Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Mechanical Engineering Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2006

Computer Sciences

Articles 1 - 13 of 13

Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

High-Resolution, Real-Time Three-Dimensional Shape Measurement, Song Zhang, Peisen S. Huang Dec 2006

High-Resolution, Real-Time Three-Dimensional Shape Measurement, Song Zhang, Peisen S. Huang

Song Zhang

We describe a high-resolution, real-time 3-D shape measurement system based on a digital fringe projection and phase-shifting technique. It utilizes a single-chip digital light processing projector to project computer-generated fringe patterns onto the object, and a high-speed CCD camera synchronized with the projector to acquire the fringe images at a frame rate of 120frames∕s. A color CCD camera is also used to capture images for texture mapping. Based on a three-step phase-shifting technique, each frame of the 3-D shape is reconstructed using three consecutive fringe images. Therefore the 3-D data acquisition speed of the system is 40frames∕s. With this system, …

Go to article

A Fuzzy Logic Controller For Autonomous Wheeled Vehicles, Mohamed Trabia, Linda Z. Shi, Neil Eugene Hodge Dec 2006

A Fuzzy Logic Controller For Autonomous Wheeled Vehicles, Mohamed Trabia, Linda Z. Shi, Neil Eugene Hodge

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Autonomous vehicles have potential applications in many fields, such as replacing humans in hazardous environments, conducting military missions, and performing routine tasks for industry. Driving ground vehicles is an area where human performance has proven to be reliable. Drivers typically respond quickly to sudden changes in their environment. While other control techniques may be used to control a vehicle, fuzzy logic has certain advantages in this area; one of them is its ability to incorporate human knowledge and experience, via language, into relationships among the given quantities. Fuzzy logic controllers for autonomous vehicles have been successfully applied to address various …

Go to article

Novel Method For Structured Light System Calibration, Song Zhang, Peisen S. Huang Aug 2006

Novel Method For Structured Light System Calibration, Song Zhang, Peisen S. Huang

Song Zhang

System calibration, which usually involves complicated and time-consuming procedures, is crucial for any 3-D shape measurement system. In this work, a novel systematic method is proposed for accurate and quick calibration of a 3-D shape measurement system we developed based on a structured light technique. The key concept is to enable the projector to “capture” images like a camera, thus making the calibration of a projector the same as that of a camera. With this new concept, the calibration of structured light systems becomes essentially the same as the calibration of traditional stereovision systems, which is well established. The calibration …

Go to article

Generic Nonsinusoidal Phase Error Correction For 3d Shape Measurement Using A Digital Video Projector, Song Zhang, Shing-Tung Yau Aug 2006

Generic Nonsinusoidal Phase Error Correction For 3d Shape Measurement Using A Digital Video Projector, Song Zhang, Shing-Tung Yau

Song Zhang

Structured light system using a digital video projector is increasingly used for a 3-D shape measurement because of its digital nature. However, the nonlinear gamma of the projector causes the projected fringe patterns to be non-sinusoidal, which results in phase error therefore shape measurement error. Previous work showed that, by using a small look-up-table (LUT), this type of phase error can be reduced significantly for a three-step phase-shifting algorithm. In this research, we prove that this type of phase error compensation method is not limited to a three-step phase-shifting algorithm. It is generic for any phase-shifting algorithm. The phase error …

Go to article

High-Resolution Real-Time 3d Absolute Coordinates Measurement Using A Fast Three-Step Phase-Shifting Algorithm, Song Zhang, Dale Royer, Shing-Tung Yau Aug 2006

High-Resolution Real-Time 3d Absolute Coordinates Measurement Using A Fast Three-Step Phase-Shifting Algorithm, Song Zhang, Dale Royer, Shing-Tung Yau

Song Zhang

High-resolution, real-time 3-D absolute coordinate measurement is highly important in many fields. This paper presents such a system that measures 3-D absolute geometric shapes and positions at 30 frames per second (fps), with an image resolution of 532 × 500. The system is based on a digital fringe projection and fast three-step phase-shifting method. It utilizes a digital-light-processing (DLP) projector to project color encoded computer generated phase-shifted fringe patterns in grayscale, a high-speed CCD camera synchronized with the projector to capture fringe images at 90 fps. Based on the three-step phase-shifting algorithm, any successive three fringe images can be used …

Go to article

2nd Annual Undergraduate Research Conference Abstract Book, University Of Missouri--Rolla Apr 2006

2nd Annual Undergraduate Research Conference Abstract Book, University Of Missouri--Rolla

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Learning Real-Time A* Path Planner For Unmanned Air Vehicle Target Sensing, Jason K. Howlett, Timothy W. Mclain, Michael A. Goodrich Mar 2006

Learning Real-Time A* Path Planner For Unmanned Air Vehicle Target Sensing, Jason K. Howlett, Timothy W. Mclain, Michael A. Goodrich

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a path planner for sensing closely-spaced targets from a fixed-wing unmanned air vehicle (UAV) having a specified sensor footprint. The planner is based on the learning real-time A* (LRTA*) search algorithm and produces dynamically feasible paths that accomplish the sensing objectives in the shortest possible distance. A tree of candidate paths that span the area of interest is created by assembling primitive turn and straight sections of a specified step size in a sequential fashion from the starting position of the UAV. An LRTA* search of the tree produces feasible paths any time during its execution and …

Go to article

Trapezoidal Phase-Shifting Method For Three-Dimensional Shape Measurement, Peisen S. Huang, Song Zhang, Fu-Pen Chiang Jan 2006

Trapezoidal Phase-Shifting Method For Three-Dimensional Shape Measurement, Peisen S. Huang, Song Zhang, Fu-Pen Chiang

Song Zhang

We propose a novel structured light method, namely a trapezoidal phase-shifting method, for 3-D shape measurement. This method uses three patterns coded with phase-shifted, trapezoidal-shaped gray levels. The 3-D information of the object is extracted by direct calculation of an intensity ratio. Compared to traditional intensity-ratio-based methods, the vertical or depth resolution is six times better. Also, this new method is significantly less sensitive to the defocusing effect of the captured images, which makes large-depth 3-D shape measurement possible. If compared to sinusoidal phase-shifting methods, the resolution is similar, but the data processing speed is at least 4.5 times faster. …

Go to article

Fast Three-Step Phase-Shifting Algorithm, Song Zhang, Peisen S. Huang Jan 2006

Fast Three-Step Phase-Shifting Algorithm, Song Zhang, Peisen S. Huang

Song Zhang

We propose a new three-step phase-shifting algorithm, which is much faster than the traditional three-step algorithm. We achieve the speed advantage by using a simple intensity ratio function to replace the arctangent function in the traditional algorithm. The phase error caused by this new algorithm is compensated for by use of a lookup table. Our experimental results show that both the new algorithm and the traditional algorithm generate similar results, but the new algorithm is 3.4 times faster. By implementing this new algorithm in a high-resolution, real-time three-dimensional shape measurement system, we were able to achieve a measurement speed of …

Go to article

High-Resolution, Real-Time 3d Absolute Coordinate Measurement Based On A Phase-Shifting Method, Song Zhang, Shing-Tung Yau Jan 2006

High-Resolution, Real-Time 3d Absolute Coordinate Measurement Based On A Phase-Shifting Method, Song Zhang, Shing-Tung Yau

Song Zhang

We describe a high-resolution, real-time 3D absolute coordinate measurement system based on a phase-shifting method. It acquires 3D shape at 30 frames per second (fps), with 266K points per frame. A tiny marker is encoded in the projected fringe pattern, and detected by software from the texture image and the gamma map. Absolute 3D coordinates are obtained from the detected marker position and the calibrated system parameters. To demonstrate the performance of the system, we measure a hand moving over a depth distance of approximately 700 mm, and human faces with expressions. Applications of such a system include manufacturing, inspection, …

Go to article

Gpu-Assisted High-Resolution, Real-Time 3-D Shape Measurement, Song Zhang, Dale Royer, Shing-Tung Yau Jan 2006

Gpu-Assisted High-Resolution, Real-Time 3-D Shape Measurement, Song Zhang, Dale Royer, Shing-Tung Yau

Song Zhang

This paper describes a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)-assisted real-time three-dimensional shape measurement system. Our experiments demonstrated that the absolute coordinates calculation and rendering speed of a GPU is more than four times faster than that of a dual CPU workstation with the same graphics card. By implementing the GPU into our system, we realized simultaneous absolute coordinate acquisition, reconstruction and display at 30 frames per second with a resolution of approximately 266K points per frame. Moreover, a 2+1 phase-shifting algorithm was employed to alleviate the measurement error caused by motion. Applications of the system include medical imaging, manufacturing, entertainment, and …

Go to article

Neural Network-Based Output Feedback Controller For Lean Operation Of Spark Ignition Engines, Brian C. Kaul, Jagannathan Sarangapani, J. A. Drallmeier, Jonathan B. Vance, Pingan He Jan 2006

Neural Network-Based Output Feedback Controller For Lean Operation Of Spark Ignition Engines, Brian C. Kaul, Jagannathan Sarangapani, J. A. Drallmeier, Jonathan B. Vance, Pingan He

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Spark ignition (SI) engines running at very lean conditions demonstrate significant nonlinear behavior by exhibiting cycle-to-cycle dispersion of heat release even though such operation can significantly reduce NOx emissions and improve fuel efficiency by as much as 5-10%. A suite of neural network (NN) controller without and with reinforcement learning employing output feedback has shown ability to reduce the nonlinear cyclic dispersion observed under lean operating conditions. The neural network controllers consists of three NN: a) A NN observer to estimate the states of the engine such as total fuel and air; b) a second NN for generating virtual input; …

Go to article

An Internet Based Intelligent Argumentation System For Collaborative Engineering Design, Xiaoqing Frank Liu, Samir Raorane, Man Zheng, Ming-Chuan Leu Jan 2006

An Internet Based Intelligent Argumentation System For Collaborative Engineering Design, Xiaoqing Frank Liu, Samir Raorane, Man Zheng, Ming-Chuan Leu

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Modern product design is a very complicated process which involves groups of designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and customer representatives. Conflicts are unavoidable in collaboration among multiple stakeholders, who have different objectives, requirements, and priorities. Unfortunately, current web-based collaborative engineering design systems do not support collaborative conflict resolution. In this paper, we will develop an intelligent computational argumentation model to enable management of a large scale argumentation network, and resolution of conflicts based on argumentation from many participants. A web-based intelligent argumentation tool is developed as a part of a web-based collaborative engineering design system based on the above model to resolve …

Go to article