METHOD FOR PROVIDING SENSORY FEEDBACK TO THE OPERATOR OF A PORTABLE MEASUREMENT MACHINE
First Claim
1. A method for providing feedback to the operator of a portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) which measures the position of an object in a selected volume, the CMM including a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints, a measurement probe attached to a first end of said articulated arm and an electronic circuit which receives the position signals from transducers in said arm and which provides a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of the probe in a selected volume, comprising:
- sensing deformation of a portion of said articulated arm when said arm is placed under a load, said deformation being an indication of the magnitude of the external force being applied to such arm; and
providing feedback to the operator of the CMM in response to said sensed external forces.
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Abstract
A method for providing feedback to the operator of a portable coordinate measurement machine which comprises an articulated arm having jointed arm segments is presented. The method includes sensing deformation of a portion of the articulated arm when the arm is placed under a load, the deformation being an indication of the magnitude of the external force being applied to the arm, and providing feedback to the operator of the CMM in response to the sensed external forces.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for providing feedback to the operator of a portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) which measures the position of an object in a selected volume, the CMM including a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of joints, a measurement probe attached to a first end of said articulated arm and an electronic circuit which receives the position signals from transducers in said arm and which provides a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of the probe in a selected volume, comprising:
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sensing deformation of a portion of said articulated arm when said arm is placed under a load, said deformation being an indication of the magnitude of the external force being applied to such arm; and
providing feedback to the operator of the CMM in response to said sensed external forces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39)
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36. The method of claim 36 wherein said third, fourth and fifth sensors are positioned at about 120 degrees with respect to each other.
Specification