Shape measuring device and method

A shape measuring device that measures a shape of a surface of a measurement object, the shape measuring device comprising:

• a base to which the measurement object is secured;
• a slide movable in at least three different directions and secured to the base;
• a probe holding unit configured to hold the probe, and mounted to the slide;
• a contact probe resiliently supported by the probe holding unit to move along the surface of the measurement object;
• and
• a measuring unit configured to measure the position and a posture of the contact probe with respect to the probe holding unit,
• wherein the contact probe is moved along the surface of the measurement object, and a position of the probe holding unit is controlled so that a magnitude of a contact-force vector comes closer to a control target value thereof, the contact-force vector being determined from a measurement result of the measuring unit and being received by the contact probe from the measurement object.

A method of measuring a shape of a surface of a measurement object by moving a contact probe, resiliently supported by a probe holding unit that is movable in at least three different directions, along the surface of the measurement object, and by measuring a position of the contact probe, the method comprising the steps of:

• bringing the contact probe into contact with the measurement object;
• determining a contact-force vector on the basis of a result of measurement of a change in the position and a posture of the contact probe with respect to the probe holding unit;
• and
• measuring the shape of the surface of the measurement object as a result of controlling the position of the contact probe so that a magnitude of the contact-force vector comes closer to a control target value thereof in accordance with the magnitude of the contact-force vector, and as a result of moving the contact probe along the surface of the measurement object.