Patent ID: 7804602

Claim:
A system for coordinate measurement comprising: a laser tracker; a relocatable articulated-arm coordinate measuring machine; and a retroreflector located on the articulated-arm coordinate measuring machine; wherein the laser tracker sends a laser beam to the retroreflector to measure at least three positions of the retroreflector relative to the laser tracker in a first coordinate system while the articulated-arm coordinate measuring machine measures the at least three positions of the retroreflector relative to the articulated-arm coordinate measuring machine in a second coordinate system; and wherein the articulated-arm coordinate measuring machine is relocated to a different position and the laser tracker sends the laser beam to the retroreflector to measure at least three positions of the retroreflector relative to the laser tracker in the first coordinate system while the articulated-arm coordinate measuring machine measures the at least three positions of the retroreflector relative to the articulated-arm coordinate measuring machine in the second coordinate system; and means for transforming the first coordinate system and/or the second coordinate system to a common coordinate frame of reference.