Abstract: A calibration artifact and a method of calibrating a machine vision measurement system. The calibration artifact includes a substrate and a number of concentric rings on one surface of the substrate. Each ring is of a different pre-defined size. The change in the size of any two adjacent rings is different than the change in size of any other two adjacent rings.

Abstract: An object inspection system including a coordinate measuring device with a touch probe for inspecting an object having one or more feature types and a computer subsystem connected to the coordinate measuring device which stores the direction of movement and the coordinates of the probe at each contact of the probe with a feature on the object. There is an algorithm which automatically determines, from the direction of movement of the probe and the coordinates, the feature type defined by the coordinates.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for an object measurement system is described which may be utilized in the inspection and measurement of various objects so as to obtain information regarding their features, dimensional measurements and tolerances. Various devices and methods for data point location and data entry are described which may be utilized in either manual and/or automatic modes of system operation. Input data is monitored so as to prevent erroneous data from being utilized and indication means are provided to notify a user or operator when erroneous data has been entered into the system. The present invention also provides a means by which the user or operator may enter point location data without having to preselect a feature type which is to be inspected and/or measured.