Virtual technologies for advanced manufacturing and metrology

The concept of virtual technologies is not one that is common when associated with length metrology. However, there are a number of techniques that are becoming used to an increasing extent in industry and in research. For example, the virtual metrology frame is becoming a practical measurement technique for accurate measurement and the virtual Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) is in its early stages of providing an effective means of uncertainty evaluation. These technologies are described in this paper.