DSSP (imaging)
Encyclopedia
DSSP stands for digital shape sampling and processing. It is an alternative and often preferred way of describing "reverse engineering
" software and hardware. The term originated in a 2005 Society of Manufacturing Engineers
' "Blue Book" on the topic, which referenced numerous suppliers of both scanning hardware and processing software.
DSSP employs various 3D
scanning methods, including laser scanners, to acquire thousands to millions of points on the surface of a form and then software from a variety of suppliers to convert the resulting "point cloud
" into forms useful for inspection, computer-aided design, visualization and other applications. It may also employ volumetric methods of scanning, such as digital tomography
.
Some common applications include CAI (computer-aided inspection), creation of 3D CAD models from scanned data, medical applications, 3D imaging for Web 2.0
applications, and the restoration of culturally significant artifacts; as well as conventional reverse engineering for creating replacement parts.
The term 'reverse engineering' itself has acquired some notoriety when the technology has been used to copy others' designs.
The term 'laser scanning' has also been used somewhat interchangeably for DSSP. However, there are two problems with the term as a broad description of the field. First, it is only one of many alternative scanning technologies. Second, it misses the essential role of processing software in converting point cloud data into useful forms.
In some ways, DSSP is a 3D analog to DSP (digital signal processing
) in that the software attempts to extract a clear and accurate 3D image from point data that may include noise
. The notion of 'shape sampling' embedded in the term also acknowledges that, as in many measurement processes, the accuracy of the 3D data will depend upon the number and accuracy of points sampled.
The speed and accuracy of both scanners to acquire data and software algorithm
s to extract useful data
has dramatically increased in recent years. As some the limitations of the technology are eliminated and costs reduced, more uses are appearing.
Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...
" software and hardware. The term originated in a 2005 Society of Manufacturing Engineers
Society of Manufacturing Engineers
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is a non-profit organization.-History of the Society:Founded in 1932 with 33 members, the organization was originally named The Society of Tool Engineers . A year later, it was renamed the American Society of Tool Engineers...
' "Blue Book" on the topic, which referenced numerous suppliers of both scanning hardware and processing software.
DSSP employs various 3D
Three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...
scanning methods, including laser scanners, to acquire thousands to millions of points on the surface of a form and then software from a variety of suppliers to convert the resulting "point cloud
Point cloud
A point cloud is a set of vertices in a three-dimensional coordinate system. These vertices are usually defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates, and typically are intended to be representative of the external surface of an object....
" into forms useful for inspection, computer-aided design, visualization and other applications. It may also employ volumetric methods of scanning, such as digital tomography
Tomography
Tomography refers to imaging by sections or sectioning, through the use of any kind of penetrating wave. A device used in tomography is called a tomograph, while the image produced is a tomogram. The method is used in radiology, archaeology, biology, geophysics, oceanography, materials science,...
.
Some common applications include CAI (computer-aided inspection), creation of 3D CAD models from scanned data, medical applications, 3D imaging for Web 2.0
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
applications, and the restoration of culturally significant artifacts; as well as conventional reverse engineering for creating replacement parts.
The term 'reverse engineering' itself has acquired some notoriety when the technology has been used to copy others' designs.
The term 'laser scanning' has also been used somewhat interchangeably for DSSP. However, there are two problems with the term as a broad description of the field. First, it is only one of many alternative scanning technologies. Second, it misses the essential role of processing software in converting point cloud data into useful forms.
In some ways, DSSP is a 3D analog to DSP (digital signal processing
Digital signal processing
Digital signal processing is concerned with the representation of discrete time signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals. Digital signal processing and analog signal processing are subfields of signal processing...
) in that the software attempts to extract a clear and accurate 3D image from point data that may include noise
Noise
In common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. In both analog and digital electronics, noise is random unwanted perturbation to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the acoustic noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission with significant electrical noise...
. The notion of 'shape sampling' embedded in the term also acknowledges that, as in many measurement processes, the accuracy of the 3D data will depend upon the number and accuracy of points sampled.
The speed and accuracy of both scanners to acquire data and software algorithm
Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
s to extract useful data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
has dramatically increased in recent years. As some the limitations of the technology are eliminated and costs reduced, more uses are appearing.