Four decades is a long time in the life of any individual, organization, or industry. When it comes to a highly technical field such as metrology, however, 40 years might as well be an eternity.

In 1984, state-of-the-art measurement equipment included theodolites and photogrammetry systems. Coordinate measuring machines were just beginning to establish a presence at major manufacturers, but their remarkable levels of precision were only accessible in highly controlled cleanroom-type enclosures far from where manufacturing, assembly, and R&D applications were performed. Computerized data analysis was in its infancy.