Dynamic testing of laser trackers

Abstract Laser trackers measure and report the three-dimensional location of a retroreflector target in space. Inaccuracies in the rotary encoders that measure angle, the ranging system, or in the geometric relationship between the axes will produce errors in the location determination. Current standards and guides (and the draft international standard) for evaluating the performance of laser trackers focus on the measurement of a series of static point-to-point distances and the errors that are reported from those measurements. This paper reports on the development of a series of tests that characterize a laser tracker's performance as it collects data from a moving target.