Cartesian approach to large scale co-ordinate measurement: InPlanT

A novel paradigm of coordinate measurement is presented, named InPlanT. The target application is the industrial measurement of large workpieces in harsh conditions, e.g. in aerospace industry. Like other techniques, a large measuring volume is covered by laser light with no contact. Unlike most other techniques, InPlanT relies on light only to point to a target, while the actual measurement is done by standard position sensors, such as linear encoders or interferometers. The actual coordinate measurement is relegated to the border of the measuring volume, possibly protected against a harsh environment. The principle, and the characteristics and expected errors of the main InPlanT subsystems, are described. The preliminary experimental results of the most critical subsystem – responsible to detect the target – are promising.