Patent ID: 8407908

Claim:
A profile measurement apparatus comprising: a probe which includes a gauge head for measuring a profile of an object to be measured and which moves the gauge head within a given range; a movement mechanism which moves the probe; and a controller which measures the profile of the object to be measured by controlling the movement mechanism so as to contact the gauge head against the object to be measured, wherein the controller comprises: a movement amount acquisition section which acquires a movement amount of the gauge head from a reference position; a deviation acquisition section which acquires as a deviation the movement amount when the gauge head is in a non-contact state; a determination section which determines whether or not the deviation is greater than a first threshold value; and a resetting section which, when the determination section determines that the deviation is greater than the first threshold value, resets the reference position to a position arrived at by combining the reference position and the deviation; wherein the deviation acquisition section acquires the deviation by moving the probe to a position in which the gauge head is in a non-contact state.