Mathematical Model and Error Analysis of the Articulated Arm Flexible CMM

The articulated arm flexible CMM (coordinate measuring machine) is a new type of CMM with rotational joints and flexible arms, in which lineal measurements are substituted by angular ones. It possesses the advantages of large measuring range, small volume, low weight and portability. By using Denavit-Hartenberg a-nalysis arithmetic, the ideal mathematical model and error model of the articulated arm CMM are established. The feasibility of the models is verified by sketching. All error sources are deeply analyzed according to the traits of the system, which establishes a theoretic base for introducing error compensation.