Non-contact scanning system

Abstract

A non-contact scanning system for three dimensional non-contact scanning of a work piece is disclosed for use in various applications including reverse engineering, metrology, dimensional verification and inspection The scanning system includes a scanner carried by an arcuately configured gantry assembly and a fixture for carrying a work piece. The gantry assembly includes a fixed arcuately shaped gantry member and a telescopic arm that is movable in an arcuate direction relative to a rotary table that carries the object to be scanned. A scanner is mounted on the end of the telescopic member and is movable in a radial direction. Objects to be scanned are mounted on a rotary table that is also movable in an X-Y direction or alternatively in the X, Y and Z directions under the control of a motion control subsystem, a machine control user interface subsystem and an image capture. The configuration of the scanning system in accordance with the present invention provides a spherically shaped scanning envelope which facilitates three dimensional modeling of the work piece.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for scanning a three dimensional object, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) securing the three dimensional object to a fixture assembly having at least three degrees of freedom of movement and a scanner configured to move along an arcuate path relative to the three dimensional object: and   (b) manipulating the movement of the fixture and the scanner so that a three dimensional image of said object can be made.   
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2  wherein step (a) comprises:
 (a) securing the three dimensional object to a fixture assembly having at least three degrees of freedom of movement and a scanner configured to move along an arcuate path relative to the three dimensional object: and further configured to move relative to a linear axis. 
 
     
     
         4 . A method for scanning a three dimensional object, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) securing the three dimensional object to a fixture assembly having a scanner configured to move along an arcuate path relative to the three dimensional object: and   (b) manipulating the movement of the fixture and the scanner so that a three dimensional image of said object can be made.