Multi-point Triangulation

Point triangulation provides an elegant solution for applications requiring measurement at a single point on a surface, or along a single line on a part moving on a conveyor. More complex applications requiring profile measurements on 3D surfaces need measurement data from multiple points across the surface to monitor a complete surface profile.

One approach to achieving multiple point measurement is to literally mount a number of individual point sensors in a line across the surface. This approach has several disadvantages. Each sensor in the array must be individually mounted and interfaced to the host computer (both physical wiring connections and also communications ports with related software). Global calibration aligning each sensor in a common coordinate system is necessary. The result is a complex and costly implementation.
     
In another approach to dramatically simplify these applications, LMI offers a number of multipoint sensors, which project many laser lines onto the surface being measured, all housed in a single, factory globally calibrated package. The example shown has 24 lasers spaced at 25mm with two cameras each measuring the position of 12 lasers on the surface.  It is also important to note that the lasers are coplanar (all in line) along with the detectors.  This results in a very narrow scan plane that can be mounted into existing systems.  Some of the LMI sensors are available with up to an impressive 76 laser points projected from a single sensor package. Integration requires mounting only one sensor, connecting one cable, and as many as 76 surface profiles are provided. Mounting and connecting a single multi point sensor provides the same information that would be provided by implementing as many as 76 individual point sensor sensors.