing coils (RSCs) and a top axial sensing coil configuration (ASCC), and N bottom RSCs and a bottom ASCC. A pair of stylus-coupled conductive disruptors move along Z (axial) and X-Y (rotary) directions in the motion volume. A generating coil (GC) of the coil board configuration generates a changing magnetic flux (e.g., encompassing all or at least part of the disruptors), and coil signals indicate the disruptors and/or stylus positions. Areas of the conductive disruptors may be larger than an area of the generating coil in some implementations, and the conductive disruptors may each comprise a plurality of concentric conductive loops, spirals, etc.

An inductive position detector (IPD) for stylus position measurement in a scanning probe comprises two substrates located along a central axis in the probe with a motion volume therebetween, each including N rotary sensing coils (RSCs) and respective axial sensing coil configurations (ASCC). A stylus-coupled conductive disruptor moves along Z (axial) and X-Y (rotary) directions in the motion volume. A generating coil (GC) generates a changing magnetic flux encompassing the disruptor and coils, and coil signals indicate the disruptor and/or stylus position. Axial projection of the disruptor defines axial sensing overlap area (ASOA) with the ASCC, and rotary sensing overlap areas (RSOAs) with respective RSCs. The IPD is configured such that the ASOA is independent of disruptor position, and N complementary pairs (CPs) of RSCs are provided, wherein the magnitude of the change in the RSOA in the two coils of a CP is the same for any disruptor displacement.

A touch trigger probe with a capacitive sensor for measuring three degrees of freedom with a sensor base and a sensor head which is spaced to the sensor base by a flexible suspension and can be capacitively coupled to the sensor base, whereby the suspension enables a relative movement in three degrees of freedom of the sensor head with respect to the sensor base following a displacement (d) of a probe tip when contacting the object with the probe tip. The suspension and the sensor are adapted to each other in such a way that there is a bijective map between the three degrees of freedom measured by the sensor and all three translational degrees of freedom of the displacement (d) of the probe tip center (C).

A touch trigger probe with a capacitive sensor for measuring three degrees of freedom with a sensor base and a sensor head which is spaced to the sensor base by a flexible suspension and can be capacitively coupled to the sensor base, whereby the suspension enables a relative movement in three degrees of freedom of the sensor head with respect to the sensor base following a displacement (d) of a probe tip when contacting the object with the probe tip. The suspension and the sensor are adapted to each other in such a way that there is a bijective map between the three degrees of freedom measured by the sensor and all three translational degrees of freedom of the displacement (d) of the probe tip center (C).

A measuring probe for a coordinate measuring machine is provided. The measuring probe includes a stylus position detection portion with a sensing coil configuration, signal processing and control circuitry and a temperature dependent compensation portion. The temperature dependent compensation portion includes a temperature dependent component that is coupled to at least part of the sensing coil configuration such that a change in a characteristic of the temperature dependent component due to an increase in temperature of the temperature dependent component causes a ratio of a first current to a second current to increase in the sensing coil configuration, wherein the first and second currents are in at least one first sensing coil and at least one second sensing coil, respectively, of the sensing coil configuration. Such implementations are configured to increase accuracy of the processed signals by at least partially compensating for certain affects that occur due to temperature changes.