A 3D Optical Deformation Measurement System supported by Knowledge-based and Learning Techniques

High accuracy 3D representation and monitoring of objects is receiving increasing interest both in science and industrial applications. Up to now tasks like monitoring of building displacements or deformations were solved by means of artificial targets on the objects of interest, although mature optical 3D measurement and laser scanning techniques are available. Such systems can perform their measurements even without targeting. This paper presents a new optical 3D measurement system, based on the fusion between a geodetic image sensor and a laser scanner. The main goal of its development was the automation of the whole measurement process, including the tasks of point identification and measurement, deformation analysis, and interpretation. This was only possible by means of new methods and techniques originally developed in the area of Artificial Intelligence; both point detection and deformation analysis are supported by decision systems that use such techniques. The resulting complex multi-sensor system is able to measure and analyse the deformation of objects, as shown in experiments. In this article we focus on specific key components and novel techniques that have been developed, and briefly report on the current stage of the whole system.