A study for the development of a laser tracking system utilizing multilateration for high accuracy dimensional metrology

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Accurate dimensional measurement devices are critical for international industrial competitiveness for South Africa. An overview of all the necessary components of a laser tracking system using a multilateration technique for very accurate dimensional metrology is presented. A prototype laser tracker station was built to further investigate this type of system. The prototype successfully tracks a target within a volume of at least 200 200 200 mm3, approximately 300 mm away from the tracker. This system includes the mechanical design of a prototype tracker station, electronic implementation of ampli cation and motor control circuits, a tracking control algorithm, microcontroller programming and interfacing, as well as a user interface. Kinematic modelling along with Monte Carlo analyses nd the main error source of such a tracker as the beam steering mechanism gimbal axes misalignment. Multilateration is also motivated by the results found by the analysis. Furthermore, an initial sequential multilateration algorithm is developed and tested. The results of these tests are promising and motivate the use of multilateration over a single beam laser tracking system.