High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A coordinate measuring machine is a 3D device for measuring the physical geometrical characteristics of an object. This machine may be manually controlled by an operator or it may be computer controlled. Measurements are defined by a probe attached to the third moving axis of this machine. Probes may be mechanical, optical, laser, or white light, amongst others. A machine which takes readings in six degrees of freedom and displays these readings in mathematical form is known as a CMM.