Roll angle measurement based on common path compensation principle

Abstract

We propose a novel and compact roll angle displacement measurement method based on collimated laser position measurement and the common path compensation principle. The principles of the roll angle displacement measurement and the common path compensation are analyzed. The feasibility of the measurement method is verified, and the experimental results revealed a linear correlation coefficient of 0.99995 between the relative displacement of the measuring beam spot and the angular displacement. Furthermore, the theoretical measurement resolution is 0.013 arcsec. To test the performance of the compensation, a series of experiments, including one system stability experiment and two different environmental interference experiments, were performed. The experimental results indicated that the standard deviations of the measuring beam spot’s angular drift were improved by 82.6–87.2%. Thus, the stability of the system and the measurement resolution were improved.