A three-axis continuous, sensor device, such as a probe, includes a base structure and a stylus supporting member. The base structure and stylus supporting member are connected by three control arms that limit movement of the stylus supporting member relative to the base structure to movement along the three linear axes. Each control arm includes a pair of four-bar parallel linkages connected in series. Three sensor legs also are connected between the base structure and the stylus supporting member to sense movement of one with respect to the other.

An exemplary distance measuring probe (100) includes a tube track (12), a tip extension (16), a pair of hollow tubes (14), a pair of air discharge systems (115), a linear measuring scale (18), and a displacement sensor (19). The tip extension is configured to touch a surface of an object (50). The linear measuring scale and the displacement sensor are respectively fixed relative to one of the tube track and the tip extension. The hollow tubes contain a flux of air, and are configured to cooperatively push the tip extension to move. Each air discharge system ejects part of air in the corresponding hollow tube out of the hollow tube. The linear measuring scale displays values of displacements of the tip extension. The displacement sensor detects and reads the displacement values displayed by the linear measuring scale.

A measurement probe (5) which comprises a housing (16) for mounting on an arm (6) of a coordinate positioning apparatus (2) and a stylus (10) mounted on a stylus support member (28). The stylus (10) and the stylus support member (28) are deflectable with respect to the housing (16). A first transducer system (40 48) measures movement of the stylus support member (28) relative to the arm (6) of the coordinate positioning apparatus (2). A second transducer system (38) measures movement of the stylus tip (12) relative to the stylus supporting member (28). A measurement of total stylus deflection is achieved by combining data from the first and second transducer systems.

A touch probe 9 for a coordinate measuring apparatus is proposed which includes a touch probe chassis 29 adapted to be attached to the coordinate measuring apparatus, a support for the sensing stylus 39 which is mounted on the touch probe chassis 29 so as to be deflectable from a rest position and on which a sensing stylus 47 is mountable for contacting a workpiece 17, a deflection measuring system 55, 57 for detecting a deflection of the support for the sensing stylus 39 with respect to the touch probe chassis 29 and an inspection optics 61 for inspecting a tip 49 of the sensing stylus 47. The touch probe 1 is characterized in that at least one of the components support for the sensing stylus 39 and touch probe chassis 29 comprises a transverse support 39 which extends transversely to a direction of extension of the sensing stylus 47 and which is transparent to light in at least a portion thereof and which is disposed in a beam path 69 of the inspection optics 61.

All-optical output precision measuring gauges that sense the displacement of an internal scale grating are disclosed. Each type of gauge includes a compact, miniature, or ultra-miniature optical readhead that includes a light source for transmitting light to the scale grating, and optical-fiber detector channels for receiving light from the scale grating and outputting optical measuring signals from the gauge. In various embodiments, the optical-fiber detector channels have respective phase grating masks for receiving a periodic light pattern that moves in correspondence to the scale grating, and the channels are arranged in balanced pairs. In various embodiments, the optical readhead is an interferometric-type optical readhead that provides a measuring resolution as fine as 10 50 nanometers or less. In various embodiments, the gauge is provided in an unprecedented miniature size. In various embodiments, the gauge is motorized to provide a precision actuator.