What is a high-speed 6D sensor?

High-speed 6-D sensor is a measuring instrument capable of non-contact 6-axis simultaneous measurement by combining the autocollimator method, triangulation method, and optical observation method. (Applied patent No. 5330114 technology)

Unlike contact-type 3D measuring instruments, the dedicated target is measured instantly without contact, and non-contact real-time measurement of 6-axis displacement is performed by detecting characteristic reflected light. Non-contact real-time measurement by laser beam is ideal for measurement of minute objects and high-speed moving objects that cannot be touched.

What is the autocollimator method?

A collimator is a device that artificially creates collimated light (light that travels in a straight line). The mechanism of the device is that light emitted from a light source is refracted and emitted through a lens to form collimated light. A machine that uses this mechanism to emit light inside is called an “autocollimator.

The 6-D sensor is equipped with a collimator, and the collimated light emitted from the 6-D sensor is incident on a special target and reflected. The reflected light enters the optical system of the tilt measurement section of the 6D sensor. The tilt measurement section is equipped with a lens. The reflected light is focused by the lens. The concentrated collimated light forms an image spot on the position sensor.

The position of this spot changes as the angle of incidence of the lens changes. This change in position is detected and the angle is measured without contact. In other words, the method of using a collimated light to focus the reflected light with a lens and convert the spot position to an angle is called the autocollimator method.

What is the triangulation method?

The height measurement of the 6-D sensor is realized by the triangulation method, in which the 6-D sensor’s dedicated target produces oblique reflected light when irradiated from the vertical direction. The height (position) of the oblique reflected light changes as the height of the target changes. The height of the reflected light is detected by a position sensor to realize non-contact height measurement. Triangulation is a measurement technique used in many laser displacement meters.

The optical observation method is a technology used for position measurement.

The position measurement in the 6-D sensor refers to the position of the X and Y coordinates in the plane perpendicular to the laser beam emitted from the sensor.　The laser beam of the 6-D sensor has a certain size of light flux. The dedicated target has an area in the center that reflects the laser beam. When the reflective area of the dedicated target moves in the X,Y direction, the position of the reflected light also moves in the X,Y direction.

The position measurement of the 6-D sensor uses a position sensor to detect this reflected light and realize non-contact measurement.

Rotational Measurement

When a laser beam is irradiated vertically on a special target used in the 6-D sensor, oblique reflected light is generated.
The oblique reflected light moves as the target rotates, and the 6D sensor detects the light moving in the rotational direction, realizing non-contact rotational measurement.