Patent ID: 8677643

Claim:
A portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) for measuring the coordinates of an object in space, comprising: a base; a manually positionable arm portion having an opposed first end and second end, the arm portion being rotationally coupled to the base, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal; an electronic circuit configured to receive the position signal from the at least one position transducer; a probe end coupled to the first end; a noncontact measurement device coupled to the probe end, the noncontact measurement device having an electromagnetic radiation transmitter, the noncontact measurement device configured to determine a distance to an object based at least in part on a speed of light in air; and a processor electrically coupled to the electronic circuit, the processor configured to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of a point on the object in response to receiving the position signals from the electronic circuit and in response to receiving the distance to the object from the noncontact measurement device.