Laser-Based Alignment System Posted in: AR700 Laser Displacement Sensor – Tags: Academia University and Government Research
Last Updated: March 20, 2023
The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University used a laser sensor in a system to measure the alignment of detectors. A full presentation of the project can be accessed from their website.
Although now discontinued and replaced by the AR700 laser displacement sensor, Michigan State selected the AR600-6 with a 150 mm measurement range. The laser has a 5mW visible laser spot and has excellent sensitivity for measuring to shiny targets. The sensor was mounted to dual rotational stages to allow two degrees of freedom. Their system swept the laser spot across the target surface to create polar coordinates for a 3D profile.
Graduate students developed software to control the laser, scan edges with specified step sizes. Output is distance, theta’, and phi’; convert laser coordinates to spherical coordinates; correct position for off axis rotation; and combine different reference systems; convert positions to final lab reference frame of choice. For each 0.01° step in angle, the position resolution was ~0.2mm.
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AR700 Laser Displacement Sensor
The AR700 laser displacement sensor is Acuity’s top of the line, most precise, laser triangulation sensor. The AR700 series contains models with measurement ranges from 0.125 inches up to 50 inches and resolutions as low as one-sixth of a micron. With sampling speeds up to 9.4kHz and linearity to within 0.03% of the measurement range, the AR700 is a versatile sensor for many challenging applications.
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