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An invisible-stylus-based coordinate measurement system via scaled orthographic projection
Published
Author(s)
Joshua A. Gordon, Steven S. Borenstein
Abstract
We present on a simple yet effective method for creating an invisible stylus from which a non-contact 3-D coordinated measuring system (the PiCMS) is realized. This invisible stylus dubbed a Pixel Probe is created through the orthographic projection of a spherical mounted reflector (SMR) through a trifocal camera system. Through this, a single point in space that is linked to a laser tracker world frame is mapped to a unique set of pixel coordinates in the trifocal camera creating the Pixel Probe. The system is constructed through the union of a Pixel Probe, a laser tracker, and calibrated XYZ stage, and does not require contact to obtain a measurement. In the current configuration, system resolution and accuracy better than 20 μm is demonstrated on objects in the meso/micro scale that are well below the range of a laser tracker alone. A simple single-point coincidence condition allows the user to specify a measurement coordinate by pointing-and-clicking in the images captured by the Pixel Probe. We describe this system using multi-view geometry vision theory and present proof of concept measurement examples of 2-D and 3-D objects.
Citation
Precision Engineering-Journal of the International Societies for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology
Gordon, J.
and Borenstein, S.
(2018),
An invisible-stylus-based coordinate measurement system via scaled orthographic projection, Precision Engineering-Journal of the International Societies for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=925863
(Accessed October 17, 2025)