A Novel Method to Measure the Shape of 3D Objects Using Bilateral Vibration Touch Probe by Non-linear Synchronous Controller

Abstract

In this paper, a novel method to measure the shape of 3D objects is proposed, based on a bilateral vibration touch probe that outputs feedback voltage in accordance with its position. A bilateral vibration touch probe, with high-stiffness, is developed. The proposed probe consists of a piezo-electric device and a thin needle, and generates feedback voltage according to its relative distance from the object The structure of this probe is simple, allowing it to withstand high rates of acceleration during the measurement process. Measurement of an object's shape is performed using an unknown object, and the shape of the object is found by scanning the object's surface. Moreover, a nonlinear synchronous multi-axis control algorithm is proposed in order to scan the surface of arbitrary objects and measure their 3D shapes. The effectiveness of the developed probe and the proposed algorithm are demonstrated through experiments and simulations.