This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project deals with the problems of reconstructing complex free-form shapes from measured data. Raindrop Magic's primary interest is to produce well-structured, high-quality CAD models. Several techniques exist to reach this goal; unfortunately, automatic surfacing systems provide only rough approximations and do not capture the original design intent, while manual segmentation methods are not very stable and require tedious work. Using functional decomposition, objects are built up as a collection of large, independent primary surfaces being connected by smaller, dependent feature surfaces, such as fillets or swept surfaces. In Phase I, semi-automatic methods were elaborated to create good segmenting curve nets. Exploiting the specific properties of different feature types, the research team proposed algorithms to compute optimal surface representations for each. In Phase II, the team envisions transforming and extending their theoretical results into robust and efficient computational algorithms. Five subsystems are proposed: Surface-Indicators, Constrained-Fitting, Curve-Tracing, Fairing, and Feature-Fitting. New core technologies are developed for creating different geometric entities, which are eventually integrated to obtain high-quality surface models. This technology should significantly shorten lead-time in related industrial design and manufacturing processes and produce aesthetic objects, having a positive impact on the whole society.
The proffered technology has broader impacts in two key market sectors: reverse engineering and advanced surfacing. At the research front, the proposed project deepens the understanding of computer-aided geometric modeling working with scan data, a field that has not received much attention from the large CAD companies, but is an active area of research. It combines the knowledge of both discrete and continuous mathematics and takes advantage of the strength of both approaches. On the technology front, it introduces a new paradigm that will significantly improve the current commercial systems of reverse engineering with better engineering features and advanced surfacing through simpler operations. The main applications will be product design, including automotive, aerospace, consumer products, and medical devices. The improved product will help the US manufacturing industry to be more competitive in the world market, providing a way to introduce design on demand and engineering on demand services. The proposed project will help US companies to increase customer-focused production and reduce the time between product iterations.
