Simple laser vision sensor calibration for surface profiling applications

• Published in: Optics and lasers in engineering 2016-09, Vol.84, p.51-61
• Main Authors: Abu-Nabah, Bassam A., ElSoussi, Adnane O., Al Alami, Abed ElRahman K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Calibration; Laser vision sensor; Lasers; Natural gas; Profiling; Running; Sensors; Surface profiling; Three dimensional; Virtual scanning; Vision; Visual testing
• ISSN: 0143-8166; 1873-0302
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlaseng.2016.03.024

Due to the relatively large structures in the Oil and Gas industry, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been implementing custom-designed laser vision sensor (LVS) surface profiling systems as part of quality control in their manufacturing processes. The rough manufacturing environment and the continuous movement and misalignment of these custom-designed tools adversely affect the accuracy of laser-based vision surface profiling applications. Accordingly, Oil and Gas businesses have been raising the demand from the OEMs to implement practical and robust LVS calibration techniques prior to running any visual inspections. This effort introduces an LVS calibration technique representing a simplified version of two known calibration techniques, which are commonly implemented to obtain a calibrated LVS system for surface profiling applications. Both calibration techniques are implemented virtually and experimentally to scan simulated and three-dimensional (3D) printed features of known profiles, respectively. Scanned data is transformed from the camera frame to points in the world coordinate system and compared with the input profiles to validate the introduced calibration technique capability against the more complex approach and preliminarily assess the measurement technique for weld profiling applications. Moreover, the sensitivity to stand-off distances is analyzed to illustrate the practicality of the presented technique. •Delivered a simple LVS system calibration for surface profiling applications.•The simple technique calibrates the LVS system with one single image.•Illustrated the simple calibration’s insensitivity to stand-off distances.•Validated the simple calibration technique virtually and experimentally.•Assessed the new calibration technique for weld profiling applications.