Acquisition Model for 3D Shape Measurement Data

The demand for three-dimensional (3D) shape measurements is increasing in a variety of fields, including the manufacture of molds and dies. The most popular technology for 3D shape measurement is the coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with a contact trigger probe. Although a CMM provides a high degree of accuracy, it is inefficient due to its long measuring time. It also has difficulty measuring soft objects that can be deformed by the touch of the contact probe. In addition, a CMM cannot digitize areas that are difficult to reach, and cannot capture very minute details on the surface of complex parts. For these reasons, optical non-contact measurement techniques are receiving more attention since they eliminate most of the problems associated with contact methods. Laser scanning is emerging as one of the more promising non-contact measurement techniques. This paper describes various acquisition considerations for laser scanning, including the accuracy of the 3D scan data, which depends on the charge-coupled device (CCD) gain and noise. The CCD gain and noise of a 3D laser scanner are varied while keeping the other conditions constant, and the measurement results are compared to the dimensions of a standard model. The experimental results show that a considerable time savings and an optimum degree of accuracy are possible by selecting the proper CCD gain and noise.