Device and method for measuring the running gear of a motor vehicle

An apparatus for measuring a running gear of a motor vehicle, comprising:

• a left measuring unit positioned on a left side of the motor vehicle, in such a way that a measurement target on a left front wheel and a measurement target on a left rear wheel of the motor vehicle are sensed from the left measuring unit;
• a right measuring unit positioned on a right side of the vehicle, in such a way that a measurement target on a right front wheel and a measurement target on a right rear wheel of the motor vehicle are sensed from the right measuring unit;
• and
• an evaluation device configured to identify vehicle geometry data by comparing images of the measurement targets on the front wheels and images of the measurement targets on the rear wheels with reference images of the measurement targets;
• wherein each of the left and right measuring units includes:
• a reference target visible from the respective other measuring unit;
• an image acquisition unit sensing (i) an image of the respective measurement target on the respective front wheel, (ii) an image of the respective measurement target on the respective rear wheel, and (iii) an image of the reference target;
• and an optical device disposed and configured to direct the image of the respective measurement target on the respective front wheel, the image of the respective measurement target on the respective rear wheel, and the image of the reference target to the image acquisition unit;
• and
• wherein the evaluation device is configured to identify relative positions of the reference targets.

A method for measuring a running gear of a motor vehicle, comprising:

• mounting on each wheel of the motor vehicle a respective measurement target;
• positioning a left measuring unit on a left side of the motor vehicle in such a way that the measurement target on a left front wheel and a measurement target on a left rear wheel of the motor vehicle are sensed from the left measuring unit, wherein the left measuring unit has a first optical device, a first image acquisition unit, and a first reference target, wherein the first reference target is visible from a right measuring unit;
• positioning a right measuring unit on a right side of the motor vehicle in such a way that the measurement target on a right front wheel and a measurement target on a right rear wheel of the motor vehicle are sensed from the right measuring unit, wherein the right measuring unit has a second optical device, a second image acquisition unit, and a second reference target, wherein the second reference target is visible from the left measuring unit;
• directing an image of the measurement target on the left front wheel, an image of the measurement target on the left rear wheel, and an image of the second reference target, by way of the first optical device of the left measuring unit, onto the image acquisition unit of the left measuring unit;
• directing an image of the measurement target on the right front wheel, an image of the measurement target on the right rear wheel, and an image of the first reference target, by way of the second optical device of the right measuring unit, onto the image acquisition unit of the right measuring unit;
• identifying the vehicle geometry data by comparing the images of the measurement targets on the front and rear wheels with reference images of the measurement targets;
• and
• identifying the relative positions of the reference targets.