An annotated instance segmentation XXL-CT data-set from a historic airplane

TL;DR

This paper presents a new annotated XXL-CT dataset of a historic WWII airplane, enabling detailed virtual dissection and supporting applications in digital heritage and machine learning.

Contribution

It introduces an interactive annotation process for segmenting large-scale CT data of a historic airplane, creating a valuable dataset for various scientific and preservation purposes.

Findings

Seven annotated sub-volumes of the airplane CT data are available.

The dataset supports applications in digital heritage, non-destructive testing, and machine learning.

Challenges in interpreting and handling large-scale annotated data are discussed.

Abstract

The Me 163 was a Second World War fighter airplane and a result of the German air force secret developments. One of these airplanes is currently owned and displayed in the historic aircraft exhibition of the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany. To gain insights with respect to its history, design and state of preservation, a complete CT scan was obtained using an industrial XXL-computer tomography scanner. Using the CT data from the Me 163, all its details can visually be examined at various levels, ranging from the complete hull down to single sprockets and rivets. However, while a trained human observer can identify and interpret the volumetric data with all its parts and connections, a virtual dissection of the airplane and all its different parts would be quite desirable. Nevertheless, this means, that an instance segmentation of all components and objects of interest into disjoint entities from the CT data is necessary. As of currently, no adequate computer-assisted tools for automated or semi-automated segmentation of such XXL-airplane data are available, in a first step, an interactive data annotation and object labelling process has been established. So far, seven 512 x 512 x 512 voxel sub-volumes from the Me 163 airplane have been annotated and labelled, whose results can potentially be used for various new applications in the field of digital heritage, non-destructive testing, or machine-learning. This work describes the data acquisition process of the airplane using an industrial XXL-CT scanner, outlines the interactive segmentation and labelling scheme to annotate sub-volumes of the airplane's CT data, describes and discusses various challenges with respect to interpreting and handling the annotated and labelled data.