Noncontact, Hand-Held Hole-to-Edge Distance Measurement Tool

ABSTRACT: Toyon Research Corporation proposes research and development resulting in production of a hand-held device capable of real-time fully-automated measurement of hole sizes and hole-to-edge distances for aircraft manufacturing quality assurance applications. The proposed product will be compact, hand-held, and easy to use, enabling improved efficiency for operators. At the heart of the proposed technical solution to the hole and edge measurement problem are advanced image processing algorithms capable of high-accuracy measurement of surfaces in 3D physical coordinates, based on calibrated stereo imaging. In Phase I, Toyon proposes algorithm development and implementation, test and evaluation, and system design and analysis to demonstrate feasibility of the technical solution to the non-contact hole and edge measurement problem. In planned Phase II development, the real-time, compact, rugged measurement device prototype would be developed and validated, and transition of the technology into Air Force quality assurance procedures would be pursued. BENEFIT: The successful completion of this effort will result in a new capability of rapidly, accurately, and automatically measuring hole sizes and hole-to-edge distances for aircraft manufacturing applications. There is the possibility of direct transition of this technology into Air Force and other DoD aircraft manufacturing quality assurance processes. The technology could also be transitioned into use in the larger market of civilian aircraft manufacturing quality assurance. There are many other similar applications in manufacturing to which the developed measurement device could be applied with minimal additional non-recurring engineering (NRE) cost. These include automotive manufacturing and other assembly line-based manufacturing applications where machine vision is, or could be, used for quality assurance purposes. In a more far-reaching application, the DOT would be interested in machine vision-based technology for assessing crack sizes in pavement, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure. Medical applications could also benefit from more advanced 3D surface modeling and measurement algorithms. Adaptation to some of these new applications might require considerably more development, but the potential return on the investment is substantial.