Apparatus and method for contactless checking of the dimensions and/or shape of a complex-shaped body

Abstract

Apparatus () for checking the dimensions and/or shape of a complex-shaped body (), comprising a checking support () on which the body to be checked is positioned, a robotic system () with an optical assembly () and a memory unit () for storing reference data relating to a reference shape of the body. A processing and control unit () controls movements of the optical assembly so as to obtain dimensional values relating to the body at predetermined measuring points, these dimensional values then being compared with the reference data stored in the memory unit. The apparatus further comprises reference elements () defined in the checking support in predetermined positions and a distance sensor () for acquiring actual positions of said reference elements. Local compensation parameters for correcting positioning errors of the robotic system are calculated for each of the reference elements on the basis of the predetermined positions and the actual positions acquired. A method for checking the dimensions and/or shape of a complex-shaped body by using the above described apparatus includes a calibration phase of the robotic system to calculate the local compensation parameters, a phase for collecting the reference data related to the predetermined measuring points and a dimensional checking phase of the body. The reference data collecting phase and the dimensional checking phase take into consideration the local compensation parameters.