Measurement system having air temperature compensation between a target and a laser tracker

• Main Authors: Hoffer John M, Lasley Daniel G, Bridges Robert E, Steffey Kenneth, Cramer Peter G, Steffensen Nils P, Mehler Robert C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.11.2016
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; NAVIGATION; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; SURVEYING; TESTING; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

A target is provided having a retroreflector. A body is provided having a spherical exterior portion, the body containing a cavity. The cavity is sized to hold the retroreflector, the cavity open to the exterior of the body and having at least one surface opposite the opening, the retroreflector at least partially disposed in the cavity, wherein the retroreflector and at least one surface define a space therebetween. A transmitter is configured to emit an electromagnetic signal. A first actuator is configured to initiate emission of the electromagnetic signal, wherein the transmitter and the first actuator are affixed to the body.