Prismatic alignment artifact

• US 8,379,224 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Piasse, Michael Louis, Costello, John, Cleland, Mike D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Punnoose, Roy M
• Application Number:
  US12/562,427
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 356/601, 356/608, 356/611, 356/614, 356/620, 700/195
• US Class Current: 356/601
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

A prismatic alignment artifact includes an artifact body having a prismatic shape.

Claims

1. A prismatic alignment artifact, comprising:

an artifact body having a prismatic shape to be positioned on a surface to be measured;

at least one face-identifying feature provided in at least one of a plurality of faces extending between an attachment surface of the artifact body and an apex surface of the artifact body, wherein the at least one face-identifying feature comprises an opening in a corresponding one of the faces; and

an aperture to receive a metrology device to measure a location of the artifact body on the surface.

2. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 1, wherein the apex surface is spaced-apart from the attachment surface.

3. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 1, further comprising at least one pry notch provided in the artifact body.

4. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 1, wherein the metrology device is carried by the artifact body via the aperture.

5. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim, 1 wherein the metrology device comprises a laser tracking target.

6. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 1, wherein the metrology device comprises a photogrammetry target.

7. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 1, wherein a scanner collects adjacent point clouds of the surface using the artifact body, wherein a point pairs alignment is performed on the adjacent point clouds to achieve a first level of accuracy.

8. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 7, wherein a best fit alignment is performed on the adjacent point clouds to achieve a second level of accuracy greater than the first level of accuracy.

9. A prismatic alignment artifact, comprising:

an artifact body having a prismatic shape and including;

a planar attachment surface;

a planar apex surface spaced apart from the attachment surface;

a plurality of faces extending between the attachment surface and the apex surface;

at least one face-identifying feature provided in at least one of the plurality of faces, wherein the at least one face-identifying feature comprises a number of openings in a corresponding one of the faces; and

an aperture provided in the apex surface to receive a metrology device for determination of a location of the artifact body on a surface via a scan to collect adjacent point clouds of the surface using the artifact body.

10. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 9, further comprising at least one pry notch provided in the artifact body.

11. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 9, wherein the metrology device comprises a laser tracking target.

12. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 9, wherein the metrology device comprises a photogrammetry target.

13. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 9, wherein a point pairs alignment is performed on the adjacent point clouds to a first accuracy.

14. The prismatic alignment artifact of claim 13, wherein a best fit alignment is performed on the adjacent point clouds to a second accuracy greater than the first accuracy.

15. A method of measuring a surface, comprising:

providing a plurality of prismatic alignment artifacts each having a prismatic artifact body;

distributing the prismatic alignment artifacts over a surface to be measured;

measuring locations of the prismatic alignment artifacts on the surface to be measured;

measuring locations of known features on the surface to be measured;

transforming the locations of the prismatic alignment artifacts in a global coordinate system;

collecting adjacent point clouds of the surface to be measured;

performing point pairs alignment to achieve semi-accurate alignment of the adjacent point clouds; and

performing best fit alignment to achieve accurate alignment of the adjacent point clouds.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring locations of the prismatic alignment artifacts on the surface to be measured comprises measuring locations of the prismatic alignment artifacts on the surface using laser tracking.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring locations of the prismatic alignment artifacts on the surface to be measured comprises measuring locations of said prismatic alignment artifacts on said surface using photogrammetry methods.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein distributing the prismatic alignment artifacts over the surface to be measured comprises distributing the prismatic alignment artifacts over an aircraft surface.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein distributing the prismatic alignment artifacts over the surface to be measured comprises distributing the prismatic alignment artifacts onto an exterior surface of a panel of an aircraft.

20. A prismatic alignment artifact, comprising:

an artifact body having a prismatic shape and including;

a planar attachment surface;

a planar apex surface spaced-apart from the attachment surface;

six planar faces extending between the attachment surface and the apex surface with adjacent ones of the faces disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to each other;

base edges defined between the attachment surface and the faces, respectively;

a pry notch provided in one of the base edges;

openings provided in alternating ones of the faces;

wherein a first one of the openings is provided in a first one of the alternating ones of the faces, wherein second and third ones of the openings are provided in a second one of the alternating ones of the faces, and wherein fourth, fifth and sixth ones of the openings are provided in a third one of the alternating ones of the faces; and

an aperture provided in the apex surface to receive a metrology device to measure a location of the artifact body on a surface to be measured, wherein a scanner is to collect adjacent point clouds of the surface using the artifact body, wherein a point pairs alignment is to be performed on the adjacent point clouds to a first accuracy, and wherein a best fit alignment is to be performed on the adjacent point clouds to a second accuracy greater than the first accuracy.

21. A method of measuring a surface, comprising:

providing a plurality of prismatic alignment artifacts each having a prismatic artifact body including;

a generally planar attachment surface;

a generally planar apex surface spaced-apart from the attachment surface;

six generally planar artifact faces extending between the attachment surface and the apex surface with adjacent ones of the artifact faces disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to each other;

base edges defined between the attachment surface and the artifact faces, respectively;

at least one pry notch provided in at least one of the base edges;

openings provided in alternating ones of the artifact faces;

wherein the openings comprise one opening provided in a first one of the alternating ones of the artifact faces, two openings provided in a second one of the alternating ones of the artifact faces and three openings provided in a third one of the alternating ones of the artifact faces;

an aperture provided in the apex surface; and

a single point metrology device inserted in the aperture;

distributing the prismatic alignment artifacts over an aircraft surface to be measured;

measuring coordinate locations of the apertures of the prismatic alignment artifacts, respectively, on the aircraft surface to be measured using at least one of laser tracking and photogrammetry methods;

measuring coordinate locations of known features on the surface to be measured;

transforming the coordinate locations of the prismatic alignment artifacts in a global coordinate system;

collecting adjacent point clouds of the surface to be measured by performing scans using at least one of a laser scanner and a white light scanner;

performing point pairs alignment to achieve semi-accurate alignment of the adjacent point clouds; and

performing best fit alignment to achieve accurate alignment of the adjacent point clouds.

22. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising removing the prismatic alignment artifacts from the aircraft surface to be measured and stacking the prismatic alignment artifacts.