A Targetless Method for Simultaneously Measuring Three-Degree-of-Freedom Angular Motion Errors with Digital Speckle Pattern Interferometry

As a guide rail is the basic motion unit of precision equipment, the measurement of and compensation for its motion errors are important preconditions for precision machining and manufacturing. A targetless and simultaneous measurement method of three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) angular motion errors using digital speckle pattern interferometry (DSPI) is introduced in this paper. Based on the analysis of the sensitivity mechanism of DSPI to DOF errors and the formation mechanism of the phase fringes, the relationship between the angular motion errors and the distribution of the interferometric phases was established, and a new simultaneous measurement model of 3-DOF angular motion errors was further proposed. An optical setup based on a three-dimensional spatial-carrier DSPI with a right-angle symmetrical layout was used in the measurement system. Furthermore, repetitive tests, noise tests, and precision analysis were carried out to verify the performance of the system. The test results showed that the measurement resolution of the system was <1 μrad, which is capable of measuring the pitch angle, yaw angle, and roll angle at the submicron arc level simultaneously without target mirrors. The method has the advantages of no need to install cooperative targets and high measurement resolution, showing broad application prospects in many fields, including mechanical manufacturing, laser detection, aerospace, etc.