Abstract: Provided is a piezo-actuated planar motor, comprising a planar substrate and a mover installed on the planar substrate, the piezo-actuated planar motor further comprising: at least one piezo driving leg which is disposed on said mover so as to drive said mover to move on said planar substrate omnidirectionally in the plane. Further provided is a method of driving a planar motor by using piezo driving legs, which implements three movement modes, i.e., a sliding mode, a walking mode, and a fine tuning mode. The sliding mode has the fastest speed of motion, the walking mode has a relatively slow speed of motion but has a high positioning accuracy and a high-accuracy tracking capability, and the fine tuning mode is used for the adjustment of the planar motor at a final position and has the highest positioning accuracy. The piezo-actuated planar motor of the present invention can effectively overcome the defects of a small movement range and a low speed in a conventional nano-positioning platform.

Abstract: Provided is an active positioning encoder, comprising: a display device, said display device being used for displaying at least a first pattern; a reading device, said reading device comprising at least a first read head, the first read head being used for reading the first pattern in order to obtain an image signal; a signal processing device, said signal processing device performing signal processing on the image signal of the first read head in order to determine the single-dimensional positioning of the first read head relative to the display device.

Abstract: Provided is a piezo-actuated planar motor, comprising a planar substrate and a mover installed on the planar substrate, the piezo-actuated planar motor further comprising: at least one piezo driving leg which is disposed on said mover so as to drive said mover to move on said planar substrate omnidirectionally in the plane. Further provided is a method of driving a planar motor by using piezo driving legs, which implements three movement modes, i.e., a sliding mode, a walking mode, and a fine tuning mode. The sliding mode has the fastest speed of motion, the walking mode has a relatively slow speed of motion but has a high positioning accuracy and a high-accuracy tracking capability, and the fine tuning mode is used for the adjustment of the planar motor at a final position and has the highest positioning accuracy. The piezo-actuated planar motor of the present invention can effectively overcome the defects of a small movement range and a low speed in a conventional nano-positioning platform.

Abstract: Provided is an active positioning encoder, comprising: a display device, said display device being used for displaying at least a first pattern; a reading device, said reading device comprising at least a first read head, the first read head being used for reading the first pattern in order to obtain an image signal; a signal processing device, said signal processing device performing signal processing on the image signal of the first read head in order to determine the single-dimensional positioning of the first read head relative to the display device.

Abstract: A novel three dimensional surface contouring method has been developed based on the fall-field fringe projection technique. A digital video projection system is used to project digitally created fringe patterns onto the object. The fringe pattern distorted by the geometry of the object surface is then captured by a high resolution CCD camera. To increase contouring resolution, purely software-based digital phase shifting technique is used, which eliminates the need for accurate positioning systems in the traditional phase shifting methods. The surface is reconstructed by applying the phase wrapping and unwrapping algorithms.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for semi-automatic focusing and assembling of a light beam modifier, such as a lens, relative to a light beam source to optimize the light beam characteristics at one or more locations along the beam path using one or more light beam analyzers (27, 28, 29). A host computer compares the measurements and axially adjusts the light beam modifier. The apparatus may include two focusing stations (21, 22) for alternately focusing and assembling two light source assemblies, two beam splitters (25, 26) for splitting the light beam emitted from either focusing station into three components, and three light beam analyzers for measuring the beam characteristics at three locations. The apparatus may also include a video camera for automated or manual pointing of the laser beam, a semi-automatic glue dispensing system for fixing the light beam modifier relative to the light source and an automatic laser power-up circuit.

Abstract: A laser measurement system for rapid calibration of machine tools includes a measurement enhancement device which enables an existing standard single degree of freedom laser interferometry system to simultaneously measure up to four additional degrees of freedom. The device includes a first beamsplitter which splits a laser beam of the existing system, and a measurement component which receives the split beam and senses at least one value for at least a second degree of freedom. The beamsplitter and measurement component are mounted in a compact housing which is configured for attachment to the existing system. The measurement component can employ a new type of compact angle measurement device according to the invention. The new angle measurement device is based on the internal reflection effect and requires only a single prism for each angular component to be measured.