ZEISS Research & Quality Solutions has introduced ZEISS TALOS, a metrology robot aimed at automated, high-volume inspection of medium-sized and large components. The system combines robotic kinematics with metrology-grade accuracy, and ZEISS says it achieves measurement uncertainty below 100 micrometres over a reach of 3.30 metres.
According to ZEISS, TALOS positions its sensor precisely and repeatably without external tracking systems or reference markers. That allows inspection of parts and areas that conventional line-of-sight systems struggle to reach. A newly developed optical sensor supports full-field geometry capture and precise feature measurement in one automated workflow.
Integrated hardware for optical measurement
The TALOS MR metrology robot and TALOS AX compact blue-light sensor form an integrated measurement unit. ZEISS complements them with the TALOS RT metrology-grade rotation table and the TALOS Safeguard safety concept. Dr. Jan Thesing, head of the Business Unit 3D Optical Systems at ZEISS, said TALOS represents a fundamental shift in automated metrology because metrological capabilities are integrated into the system while robotic speed, range and flexibility are retained. The statement is a company characterization of the product's design approach.
TALOS AX uses two 24-megapixel cameras and captures images at 100 Hz, or up to 200 Hz in fast scan mode. It has a 500 mm wide measurement volume and four multidirectional feature flashes. ZEISS says this configuration allows one sensor to measure large surfaces for geometry analysis and digital twins, as well as features such as holes, edges, bolts and threads. Combining fast surface measurement with precise feature measurement has been a longstanding challenge in optical metrology, the company notes.
Production use and software
The robot and system concept are designed to withstand temperature variation, vibration and dust, conditions typical of production environments. Measurement tasks can be prepared offline from a CAD model, while ZEISS INSPECT calculates the required measurement positions and robot paths. ZEISS says this reduces the time and effort needed to plan new tasks. One-click programming, efficient robot motion and streamlined setup are intended to increase throughput and make better use of measurement capacity.
With ZEISS INSPECT, users can carry out complete analyses, generate reports and integrate measurement results into existing processes. The software is part of the same workflow as the robot and sensor, but the input does not quantify productivity gains or accuracy improvements in production.
Target applications
ZEISS TALOS is designed for automotive, aerospace and commercial vehicle manufacturing, both near production lines and in dedicated measurement rooms. Applications include car bodies, hang-on parts and giga-casting parts, as well as aerostructures, jet engines, truck cabins and weld seams. High-resolution measurement data is intended to help evaluate component quality and deviations. Virtual tools can assess functional dimensions, gap sizes and flushness, for example in automotive assembly.
ZEISS presents TALOS as a metrology robot for flexible, automated inspection. The available information covers the system architecture, sensor specifications and target applications; it does not include independent test results, pricing, availability dates or comparisons with existing measurement systems.