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Six degree of freedom sensor

  • US 5,883,803 A
  • Filed: 09/24/1996
  • Issued: 03/16/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A six degree of freedom sensor, comprising:

  • a reflective bar;

    a reflective dot, wherein said reflective bar is tilted with respect to said reflective dot;

    wherein said reflective bar and reflective dot are attached to a workpiece;

    means for producing a light beam for simultaneously illuminating said reflective bar and said reflective dot;

    means for diverging said light beam;

    a beamsplitter for splitting light reflected from said reflective dot to produce a first reflected beam and a second transmitted beam;

    a first photodiode for detecting said first beam;

    a second photodiode for detecting said second beam;

    a lens to focus said second beam onto said first photodiode;

    a third photodiode for detecting light reflected from said reflective bar;

    a digitizer for digitizing the signals from said first, second and third photo diode; and

    a computer comprising a computer program for multiplying the digitized signals by a calibration matrix to produce matrix data, wherein said computer program decouples said matrix data into discrete position information in all six degrees of freedom.

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