Virtual Thermal Camera Imaging for Consistent 3D Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial thermal imaging systems face challenges in capturing consistent data due to varying relative locations and obscured views of imaging systems and target objects, leading to sub-optimal thermal image quality, which affects real-time inspection and training processes in industrial manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that maps temperature values from a 2D thermal image to a 3D drawing model, generates a 3D thermal model, and then maps these values to a 2D virtual thermal image corresponding to a virtual camera perspective, allowing for optimized thermal image processing and prediction of component attributes using a prediction function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If thermal imaging systems are used to capture industrial process data, then information about the process can be obtained for inspection and control purposes, but the captured information may be inconsistent and include noise due to varying relative locations and obscured views
Solution Approach 1:
A virtual thermal camera serves as an intermediary that synthesizes multiple observed thermal images from different physical cameras into a single virtual image. This mediator integrates data from multiple sources to produce consistent, high-quality thermal information that overcomes the limitations of individual cameras with varying locations and obscured views.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple thermal images captured by different physical cameras are merged into a single virtual thermal image. By combining data from multiple observation points and perspectives, the system creates a comprehensive thermal representation that eliminates gaps and reduces noise inherent in any single camera's view.
2Loss of information
If multiple thermal images from different perspectives are used, then more complete information can be captured, but the data becomes more complex and difficult to process
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual thermal camera acts as a computational intermediary that automatically integrates and processes multiple thermal images. This mediator handles the complexity of merging and aligning data from different perspectives, transforming complex multi-source data into a single, coherent virtual thermal image that is straightforward to analyze.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of physically positioning multiple cameras and manually processing their outputs, the system creates a virtual copy of a thermal camera that synthesizes the information from multiple physical cameras. This virtual copy simplifies the data structure while preserving the completeness of multi-perspective thermal information.
3Loss of information
If physical thermal cameras are positioned to capture all views, then complete thermal data can be obtained, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual thermal camera is a computational intermediary that eliminates the need for additional physical cameras. By processing and synthesizing images from existing cameras, it achieves complete thermal coverage without the hardware complexity and cost of deploying multiple physical imaging systems throughout the industrial process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of thermal camera perspectives through computational processing rather than physical deployment. These virtual camera views are generated by processing data from existing cameras, providing comprehensive thermal coverage without the need for additional physical imaging devices.
Data Source
AI summary
System and method that includes mapping temperature values from a two dimensional (2D) thermal image of a component to a three dimensional (3D) drawing model of the component to generate a 3D thermal model of the component; mapping temperature values from the 3D thermal model to a 2D virtual thermal image corresponding to a virtual thermal camera perspective; and predicting an attribute for the component by applying a prediction function to the 2D virtual thermal image.