A large number of test and measurement requirements rely on data acquisition tied to a specific part feature or location. From defect detection and repair to surface mapping and profiling, the field of applications requiring a tight relationship between sensor output and location in 2- or 3-dimensional space is large and growing as sensor technology advances. Only by polling the sensor output at precisely the correct position can data be reliably gathered and tied to key spatial information.
While some traditional methods exist to attempt to tie part position to sensor output, these strategies often have nonidealities that corrupt the required synchronization or inhibit accurate data collection. In all cases, automated motion is assumed to be moving either the part under test or the sensor itself.