17 2023 2023-01-25 10.3934/mbe.2023026 The rapid development of modern industrial technology has led to the increase of machinery precision. Laser tracking measurement systems represent a novel type of coordinate measurement method, which was developed on the basis of metrology. In this paper, we aim to define a single-station 3D coordinate rotating laser tracking measurement system based on the principle of the space coordinate method. In view of the current architecture and optical path of the system, we establish the ideal mathematical model of the system and derive the coordinate expression for arbitrary measured points in the measurement space. The output response of the photoelectric position detector to the rotating laser and the linearity of the position signal in the detection circuit have been detected via a concrete experiment. A laser tracking system was used to track the target mirror mounted on the coordinate measuring machine measuring spindle. It is shown that stable tracking is possible during the 3D movement of a cat's eye retroreflector if its velocity is 0.2 m/s and the distance to the moving object is 1–2 m. The corresponding velocity of the object must be 0.4 m/s. Our system provides a feasible implementation method for the tracking of the moving target space position. https://repo.bashgmu.ru/publication/3940 https://repo.bashgmu.ru/files/4116