New photogrammetry technique ‘offers new manufacturing potential’

Researchers have developed a technique to use digital photography to aid the rapid and inexpensive manufacture of mechanical components.

The Penn State University research has shown how a method called photogrammetry allows digital images of an object taken from various angles to be used to create a point cloud – a large collection of points that form a 3D representation of an existing structure. 

From this point cloud, a computer-aided design file can be generated, allowing the item to be rebuilt or 3D printed to its original specifications without using traditional methods, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

Typically, large quantities of parts are made in quick succession and then go through an inspection process involving manual inspection, in order to check all of the dimensions measure up and that the part will work as originally designed.

By contrast, this new approach would allow cameras to be fixed on the machines making the parts, feeding live data to an engineer or quality control employee to let them compare the point cloud to an original file to see if the part is within tolerance or not.

Michael Immel of Penn State University's department of industrial and manufacturing engineering said: "If we can take pictures of the parts and use commercial software to create the point cloud file from the images, we can come up with the dimensions within some reasonable amount of accuracy and apply it in industry."

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