On-line free form surface measurement via a fuzzy-logic controlled scanning probe

This paper presents a system and methodology for on-line free form surface measurement via a scanning contact probe installed on a CNC (computer numerical control) machine. The scanning probe provides more sampling points than any traditional touch trigger type of probes used on CNC machines, and better measuring accuracy than laser displacement sensing or structured lighting. The presented measuring system's main advantage is that the number of measured points can vary with the change of surface curvature. To improve the measuring stability and continuity, fuzzy logic control, in lieu of traditional PID control, is employed. As a result, the system is capable of continuously detecting the boundaries of a measured object and measuring a relatively large complex surface. Based on the experimental results, the measuring accuracy is estimated between 20 and 30 mu m (micrometers). In addition to surface measurement, the reconstructed surface data can be fed to a CAD/CAM system for component making or reproduction, which makes the reverse engineering of models comprised of free form surfaces readily accessible. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.