An apparatus including an inspection apparatus for inspecting an artefact, and a transfer mechanism for moving a pallet on which an artefact is located relative to the inspection apparatus so as to move the pallet to and from an inspection location, and further including at least one pallet lifter which can be actuated between a retracted and an extended configuration, configured such that when a pallet is at the inspection location the at least one pallet lifter can be actuated to its extended configuration so as to engage with and lift the pallet and thereby decouple the pallet from the transfer mechanism.

An apparatus including an inspection apparatus for inspecting an artefact, and a transfer mechanism for moving a pallet on which an artefact is located relative to the inspection apparatus so as to move the pallet to and from an inspection location, and further including at least one pallet lifter which can be actuated between a retracted and an extended configuration, configured such that when a pallet is at the inspection location the at least one pallet lifter can be actuated to its extended configuration so as to engage with and lift the pallet and thereby decouple the pallet from the transfer mechanism.

A system includes a robotic arm, a rotisserie control linkage, and a computer system. The robotic arm includes a touch probe and laser head. The rotisserie control linkage is configured to couple to a transport cart. The computer system is communicatively coupled to the robotic arm and the rotisserie control linkage and is configured to control the system to probe, using the touch probe of the robotic arm, a transparent outer layer of an aircraft canopy located on the transport cart in order to determine surface measurements of the aircraft canopy. The computer system also controls the system to ablate, using a plurality of predetermined parameters and the laser head of the robotic arm, an interface layer located between the transparent outer layer and the aircraft canopy, wherein movements of the robotic arm during the ablation are based on the surface measurements.

A form measuring instrument includes: a contact tip configured to contact with a workpiece; a movement mechanism configured to cause relative movement of the contact tip with respect to the workpiece; a movement controlling unit configured to control the movement mechanism; a contact sensor configured to detect a contact amount of the contact tip with the workpiece and output a detection signal corresponding to the contact amount; and an abnormality determining unit configured to determine an abnormality of sensitivity of the contact sensor based on a change in the detection signal outputted from the contact sensor during an operation of the movement mechanism in which the contact tip is pressed against the workpiece.

A form measuring instrument includes: a contact tip configured to contact with a workpiece; a movement mechanism configured to cause relative movement of the contact tip with respect to the workpiece; a movement controlling unit configured to control the movement mechanism; a contact sensor configured to detect a contact amount of the contact tip with the workpiece and output a detection signal corresponding to the contact amount; and an abnormality determining unit configured to determine an abnormality of sensitivity of the contact sensor based on a change in the detection signal outputted from the contact sensor during an operation of the movement mechanism in which the contact tip is pressed against the workpiece.

A surface sensing device is mounted on an articulating probe head of a coordinate measuring machine. The device includes an elongate probe holder which is rotatable about an axis. An elongate sensing module includes a surface finish or surface roughness probe with a stylus tip. This is connected to the probe holder via an adjustable knuckle joint. To determine the geometry of the surface sensing device, including the tip normal and drag vector of the stylus tip, the orientations of the probe holder and the sensing module are determined by probing points which are spaced along their lengths, using a separate probe.

A surface sensing device is mounted on an articulating probe head of a coordinate measuring machine. The device includes an elongate probe holder which is rotatable about an axis. An elongate sensing module includes a surface finish or surface roughness probe with a stylus tip. This is connected to the probe holder via an adjustable knuckle joint. To determine the geometry of the surface sensing device, including the tip normal and drag vector of the stylus tip, the orientations of the probe holder and the sensing module are determined by probing points which are spaced along their lengths, using a separate probe.

The inspection gauge is an inspection gauge for a coordinate measuring apparatus having a triangular pyramid shape, and includes a plurality of support members in which first ends are provided at positions corresponding to vertexes of the triangular pyramid and second ends are connected to each other in a region inside the triangular pyramid, and a plurality of spheres provided at positions corresponding to the vertexes of the triangular pyramid on the plurality of support members, and at least three support members of the plurality of support members have mutually different shapes.

A calibration fixture that enables more accurate calibration of a touch probe on, for example, a CMM, with respect to the camera. The camera is mounted so that its optical axis is approximately or substantially parallel with the z-axis of the probe. The probe and workpiece are in relative motion, along a plane defined by orthogonal x and y axes, and optionally the z-axis and/or and rotation R about the z-axis. The calibration fixture is arranged to image from beneath the touch surface of the probe and, via a 180-degree prism structure, to transmit light from the probe touch point along the optical axis to the camera. Alternatively, two cameras respectively view the fiducial location relative to the CMM arm and the probe location when aligned on the fiducial. The fixture can define an integrated assembly with an optics block and a camera assembly.

A calibration fixture that enables more accurate calibration of a touch probe on, for example, a CMM, with respect to the camera. The camera is mounted so that its optical axis is approximately or substantially parallel with the z-axis of the probe. The probe and workpiece are in relative motion, along a plane defined by orthogonal x and y axes, and optionally the z-axis and/or and rotation R about the z-axis. The calibration fixture is arranged to image from beneath the touch surface of the probe and, via a 180-degree prism structure, to transmit light from the probe touch point along the optical axis to the camera. Alternatively, two cameras respectively view the fiducial location relative to the CMM arm and the probe location when aligned on the fiducial. The fixture can define an integrated assembly with an optics block and a camera assembly.