METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATING A NON-CONTACT GAUGING SENSOR WITH RESPECT TO AN EXTERNAL COORDINATE SYSTEM

The laser tracker is positioned at a vantage point to detect and calibrate its reference frame to the external reference frame demarcated by light-reflecting retro reflector. A tetrahedron framework with retro reflector mounted on one of the vertices serves as a reference target that is placed in front of the non-contact sensor to be calibrated. The laser tracker reads and calibrates the position of the retro reflector (and thus the tetrahedron) while the structured light of the non-contact sensor is projected onto the framework of the reference target. The structured light intersects with and reflects from the reference target, providing the non-contact sensor with positional and orientation data. These data are correlated to map the coordinate system of the non-contact sensor to the coordinate system of the external reference frame.