HIROP

About

Overview Grinding wheels are used to cut and shape objects in manufacturing. The roughness of the wheel gives an indication of its grinding efficiency. HIROP measures the roughness of the surface of the wheel by creating a virtual 3D surface model using principles of Stereo Photogrammetry which exploits the apparent motion of an object when viewed from different angles. This platform technology informs when the wheel becomes too worn, allowing it to be sharpened or replaced. This technology can potentially be used for many other applications. Advantages This invention is the only technique in its field to use conventional cameras making it significantly cheaper and portable. The technology measures the roughness of a grinding wheel surface by creating a virtual 3D model of the surface using stereo photography. The technology developed for the HIROP project can inform us when the wheel becomes worn, allowing it to be sharpened or replaced. Development Stage As part of the HIROP project, a prototype stereo photography device was developed that takes two pictures of the wheel surface from slightly different viewpoints, simulating the viewpoints that would be obtained from the eyes. These pictures are taken using a camera which is attached to a PC or laptop. The device ensures that the pictures are captured from fixed known viewpoints and under controlled lighting conditions. A computer programme on the PC or laptop creates the virtual 3D surface model from the two photos taken by the camera. The model is created by measuring the relative positions or disparities of points on the surface in the two pictures. The size of the disparity is related to the distance of the point from the device. Principal Inventor(s) Prof. Andrew Torrance, Prof. Anil Kokaram