Abstract: The solid-state oscillator, preferably a watch crystal (1/2), is mounted with its direction (S) of vibration at an angle to all three measuring directions (x, y, z) of the coordinate measuring apparatus. The oscillator circuit of the solid-state oscillator is connected to an electronic circuit which generates two different contact signals. Both measures make it possible to reduce the dependency of the contact uncertainty of the measuring direction.

Abstract: A coordinate measuring apparatus carries a video camera 6 and a mechanical probe head 7 having a probe element 8 for contact-measuring the workpiece surface. With the aid of the coordinate measuring apparatus, the locations on the workpiece 9 to be mechanically contacted are driven to under visual control with the aid of the monitor 10 connected to the video camera. For this purpose, the probe element 8 is located in the viewing field of the video camera 6.

Abstract: A plurality of video cameras (7a-d) are mounted on a table which is adapted support a workpiece or other object to be measured, and the mounting of each camera to the table provides for controlled universal orientation of each camera via an articulating head having provision for selective rotation about each of two orthogonally related axes. The table is provided with vibration damping, whereby both the measured object, and the cameras which provide triangulation data for each measurement, can operate from the same rigid base, isolated from external sources of mechanical shock. The video signals of the cameras are fed, along with instantaneous optical-axis orientation data for each camera, to the computer of a coordinate-measuring machine.

Abstract: Pictures of an object to be measured are taken from several different positions or aspects by a video camera which is mounted via a two-axis articulating head to the measurement arm of a coordinate-measuring machine. The pictures taken from the different positions or aspects are stored and are evaluated with respect to the coordinates of characteristic points of interest on the surface of the object by the method of space intersection, known from photogrammetry. And, in this connection, the position-measurement values supplied by the scales of the coordinate-measuring machine and the angle-measurement values supplied by the articulating head are used for a calculated determination of the coordinates for each of the points of interest on the surface of the object.