Optoelectronic System Measures Tile Cavities

A hand-held optoelectronic shop tool measures cavities of the order of 6 in. (15 cm) in length and width, 2 to 4 in. (5 to 10 cm) in depth, with nominally flat side walls, and either curved or flat outer and inner surfaces. The system is called the Tile Cavity Measurement System (TCMS) because in the initial application for which it was developed, the cavities are those created by removal of space shuttle insulating tiles. In that application, the data acquired by the system are used in computer-aided design (CAD) and in computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) of new tiles to fit in the cavities. The system can also be used to measure other cavities of similar size and shape.