Modeling 3D geometry using 1D laser distance measurements with application to cylinder for visualization and evaluating surface quality

TL;DR

This study presents a cost-effective method to reconstruct 3D geometry and surface features from limited 1D laser distance data, enabling detailed surface analysis and defect detection on cylindrical objects.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel 3D modeling approach using 1D laser measurements with natural neighbor interpolation, reducing cost and time compared to traditional 3D scanning.

Findings

Accurately predicts 3D shape and surface deviations with only 100 data points.

Detects minor surface dents less than 0.18mm deep.

Identifies surface features like corrugation and local dents using limited measurements.

Abstract

Geometric metrology includes one or two-dimensional (1D or 2D) distance or plane measurements, as well as the three-dimensional (3D) scanning. The 1D or 2D measuring system is unable to obtain advanced 3D feature, while the 3D scanning system is relatively costly and time-consuming. Accordingly, in this study I developed a 3D geometry and surface prediction method by using 1D laser distance measurements to achieve 3D features while saving cost and time. The model is based on the natural neighbor function for data interpolation and linear model for extrapolation. I implemented the model to the cylinder body for evaluating 3D circularity and surface quality. Results show that the model could achieve reasonable accuracy in constructing the 3D geometry and surface deviation using limited distance measurement (e.g. only 100 data points). It accurately predicts the shape of a curved dent (30.48 mm) and identified minor dents (less than 0.18mm in depth) which are unable to be detected by eyes and finger touch. It also detects the surface corrugation (1.59 mm) and small local features (6.35 mm) using a measurement resolution of 21.34 mm by 15.49 mm. The predicted 3D circularity is higher than the measured 2D circularity as expected. The 3D model may be extended to other continuous geometry shapes for the future study.