Leica AT960-LR Laser Tracker System

Procurement Summary

The US Department of Commerce (DOC), NIST, Intelligent Systems Division (ISD) develops, advances, and deploys measurement science and standards to speed the development, adoption, and integration of leading-edge intelligent technologies to advance U.S. manufacturing performance. One of the focus areas of ISD is to develop measurement science for sensing and perception system performance characterization to reduce the risk related to the adoption of new technologies and to advance the agility, safety, and productivity of collaborative industrial and mobile robots. This requirement is part of the Manufacturing Science for Manufacturing Robotics (MSMR) program. Evaluating 3D sensors such as the ones used in robotic bin-picking systems is one area that MSMR is exploring as thousands of such systems are being deployed in the US and around the world. Developing performance metrics and evaluation procedures requires access to the technologies to establish ground truth. Laser tracker technology was invented at NIST in the 1980s and is the gold standard for short—and long-range high-accuracy measurements. The required laser tracker system is needed by the NIST ISD to obtain ground-truth information while evaluating 3D sensors, part inspection, and robotic arms. The NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL) and Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) collaborate on work related to the use of 3D imaging systems as well as standard development for these systems on a regular basis. EL’s current work includes a need to track robot arms and mobile robots in real-time with very high precision. A laser tracker with the ability to measure the 6 degree-of-freedom position and orientation of a robot is currently the most precise way of doing this. This laser tracker capability is also an area for which PML is seeking to help develop standards (since very few standards exist). EL’s expertise in robotics combined with PML’s expertise in laser tracker standards development require that EL and PML be able to use compatible instruments. PML already owns a Leica AT-960-LR laser tracker, as well as a Leica T-MAC and Leica T-Probe. EL does not currently own a compatible laser tracker and requires a Leica AT-960-LR laser tracker to use with the PML-owned T-MAC and T-Probe to support this collaboration in an effort to fulfill its mission. The required laser tracker system must be capable of dimensional measurement capabilities with sub-milli-meter accuracy at the long-range (≈50 m) and micron-level accuracy at the short range (≈ 2 m), as well as be compatible with 6DOF accessories to perform high-speed 3D data acquisition. Due to the aforementioned compatibility requirements and the fact that the required system is the only system capable of performing the dimensional measurement capabilities necessary, NIST has determined that only the Leica AT960-LR Laser Tracker System will satisfy the agency’s needs for continued mission requirements.

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