CMSC 2019 PRESENTATION - Developing low cost large volume metrology for next-generation manufacturing spaces

Publication Details

Abstract

UCL’s 3DIMPact Group has recently completed two major projects to develop large-volume metrology (LVM) for future manufacturing purposes. One is the LUMINAR project (completed 2016) where the group’s task was to investigate ways of mitigating the negative effects of refraction which can be significant (tenths of mm) at ranges of 15m+. The other project has been the Light-Controlled Factory (LCF, completed early 2019) where the group’s task was to evaluate low-cost photogrammetric systems capable of part tracking and alignment across large factory spaces to positional accuracies of between 1mm and 0.1mm. Applications include aircraft wing inspection, civil engineering construction and the integration of NDT sensor technologies with precise 3D pose and location. Within a flexible laboratory space, combined indoor applications with multiple UAVs (drones) can test flexible image platform technologies to expand operational utility. UCL’s new facility offers an ideal space and toolset for collaboration between LVM specialists, robotics experts and AI developers which can inject a highly innovative perspective to the further development of LVM for next-generation manufacturing. With continuing industrial links such as the one to the new Wing Integration Centre at Airbus, Filton, novel ideas can be put to real tests. This presentation will review the 3DIMPact Group’s state-of-the-art experience in this particular aspect of LVM development and propose directions for going forward.