Short-range 3-D imaging systems characterization using known artifacts

A set of test procedures and known artifacts to characterize the capability of short-range triangulation-based 3-D imaging systems are presented. The approach consists of scanning metallic and coated glass artifacts characterized by measurements with known uncertainties which are much less than the measurement uncertainties produced by the System Under Test (SUT). The artifacts were grouped on the same plate for portability purpose. To define a set of test procedures that is practical, simple to perform and easy to understand, we decided to use a terminology that is already well-known in manufacturing field, i.e. Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T). In its current veriosn, the NRC Portable Characterization Target (NRC-PCT) is specifically designed for the characterization of systems with depths of field from 50 mm to 500 mm. A number of tests were performed to validate the capability of the NRC-PCT. These results along with some basic information on 3-D imaging systems will be presented in the paper.NRC publication: Ye