Abstract
In reverse engineering (RE) sustems, the quality of the data aquisition process is crucial to the accuracy of the reverse engineered three dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) model. However, these tasks are predominantly done manually, and little work has been done to improve the efficiency of scanning by determining the minimum number of scans and the optimal scanning directions. In this paper, new scanning and registration methods using tooling balls are developed to assist in determining the optimal parameter for these processes. When the object to scanned has no concavity, attaching path of the object and its bounding rectangle are used for optimal scanning and registration. Then minimum number of tooling balls and their positions are calculated automatically. In the case of concave parts, the scanning plan should include a complete scan of the concave area. With the surface normal vector and the scanning direction, the minimum degree of rotating the part can be calculated. But the maximum rotation should be restricted in order to prevent occlusion of the part. Finally tow sample part ar scanned based on the proposed methods and the results are discussed.
